PlayStation Stars Loyalty Program finally launches in the UK - big news for collectors and bargain hunters

Sony has come forward and announced the PlayStation Stars Loyalty Program for the UK, a new-ish way to show your dedication to squeezing every drop of content, scrounging for every secret, and mastering ever aspect of games you buy on your shiny PS5 or trusty PS4. You can sign up for the program totally for free, granted you have a PlayStation Plus membership.

Here’s how it works.With the launch of PlayStation Stars campaigns will be introduced, which will essentially be limited-time goals and activities players can take part in. Doing so, in addition to collecting trophies from a variety of PlayStation titles, will reward you with points and even shiny digital collectables, which you can place in a new display case on your PlayStation mobile app.

While the collectables aspect is good and all, especially for trophy hunter types who I imagine will be showing off their digital collection to strangers on the bus and train. It’s the points that may really catch your attention though, as they can be exchanged for a variety of genuinely valuable stuff, like whole games and DLC. So, it is like an actual loyalty program, rather than just a dressed-up trophies 2.0.

If you want to really flex on people with your digital collection, there is a milestone system in place with the PlayStation Stars program. With four levels in total, you’ll have to collect an increasing number of uncommon trophies and buy “full games” from the PlayStation store to climb the ranks. Gamification baby! Another nagging voice in your head telling you to splurge your paycheck on Horizon: Zero Dawn.

All in all, I can’t say this is a bad addition. Those who have been deep in love with their inanimate, cold console will be able to actually earn a bit of scratch back as they continue to buy and play through new games. More money in the player’s pocket is an ultimate good in my book, and while I’ve not been anything close to an achievement or trophy hunter in upward of a decade, I can imagine the small sense of fulfilment a full shelf of collectables could give to some out there.

But what do you think of the PlayStation Stars program? Will you be signing up, or is it meaningless pish meant to further entrench the impulses of consumerism on an already enslaved population of walking wallets, living each month with only the next big game or a trip out to the pub to keep them going? Let us know below!

If it's more Sony news you want, you devlish news hound, then we've got you covered. Check out our pieces on GTA: Vice City - The Definitive Edition, The Medium, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, more coming to PS Plus, as well as our report on Microsoft saying If every Call of Duty player defected to Xbox, PlayStation's user base would still be "significantly larger".