Summary
- Sony is seemingly testing a new feature on PlayStation Store for users to write game reviews, potentially expanding the rating system.
- PlayStation Store already shows average ratings of games, but lacks detailed information.
Sony seems to be testing out a new feature on the PlayStation Store that will allow users to produce written reviews for games they have previously played on the platform, an extension of the rating system already in place. It is still unclear if the feature will remain part of the digital shopping experience on the PlayStation 5, but some players have reportedly been receiving emails prompting them to review their games.
PlayStation has seen a few major changes in the past few years as Sony shifts toward a more digital-centric platform for its games, hugely emphasizing the new and improved PlayStation Plus membership and its many perks. While most games on the online storefront for the PS5 already let players see the average ratings for most games on a five-star scale, these only provide a numerical metric and lack any nuanced information about what a game is actually like.
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According to Reddit user cusman78, however, who shared an image of a prompt asking them to write a review for Helldivers 2 on the PS5, Sony is enlisting fans to help test the feature, potentially implying plans to roll it out officially later on. Others corroborated the story as well, stating that they had also received emails asking them to review various games for the PS5, namely newer releases like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
PlayStation Fan Receives an Email Revealing New PS Store Feature
Since some players reported being unable to write reviews for games that they own physical copies of, speculation has abounded that the email invites sent to write reviews are distributed based on playtime rather than the format of the game. While Helldivers 2 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are only available through Sony on either the PS Store or Steam, the feature does not seem to be exclusive to those, as one player even reported receiving an invite to write a review for the PS5 version of Fortnite as well.
Given that Steam allows written reviews for its games, a feature which fans often weaponize, such as the recent Helldivers 2 review bombings, Sony may be looking to further rebrand its digital storefront to more closely resemble it. Currently, though, the feature seems to require an invite from Sony, so it is yet to be implemented on a mass scale, though many believe the company is testing it for such a release in the near future.
Overall, fans are seemingly excited about the feature, as Steam's written reviews are known to be effective when it comes to helping consumers make informed decisions about the games they choose to buy. There is still no timeline as for when the written review feature may see a full-scale release or if it will become compatible with disc-based games as well, so fans will have to wait for more information from Sony when the time comes.