A few PlayStation players recently received refund emails for purchases they didn’t make. If you got Stardew Valley for free through the PS+ Essential program, you may have received one too. Don’t worry, your account is safe and you still have access to the game. Here’s what’s happening:
On November 20th, some Sony customers received emails stating they’d been refunded for Stardew Valley – but the refund amount was $0. This was confusing, as Stardew Valley is often downloaded for free. It appears Sony was actually fixing a problem with PlayStation Plus and how the game is shared between PlayStation consoles and the PS Vita.
Stardew Valley Probably Wasn’t Supposed to Support Cross-Buy
Last September, PlayStation Plus Essential members received a free copy of Stardew Valley as a monthly benefit. This perk lets PlayStation Plus subscribers download a few chosen games as part of their membership. While you don’t permanently own the game, you can play it as long as you have an active subscription and have downloaded it during the offer period. However, a trick allowed some players to get Stardew Valley on multiple PlayStation consoles, and it appears Sony is now fixing that issue.
The PlayStation Store used to have a feature called cross-buy, which allowed players to access games they purchased on different PlayStation devices, like the PS4 and PS Vita. While fewer people use the older PS Vita now, many enjoyed playing games like Stardew Valley on both their console and handheld. However, it seems Sony didn’t originally intend for this to happen.
It appears Sony is preventing players who previously claimed Stardew Valley through PlayStation Plus Essential from owning the game digitally. They’re sending out emails regarding refund requests, and it now seems the game is only accessible with an active PS+ subscription instead of being a permanent digital purchase.
— Wario64 (@Wario64) November 20, 2025
A strange refund email Sony sent to some players of Stardew Valley seems to be related to how the game is accessed through cross-buy, according to @Wario64. While players can still play Stardew Valley, they no longer technically own the game. This means continued access requires an active PlayStation Plus subscription, and it shouldn’t be available on PS Vita through the cross-buy feature. However, players who already downloaded the game on their PS Vita report that it still works.
Okay, so this whole thing with the PS+ games is a little weird. I was definitely confused by the first email Sony sent out, and this explanation helps clear things up. It sounds like if the game somehow showed up as purchased instead of being a free PS+ title, there was some behind-the-scenes work to fix that. That’s why some people got refund emails – apparently Sony technically took ownership of the game back, even though we never actually bought it in the first place! It’s a bit strange, but at least it seems like they’re trying to sort it out.
Sony hasn’t publicly addressed the recent issues with Stardew Valley on PlayStation. Players have only received a standard refund email, leaving them to guess what’s happening with game ownership. This situation is frustrating for some, as it highlights the uncertainty of owning digital games versus physical copies.
Have you received the email confirming your refund for Stardew Valley on PlayStation? Share your experience and discuss it with other fans in the ComicBook Forum!
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2025-11-22 23:40