Sony has long received criticism about the difficult nature of its PlayStation refund process, especially compared to other gaming storefronts like Steam, which offers a far more user-friendly. However, Sony have recently decided to overhaul their refunding process for PlayStation games, scrapping its chatbot in favour of a visit to the user’s account page on the PlayStation Store or app.
This change comes amid a slew of additional features, such as the introduction of Apple Pay, and is thought to be a part of the recently announced ‘increased oversight’ of PlayStation Studios after the failure of Concord’s launch last August.
New PlayStation Refund Process
Now, instead of having to interact with the much-maligned chatbot, players can request a refund for their purchased PlayStation games by:
- Go to the PlayStation store or app.
- Click on the three dots in the top right corner.
- Select the option that reads “Transaction History”
- Select one of your purchases and choose the “request refund” option.
This is a process that can’t be conducted directly via console.
Games That Are Eligible For Refunding
It’s only this process that’s changed; those expecting some sort of overhaul that brings the eligibility for game refunds closer in line with what Steam allows might be disappointed.
On that platform, playing the game for under two hours still qualifies it for a refund, which means that you can try the game before deciding that you don’t enjoy it and want your money back.
For PlayStation refunds, the game in question needs to have been purchased in the last 14 days, and can’t have been played or downloaded. If there are any reasons why you believe your request might have special circumstances that require further attention, it should be directed to PlayStation’s customer service.
Sony’s Broader Strategy
As mentioned previously, this seems to fit right in alongside other changes that look to improve the user experience. However, it might go beyond reforming the refund system, adding payment methods and improved accessibility options.
The failure of Concord has allegedly caused Sony CEO Herman Hulst to rethink their live-service plans, allowing them to tap more into what it is that their audiences enjoy.
In contrast to their live-service titles which haven’t gotten off the ground, single-player games like Astro Bot have been both critically and commercially successful, which might help to explain the new direction and general reassessment of what works for the brand.
