PlayStation Fans Slam Sony Over Issue Ruining the PlayStation Store

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PlayStation enthusiasts using both PS4 and PS5 are expressing dissatisfaction towards Sony due to a persistent problem on the PlayStation Store. This issue appears to be causing significant inconvenience, yet Sony either lacks the ability or the willingness to resolve it. As evidence, one of the most popular posts in the past week on the official PS5 Reddit forum is a post criticizing Sony for this exact concern. The post has garnered over 3,000 upvotes – a considerable number for the PS5 Reddit page – and has sparked over 300 comments expressing similar frustration.

What’s the problem? Essentially, it’s the abundance of low-quality games (shovelware) and scams that plague the PlayStation Store. The shovelware is hard to overlook, while examples of scam games are often removed swiftly, but not before they manage to fleece numerous PlayStation users out of their money. Lately, there have been numerous scam games mimicking Steam hits like Schedule I and R.E.P.O., tricking PlayStation gamers in large numbers due to their popularity, sometimes even appearing on the trending banners of the PlayStation Store. Additionally, it appears that the top-selling VR game in Europe during March, Flight Simulator Delivery 2025 VR, is a blatant scam. It claims to be related to Microsoft Flight Simulator and is published by 404 Games, which attempts to pose as publisher 505 Games.

The Reddit post indicates that Sony’s limited refund policy, which doesn’t allow for the return of downloaded games, exacerbates this issue. For those not aware, while PlayStation Support might occasionally grant a free return, this is rare. Over time, as your account history shows multiple returns, you’ll find it increasingly difficult to get any more refunds.

In this Reddit post, they’re saying that low-quality or deceptive games (often referred to as “shovelware” or scams) are common in digital storefronts like Steam, Epic Games, GOG, Ubisoft Store, Origin, and Microsoft Store. However, the key difference is that most of these platforms allow you to try out the game before purchasing and offer refunds if the game doesn’t meet your expectations. In contrast, the PlayStation Store does not always let you test games, which can lead to customers unknowingly buying the wrong game and being unhappy with their purchase. This is one of the reasons why people are hesitant to browse the PlayStation Store.

2025 finds digital transactions dominating the market. However, it’s crucial that we uphold the same consumer safeguards as with physical goods. This means having the option to return a digital purchase if it doesn’t meet expectations, or if it turns out to be deceptive or fraudulent. Implementing a refund policy for such cases would significantly reduce the number of misleading games available on digital stores, since users could simply request a refund when they’ve been misled.

Until Sony makes changes to its PlayStation Store return policy, it seems challenging to envision a resolution. The store has shown no signs of self-regulation, leading to growing confusion for users. A feasible option would be to allow PlayStation gamers to return downloaded games under certain conditions. However, this move will necessitate resources from Sony for implementation and management of refunds. Given that, we don’t anticipate any changes until there is increased pressure, which means an influx of similar posts like this in the near future as unscrupulous users capitalize on Sony’s inaction.

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2025-04-14 18:42