What is PlayStation Stars and what rewards can be earned

The PlayStation Stars Program was announced a few months back, and now it's finally in all players' hands around the globe so they can begin earning rewards and collecting exclusive items by completing challenges or simply playing games via Sony's consoles. As the PlayStation Loyalty Program is now in its launch window, most users should be able to sign up and immediately start trying out the service, though if demand is high then you may end up being place on the PlayStation Stars waitlist – if this happens then rest assured that there are new members being approved on a rolling basis, but there may be a delay of up to two months before you're approved to join the program. If you want to find out more, then here's everything we know about PlayStation Stars now that it has gone live in all regions, and what rewards you can earn by using it.

When does PlayStation Stars launch

PlayStation Stars is being rolled out in stages across various territories, to ensure the system doesn't become overwhelmed by all of the initial sign ups. The reward program will go live on the following dates, all in their local timezones:

• Asia, including Japan: September 29
• North and South America: October 5
• Europe, Australia, and New Zealand: October 13

As you can see, the program has now gone live in all territories, so everyone can try out the PlayStation Loyalty Program themselves by signing up here for free on the official site.

What does your PlayStation Stars Level mean

Your PlayStation Stars Level represents your current standing within the loyalty program, with higher levels getting access to better collectibles and potentially priority access to customer service chat. In order to work your way up the scale, you'll need to complete the following:

• Level 1: Join PlayStation Stars
  Receive a celebration collectible.
• Level 2: Buy one full game on the PS Store, earn one uncommon trophy
  Receive a Level 2 celebration collectible, and get access to all Level 1 collectibles.
• Level 3: Buy two full games on the PS Store, earn 32 uncommon trophies
  Receive a Level 3 celebration collectible, and a birthday collectible.
• Level 4: Buy four full games on the PS Store, earn 128 uncommon trophies
  Receive a celebration collectible, retain all collectibles from Levels 1, 2, and 3, and get chat priority routing.

The chat priority routing for Level 4 is described as PlayStation Stars Premier Support, getting members with that status faster access to the chat support team, leading to suggestions that PlayStation Stars lets players pay for faster customer support. However, this is only available in select countries and Sony "cannot guarantee wait times" as "all support benefits are subject to availability". According to data miners, evidence has been found to suggest PlayStation Stars may have a secret hidden "Diamond" tier which is invite-only, though other than the "invite only" description found in the app and images of a Level 5 collectible there isn't much else known at this stage.

When you reach a new PlayStation Stars Level, you'll retain that status for the remainder of the current calendar year, plus an additional 13 months. As an example, if you progressed to Level 2 in November 2022, that status would continue until the end of the calendar year then for 13 additional months, expiring on January 31, 2024.

What PlayStation Rewards can you earn with PlayStation Stars

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There are two different types of rewards you can earn with PlayStation Stars, with the first being loyalty points. These loyalty points can then be spent on items that may include PSN wallet funds, certain PlayStation Store products, and exclusive digital collectibles, though the details of exactly what will be available is expected to vary by region and has not been finalised yet.

The second reward type available with PlayStation Stars is the digital collectibles touched on before, which are digital representations of iconic characters and devices that will be familiar to PlayStation fans. We've included a selection of these in the gallery above, including Punto the gondolier from Ape Escape 2, a Sony ChordMachine, an original PlayStation 3, Toro and Kuro celebrating, and a PocketStation. All members will receive the Star Gazer Telescope (not pictured) at launch, just for joining.

As you earn and acquire these digital collectibles, you'll be able to display them via the PlayStation App, as well as making them available to be viewed by others. However, Sony have been very quick to clarify that none of these are one-of-a-kind items, they do not leverage blockchain technology, and they cannot be resold or traded in any way, so everyone is clear that there are no NFTs or associated systems involved here and they're just for personal enjoyment.