A new report from PlayStation Store price tracker PSprices (via VGC) claims that Sony is conducting a large-scale dynamic pricing (aka. surge pricing) test on its storefront.
The experimental pricing reportedly isn’t active in major markets like the United States, but it has been spotted in as many as 68 regions and has been underway since at least November.
They indicate this trial includes over 150 games, including first-party PS5 titles such as “Astro Bot,” “God of War Ragnarök” and “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2”. Third-party games are also said to be part of the testing.
There are no price rises as such, rather it’s about the amount of discounting with users being offered different rates of personalised discounts – some getting 5% off, others as much as 17.6%.
Dynamic pricing is a pricing strategy in which businesses set flexible prices for products based on demand and/or a customer’s purchase history. It’s a practice used in other industries, most notably ride-sharing services, and is often criticised by consumers for its perceived unfairness.
The news comes as PlayStation’s Monthly Active Users in December reached a record 132 million accounts, and total gameplay hours increased year-on-year.
