Sony has confirmed it will be expanding its online PlayStation store throughout Europe, including countries such as the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg.
It was previously impossible for gamers in Europe to order PlayStation hardware, such as the PS5, directly from Sony online. Instead, you’d have to shop at various third-party retailers.
However, with many people unsatisfied with the retailers’ failed attempts to thwart scalping bots (which purchase PS5s in bulk in order to sell on at inflated costs) it will likely come as a relief to many to see Sony now offering a more direct option for purchase.
The new PlayStation online store went live today in Germany, with options to purchase both the standard and digital editions of the PS5 consoles, although both models are currently out of stock. Unfortunately, there’s no way to register interest or reserve a console.
The Germany store also has the warning “Due to popular demand, only 1 console can be ordered at a time” which indicates Sony is looking to ramp up efforts to combat the scalper issue.
Various PS5 accessories are also available for purchase, including the DualSense controllers, Pulse 3D Wireless headset, Media remote and HD camera. And if you’re not ready to move to a new generation of consoles, the PS4 is also available to buy directly from Sony.
You’ll also be able to buy numerous first-party PS5 games in disk format from the online store including Death Stranding, Ghost of Tsushima, Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, Returnal, Demon’s Souls and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
However, with the physical editions of the PS5 games seemingly costing just as much as the digital versions, there isn’t a great deal of incentive to shop here instead of Sony’s existing digital storefront when it comes to games.
Everyone in Europe outside of Germany, including the UK, will have to wait a little longer for the online shop to launch, with PlayStation UK writing “Stay tuned for more details on the UK launch” on Twitter.
Keep an eye on Trusted Reviews for more updates.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
