Sony is making getting refunds for digitally-bought PlayStation titles easier. As caught by PlayStation Lifestyle, players can now request a refund for a game purchase through the PlayStation Store website or through the PS App on Android and iOS. Interestingly, the option to ask for refunds isn’t yet directly available through the PS5 itself.
To request a refund for a game or other digital purchase, PlayStation users have to log in to the PlayStation Store on the web or through the PS App. Upon doing so, they can access their transaction history through a menu on the top right of the screen. In the history, the user can then request for a refund of a digital purchase.
As you would expect, there are a few conditions for a digital purchase to be eligible for a refund. The game must have been bought in the last fourteen days. A purchase can also not be refunded if the game in question was downloaded. Sony does note that exceptions are made in the case of the product being “faulty”. The new refund policy also allows users to ask for refunds for DLCs.
As for in-game consumables that can be bought with real money, like GTA$ Cash Packs or other boosts, refunds can still be requested for the item if the game hasn’t yet been launched since the item was purchased. This is due to how these items are delivered to players on the moment of the game’s next launch. For example, if a player launches GTA 5 right after buying a Cash Pack, the Cash Pack will not be eligible for refunds. However, it will remain eligible for refunds between the purchase and the next launch of the game.
Pre-orders can be cancelled at any time before the release of the game or DLC in question to get a full refund. This means that pre-orders don’t have the 14 day requirement applied to them assuming the game isn’t yet out. When it comes to pre-loads, as long as the main part of a game hasn’t yet been downloaded, it will still be eligible for refunds. Doing so will also stop extra content from working. Sony also warns PS5 users that downloads on the PS5 start automatically as soon as possible if the Automatic Downloads setting has been enabled, and suggests users to disable the setting if they plan on refunding something.
It is worth noting that, while this new move does make requesting cancellations for errant purchases easier, it is still not as generous of a system as one offered by other online storefronts like Steam. The PC platform, for instance, allows players to get refunded for even downloaded titles assuming it hasn’t been played for more than two hours, and it still falls under the 14 day time limit. However, Sony likely precludes downloaded titles from refunds due to the fact that consoles can still play games even when offline. The decision was likely made to prevent bad actors from playing a downloaded title even after a refund has been processed by simply never going online on the console after the download.