Sony is set to release a premium loyalty program called PlayStation Stars in multiple regions, and it gets players better customer service should they need to contact PlayStation. The PlayStation Stars program has begun for Japanese PlayStation fans, but it's currently unclear what the service will look like when it makes its way to the West next month.PlayStation Stars has just kicked off for PlayStation fans in Japan, and it adds a point system that rewards players for playing specific games and campaigns. The rewarded points from completing these tasks can be used through PlayStation Stars to earn digital collectibles, select games, and like Xbox Game Pass on competing hardware before it, even shop credit. According to another potential feature of the PlayStation Stars program, subscribers will also receive improved customer support should they need to contact Sony about a product or service.PlayStation revealed PlayStation Stars earlier this month in a State of Play in which Vice President of Global Marketing Grace Chen highlighted the various digital collectibles that fans can expect to earn through spending points. There are different levels to a PlayStation Stars subscription like the difference between a standard Xbox Game Pass subscription versus an Ultimate one, but there are a total of four levels that each has its own benefits. All PlayStation fans will be automatically set to level one when PlayStation Stars comes to the West in October, while the higher tiers will cost progressively more.
Being the top tier, PlayStation Stars level four gives subscribers in Japan a better customer service experience which may carry over to PlayStation Network accounts in the West when it launches in the region. PlayStation fans that buy the most games and earn a plethora of trophies will rise in PlayStation Stars ranks quickly which lends credence to the emphasis on gaming, but leaves the small spenders at lower tiers. These lower-level accounts may feel further punished when contacting PlayStation customer support as the PlayStation Stars listing confirms the tier 4 benefit of getting "priority in the chat order."
While PlayStation Stars has been confirmed for a Western launch in October, it's currently unclear if it will retain all the perks of the service offered in other countries that already have access to it. Because of struggles faced by some PlayStation players before PlayStation Stars was even confirmed, multiple fans have expressed frustration with customer service being tied to the loyalty program, while others have praised Sony for reinventing the online experience yet again.
Source: VGC