Instead of convincing us digital-only games are secretly a good thing, Sony was just caught testing dynamic pricing again on PlayStation 5

Date:
Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:17:20 +0000

Description:
Sony just gave us yet another reason to hate its digital-only strategy in the form of dynamic pricing.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Sony has seemingly been caught testing dynamic pricing again PS5 users are seeing different discounts for Star Wars games based on unknown account factors Some regions seem unaffected by the experiment Dynamic pricing is back in the gaming news, as PS5 players are yet again seeing the wild disparity between discount amounts for the same game and its all-digital future feels ever more like a nightmare.

When looking at buying Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order while logged into their PlayStation account Reddit user Bluemonkey88 was told it would cost them CA$19.24, or a roughly 65% discount from its RRP. Meanwhile the sequel Jedi: Survivor would set them back CA$23.39 (a 74% saving). As soon as they logged out Fallen Order dropped to CA$10.99, an 80% drop from full price, and Survivor fell to CA$13.49, or an 85% discount. In the replies, we can see folks being offered the games for CA$13.99 and CA$18.19 , though further muddying the waters a couple of US users one with PS Plus and another
without both see the games at $7.99 and $10.49, suggesting not every region or user is subject to the same price testing. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: I really dislike these new pricing practices on the PlayStation Store from r/PS5 What is dynamic pricing? If you havent heard before, dynamic pricing is where a products cost fluctuates based on who is buying the product, or when theyre buying it.

It goes by other names you might have seen like surge pricing on Uber when everyone is trying to book a cab, say just as a concert ends or if the
weather turns bad, youll see costs rise because demand is up. You may like 'They're doing some kind of dynamic pricing BS': Xbox Game Pass is being offered cheaper for some users, and Reddit thinks it knows why This PS5 game lock is the digital-only future that awaits gamers in 2028 Sony needs to
learn from Sonos to respond to the physical games backlash but it probably won't (Image credit: Uber) In Sony s case here the pricing seems more algorithmic. Theres an unending supply of digital games, so instead the discount amount folks are seeing looks to be based on how likely it is youll buy the product, and adjusting the sale until it just tips you over the edge.

For example someone who maybe plays a couple of games a year or isnt a mega Star Wars or action adventure game fan might see a steep discount as theyll need more convincing. Whereas a mega fan of Star Wars, or a gamer who digests a new title every other week might be willing to pay more. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Its like how airlines and hotels are accused of upping costs for folks who have filled their search history with holiday plans to a dream destination
if theyre desperate to go to, say, Paris, then theyll be willing to maybe pay that little bit extra compared with a more agnostic traveller. No thank you This isnt the first time Sony has been caught testing dynamic pricing. In fact, some kind of experiment has been going on from as far back as November last year .

And its as scummy a practice then as it is now, and it will continue to be as awfully anti-consumer as some of Sonys other recent moves (i.e. killing physical games media). What to read next Industry analyst reports only 7 PlayStation games 'have sold more than 100,000 physical units year-to-date'
in the US, as fans demand Sony kill its plan to end the production of discs Analysts say that 'digital is just too lucrative' for Sony and that PlayStation 'will not reverse' its decision to end physical disc production even in the face of fans cancelling PS Plus subscriptions Sony's physical
game disc elimination may ruin the future of gaming

Though if youre thinking of jumping ship to Xbox it too has been caught with its hand in the dynamic pricing cookie jar . In its case it appears Microsoft is offering deeper Game Pass discounts to some accounts than others, with current subscribers unable to see the deal at all. (Image credit: Microsoft)
A digital-only gaming future already has so many downsides when it comes to ownership, game archiving, offline access and more, that we simply dont need to add dynamic pricing to the mix.

Maybe Sony will reverse course, though its efforts for the past year suggest that dynamic pricing is here to stay. The best thing we can do is point it
out every time its spotted, and making sure we dont get suckered in with higher prices. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/ps5/instead-of-convincing-us-digital-only-gam es-are-secretly-a-good-thing-sony-was-just-caught-testing-dynamic-pricing-agai n-on-playstation-5


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