PlayStation will give you gifts just for playing games – but expect a catch

techradar.com:

Sony is rolling out a new gaming loyalty program called PlayStation Stars, which will reward players for spending time on their PlayStation consoles.

Launching for PS4 and PS5 users worldwide later this year, the free program will let you earn a variety of rewards for completing specific rolling 'campaigns', and as outlined by Sony in a blog post(opens in new tab), these will vary in scope considerably.

Monthly 'Check-in' campaigns will simply require you to play any game on a PlayStation console, while others will require you to earn specific trophies, or even become the first player in your time zone to platinum a specific game.

Completing those activities will earn you loyalty points that can be redeemed for a variety of goodies. These include PSN wallet funds that you can use to purchase games and select items in the PS Store. PS Plus members will also earn additional loyalty points automatically, encouraging you to subscribe to Sony’s revamped subscription service.

Players will be able to earn 'digital collectibles', too, which Sony describes as “digital representations of things that PlayStation fans enjoy, including figurines of beloved and iconic characters from games and other forms of entertainment, as well as cherished devices that tap into Sony’s history of innovation”.

It adds “There will always be a new collectible to earn, an ultra-rare collectible to strive for, or something surprising to collect just for fun.”

In an interview with the Washington Post, Sony’s vice president of network advertising, loyalty and licensed merchandise, Grace Chen, clarified that the collectibles were not NFTS and didn’t use blockchain technology. 

Everyone loves freebies, and PlayStation Stars sounds like the perfect kind of loyalty