Sony PlayStation Store lists games at different prices to users: Here's why

Sony is reportedly testing dynamic pricing on the PlayStation Store, offering select users personalised discounts on titles such as Spider-Man 2 and God of War

Sony has reportedly been testing dynamic pricing for digital games on the PlayStation Store. According to a report by The Verge, citing PSPrices, some games were noticed being offered at different prices to different users. The report added that Sony is running A/B testing on prices for over 150 games across 68 regions. 

For the uninitiated, dynamic pricing means that the same game can be sold at different prices depending on the region or user profile based on its activity on the platform. For example, while the game might appear at its regular price in your region, players in another region may see it offered at a lower price. 

Notably, Sony is not reportedly raising prices for game titles but instead offering discounts to select users ranging from five per cent to 17.5 per cent on titles including Spider-Man 2, God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2. PSPrices reportedly found evidence of personalised discounts, with some accounts reportedly receiving up to 56 per cent off the standard price of the popular game Helldivers 2. 

  According to a report by NotebookCheck, the experiment began in November last year and initially covered about 50 games across 30 regions. Since then, it has expanded considerably, now reportedly spanning more than 150 games in over 68 regions, including Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Africa. 

A potential issue flagged by a report from Mashable is that if Sony adopts dynamic pricing widely, the company may also choose to selectively raise the cost of its most in-demand titles. This practice is commonly referred to as surge pricing.

Dynamic pricing across industries

The concept of dynamic pricing is not new and is used across many industries. One of the most recent examples in another industry is quick-commerce delivery company Zepto. It has been widely observed that Zepto offers the same products at different prices to consumers depending on the smartphone they are using to place the order. 

I have noticed that the same fruit, which was offered to me at around Rs 50 on a OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite, was priced at around Rs 65 on an iPhone 15 Pro. The fruit as well as the seller were the same, but the prices differed depending on the device I used.

 

  According to a report by The Economic Times, companies such as Ola and Uber have also reportedly used dynamic pricing, charging higher cab fares to iPhone users compared with Android users.