PlayStation Stars, new free-to-join loyalty program, launching this year

Sony will launch PlayStation Stars, a new free-to-join loyalty program, later this year, according to a recent blog post.

As PlayStation Stars, players can play games to earn rewards as well as loyalty points which “can be redeemed in a catalog that may include PSN wallet funds and select PlayStation Store products.” Those who have enrolled will also earn points on purchases from the PS Store.

In addition to points, PlayStation Stars can also earn “digital collectibles,” which are “digital representations of things that PlayStation fans enjoy.” These include “figurines of beloved and iconic characters” as well as “cherished devices that tap into Sony’s history of innovation.”

Given the verbiage, and the recent trend of companies like Ubisoft and GameStop getting into non-fungible tokens (NFTs), it’s not unfair to ask whether PlayStation Stars will feature some kind of blockchain element. However, Grace Chen, vice president of network advertising, loyalty and licensed merchandise, told the Washington Post that PlayStation Stars is “definitely not NFTs. Definitely not. You can’t trade them or sell them. It is not leveraging any blockchain technologies and definitely not NFTs.”