Agent X
Member
I thought about a way Sony could accomplish this.
I will use Steam as an example, but this could possibly apply to other PC marketplaces like GOG, Epic Games Store, etc.
Microsoft currently allows you to cross-buy some digital games on PC and Xbox One/Series X/Series S through their own marketplace. On the PC, you would have to purchase through Windows Store. If you purchase their digital PC games from another PC marketplace, then you do not get cross-buy with the console versions.
For Sony to match this concept, they could partner with Steam. You could purchase a Sony game through Steam, and be granted a PSN code to redeem for the PS4/PS5 versions of the same game. Or, you could buy a digital game for PS4/PS5, and receive a Steam code for the matching PC version.
In order to prevent reselling of the PSN code or Steam code, they should also have some sort of account linking between PSN and Steam. They should also do one of the following:
I will use Steam as an example, but this could possibly apply to other PC marketplaces like GOG, Epic Games Store, etc.
Microsoft currently allows you to cross-buy some digital games on PC and Xbox One/Series X/Series S through their own marketplace. On the PC, you would have to purchase through Windows Store. If you purchase their digital PC games from another PC marketplace, then you do not get cross-buy with the console versions.
For Sony to match this concept, they could partner with Steam. You could purchase a Sony game through Steam, and be granted a PSN code to redeem for the PS4/PS5 versions of the same game. Or, you could buy a digital game for PS4/PS5, and receive a Steam code for the matching PC version.
In order to prevent reselling of the PSN code or Steam code, they should also have some sort of account linking between PSN and Steam. They should also do one of the following:
- Generate a PSN code that could only be redeemed by the linked PSN account, or generate a Steam code that could only be redeemed by the linked Steam account. (Not sure how feasible this would be.)
- Instead of giving the user the code, the store (on the back end) would immediately redeem the code on the linked store for the other platform. (This would also make the process simpler for the user).