Launching first in Asia today, PlayStation Stars is free to join for those who have a PlayStation Network account. While you will earn certain benefits for being a PlayStation Plus member, a PlayStation Plus membership is not required to join the program. The program will be accessible through the PlayStation App on iOS and Android and can be accessed online. Sony has plans to expand the program to console devices in the future. In case you are unfamiliar with PlayStation Stars, it’s a loyalty program in which you earn rewards by completing a variety of campaigns and activities. For example, the Monthly Check-In campaign requires you to play any game to receive a reward, while other campaigns may ask you to earn specific trophies or become one of the first players to platinum a title in your country or region. One of the first campaigns, Hit Play/1994, has you trying to correctly launch games that match song-based clues to receive a special collectible. Campaigns will be updated regularly. There are two types of rewards to earn: loyalty points and digital collectibles. Points can be redeemed in a catalog that may include PSN wallet funds, digital collectibles and select PlayStation Store products. PlayStation Plus members enrolled in PlayStation Stars automatically earn points for purchases made on PlayStation Store as an added benefit. Plus users can also earn points for each Plus subscription payment. PSN wallet top ups are not eligible for earning PlayStation Stars points. Digital collectibles are rendered representations of items such as figurines of characters from games and other forms of entertainment, as well as devices that tap into Sony’s history. There will be new collectibles to earn regularly, ultra-rare collectibles to attain, or maybe something fun and surprising to collect. The digital collectibles you earn or acquire can be arranged on a display case within the PlayStation App, and you can set the display case to be viewed by others. At launch all members will be handed the Star Gazer Telescope just for joining. Punto from Ape Escape 2, Toro and Kuro, PocketStation, and more, are just a few of the first digital collectibles for members to earn or acquire. PlayStation Stars will also feature status levels that reflect the milestones you reach. With four in total, each level is based on the number of “non-common trophies” earned for gameplay and full game purchases from the PlayStation Store. The higher your level is, the more perks and benefits you can get. Once you reach a status level, you will stay there for the remainder of the calendar year plus an additional 13 months. So, say you earned level 2 in October, this Level 2 status will remain valid through that calendar year and continue for the next 13 months from January 1 of the next year, and through January 31 of the following year.
Sony said it plans to evolve the PlayStation Stars loyalty program by adding new features, rewards, benefits, and ways to enjoy it as the service progresses.