The PlayStation Store needs work. As soon as yesterday. And the upcoming arrival of the PlayStation 5 will surely mean that fans, finally, get a better way to buy games. It's time to start dreaming about the PS5 Store, folks!
When you go into a shop, you probably already know what you want to buy, and you would know where to go, especially in a store that you've visited hundreds of times before.
With the current iteration of the PS Store, though, it still feels like you’re in a never-ending episode of the Crystal Maze, trying to figure out a clue in order to reach a certain game or its DLC. It's a frustrating experience.
With the DualSense controller now unveiled and more details on the PlayStation 5 to come, one aspect I’m hoping to see announced is a revamp of the Store.
After all, this is the primary way of buying and trialling games for many people, and it needs to be better in order for more games to be better discovered.
Here are some features that could make the PS5 Store, or whatever the next version of the PS Store ends up being called, an absolutely massive improvement on what we have at the moment...
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PS5 store needs a better wishlist
Right now, you can wishlist on the PS website but not in the PS Store on the console itself. The lack of uniformity there seems utterly bizarre.
On the Switch eShop, you can look at a game, add it to the wishlist, and then you'll receive an email when it's on sale. There’s nothing like this currently on the PSN Store, so to have this would be a great start.
PS5 Store should have gifting
Especially during these lockdown times, a gift to a fellow gamer can go a long way, and on the App Store, this really helps with headspace and gaming apps currently.
This is also nowhere to be seen on the PSN Store, so there really should be a way of being able to send any game or even gift cards straight to an account.
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Will the PS5 store have a dedicated app for all platforms?
Having a dedicated app, similar to the Xbox Game Pass app, would be fantastic.
Have it universal so it works concurrently on phones and tablets, so someone only needs to press on the app, be taken to the store, and can browse any content in an instant.
Even have it with push-notifications, so any price drops on wish-listed games will be communicated to players. Or if a game has been pre-ordered, let the user know that it’s ready to be played, or that it’s ready to download.
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Give the PS5 Store reviews rather than stars
Let's have the ability to type out a review, but with a character limit, similar to Twitter.
Have them be straight to the point, but informative, and have a ‘curation quality’ team inside Sony to approve or decline the submissions.
It’s great reading reviews from outlets such as us (have you seen our Streets Of Rage 4 review?), but user data is also highly useful to players.
PS5 Store could bundle memberships together
Microsoft has Xbox Game Pass Ultimate: there are trials and deals seen all the time, plus day-one access to exclusive titles, and all your memberships are grouped up into one cohesive package.
On the PS Store, it’s a muddle, so you can end up paying for a PS Plus account, alongside having a PS Now subscription going, alongside video and music apps with their own pricing. Let's have it all rolled into one membership, with tiers that allow players to choose the services they need.
Have half-price deals or a month trial for them all at once. Have them all work with another, and with the ‘Store app’ mentioned above, have that as the HQ; a way of letting the user know that there are deals on this, and their trials on one is expiring soon.
These are just a few examples of what could be improved, and we’re in 2020 now. The PS5 console from Sony is launching soon, so please can the Store get as much of an upgrade as the controller?
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