Sony announced its new gaming loyalty program, PlayStation Stars, back in July, and the service is now live in North and South America. PlayStation users can sign up for the free program, but there’s one big caveat.
PlayStation Stars allows players to earn points and digital collectibles by completing “campaigns,” which range from completing small objectives while playing games to larger monthly challenges. Any PlayStation player can join Stars; you don’t need a Plus subscription.
Completing campaigns also raises your Star Status, a leveling system consisting of four ranks. Everyone begins at Level 1, but doing things like purchasing games from PSN or earning a certain number of trophy rarities raises this level, increasing the quality of rewards you earn.
Digital rewards, which Sony confirmed are not NFTs and cannot be resold, include models of old PlayStation consoles and characters from first-party titles. You can also redeem points to use as funds for your digital store wallet and to purchase DLC. Points remain available for 24 months after earning them.
If you’re running to sign up now, there’s already a waitlist to join PS Stars. Sony states that new users will have to wait about two months after the date they register to be accepted into the program. It’s unclear why this is the case, but one could assume Sony doesn’t want to be flooded with too many memberships at once as it gradually gets the program off the ground. Registration also doesn’t seem consistent yet, as some folks were immediately let in while others have been told to wait (and some others still can’t access Stars in parts of the U.S. as of publishing).
PlayStation Stars will launch in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand next week on October 13. To learn more about the program, including its handy FAQ, you can visit its official site here.
