A new PlayStation Store feature displays game launch prices, helping users assess how good a deal they are getting. However, the functionality does not yet appear to be working properly, as it has been found to occasionally show incorrect launch prices for select PlayStation 5 titles.
While the PS Store receives new features on a near-monthly basis, Sony does not always formally announce them. Smaller additions are often rolled out without much fanfare. That appears to be the case with the launch price feature, which began appearing widely to users in late February 2026.
PlayStation Store Now Displaying Game Launch Prices, But Only in Some Cases
The new PlayStation Store display adds a game’s launch price above the current sale price, offering a quick “then vs. now” comparison. The listing specifies that the launch price reflects the game’s first 30 days on sale. The 30-day cutoff may indicate that Sony will begin rejecting discount requests for titles less than a month old. Some platforms, including Steam, already enforce such policies, though they allow for launch discounts when they start as limited pre-release price cuts for early adopters. The PlayStation Store has historically been more flexible, although Sony has long exercised operational control over discounting, particularly for indie titles. For example, Return of the Obra Dinn developer Lucas Pope has publicly said Sony denied his request to discount the game on the PS Store at least once.
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GameRant can confirm that the launch price feature is available across both the console and web versions of the PS Store. It is also visible when browsing the store from the PlayStation App on mobile devices. One limitation of the current implementation is that a game’s launch price is displayed only when the title is on sale. As a result, something like Battlefield 6 currently shows a launch price, while the more recently released God of War Sons of Sparta does not. It is unclear if and when the launch price label will be rolled out to more listings, including those that aren’t currently running a sale. Since some titles receive permanent discounts over time, showing both the original and current price would give players clearer context on how much a game’s value has changed since launch.
Some PS Store Launch Price Labels Are Bugged Right Now
Sony’s initial implementation of the new feature still has room for improvement. Notably, multiple listings reviewed by GameRant currently show erroneous launch prices in the hundreds of dollars. These include Hell Let Loose, UFC 5, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. The cause of the bug is unclear. However, one thing that all affected titles identified by GameRant have in common is that they offer multiple editions, and only certain versions display the inflated and clearly incorrect launch prices.
Having a game’s launch price listed alongside its current discounted price is consumer-friendly because it adds price context, not just price information. A discount number by itself is abstract; without knowing the original MSRP, PlayStation users can’t easily tell whether they’re seeing a meaningful reduction or a relatively minor adjustment from a long-standing lower baseline. Displaying the launch price restores that context, allowing consumers to immediately understand how a game’s pricing has evolved over time rather than evaluating the deal in a vacuum.
Since Sony has yet to formally announce the feature, its rationale for including it remains unclear. Regulation, rather than product strategy, appears to be the most plausible driver. In the EU, guidance on advertised price reductions requires discount claims to be based on a prior price, typically defined as the lowest price in the preceding 30 days. Many online retailers are complying with these rules with additional pricing disclosures. However, launch prices are not directly relevant to these EU-mandated requirements unless they coincide with a game’s first 30 days on the market.
Source: European Commission
