Sony has sparked controversy by adding an unexpected twist to its annual PlayStation Black Friday sale.
This year’s PlayStation Plus (PS+) discount, running from November 17 to 27, has left long-time subscribers feeling overlooked, as the deal only benefits new members and those who are willing to upgrade to a higher subscription tier.
In years past, PlayStation’s Black Friday deals have been a highlight for fans of the console who have taken the opportunity to stack up on subscriptions and save some cash while doing so.
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However, this year’s discount removes the ability to stack or extend subscriptions at a discounted price, and players aren’t happy.
This year, new subscribers can enjoy up to 30% off on 12-month plans, a pretty handy discount considering prices increased by 30% in September.
However, the only promotion that’s available to existing PS+ subscribers is an upgrade discount that gives players 25% off when moving to PlayStation Plus Extra or 30% off when stepping up to PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe.
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Unsurprisingly, some fans are outraged by the strategy change. One Reddit user expressed their disappointment in a heavily upvoted post, stating, “I’ve always renewed my PS+ every Black Friday for the past decade, as Sony always offers a good discount to new AND existing subscribers. Not this year.”
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Many other fans are seemingly not interested in re-subscribing after feeling excluded from the Black Friday discount, claiming that it’s a “scummy” move following the 30% price hike.
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“Yeah. I decided that because of the middle finger they gave me, I won’t be subbing for the next year,” one player shared.
Others in the community have simply been left baffled by the decision, taking matters into their own hands by contacting support to learn more about the change. It turns, however, they’ve learned that the decision might be a marketing choice in which PlayStation is A-B testing the response from loyal customers.
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As it turns out, though, players aren’t buying it. “I assumed they thought that as I was a long-time subscriber I would still resub premium without discount. They were wrong,” a player stated.
It remains to be seen whether this change will continue into the next big PS+ sale whenever that may be.
