Any form of art is a risk in that it requires you to pay for something that you haven’t experienced yet. Video games are no different, so how exactly do you (if you can) request a refund for a game on the PS5?
Naturally with that element of risk comes purchases you regret (personally it’s Dragon Quest XI), but beyond that, sometimes life changes. You might suddenly lose your console or simply realise that the game isn’t for you.
Sometimes it isn’t just bad taste; it was just an inappropriate purchase that deserves your hard-earned cash to be back in the comfort of your wallet.
So, what do you do in that scenario?
What makes a game eligible for a refund on PS5?
For downloads, it is admittedly pretty tricky. A big clause for a refund to be eligible is whether the product is faulty. Now, that is subjective to a degree, yes, but it cannot be in terms of quality.
Beyond that, though, it quickly gets difficult. You’ll have to have not downloaded the product and the refund be requested within 14 days of the initial purchase.
Sony recommends contacting PlayStation Support to request the refund, but with downloads; yes, it is tight. Delivery services are immediate, so unless the game is completely broken then there is still an argument of quality there and at that stage you’ve regressed to the debate over art being a natural risk.
The downside to digital purchases
The download clause also applies to in-game consumables and DLC, so we cannot emphasise enough how much caution is needed with digital purchases.
Faulty is a very subjective term, so if you do go down that route, just keep calm and cleanly explain your points. Sony can stick to their rules over this, but a well-explained argument will go down better.
What would the ideal solution be?
Still, Sony is in a strong position here unfortunately, but they could be kinder. Obviously, there are ways to track how long someone has played a game, so the policy could so easily be a percentage based on how much the player has engaged with it. A fighting game could be as little as 15 minutes, but a longer RPG could be an hour; enough to get a feel.
Then again, that just describes demos. If you decide to go down this route then all the best to you – it’ll be tough. If there is any shred of doubt, though, don’t download the game in the first place.
