Sony has launched its own Direct.playstation.com store in Austria, through which you can order PlayStation hardware, games, accessories and merchandise directly from the manufacturer.
Direct.playstation.com offers buyers a convenient way to purchase a variety of products directly from PlayStation, according to Sony. These include PlayStation 5 consoles, games, PlayStation VR2, the DualSense Edge customizable wireless controller, PlayStation 5 console cases and much more.
At launch today, they’ve provided a small selection of physical PlayStation 5 games, including:
- God of War Ragnarok
- The Last of Us Part I
- Horizon Forbidden West
- Gran Turismo 7
- Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection
With Austria, direct.playstation.com is represented in a total of eleven regions, including Germany, the USA, Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
criticism of direct sales
While direct sales from Sony are seen as a good thing on the one hand, Sony has already proven that they are not quite perfect in this area. There were massive problems with the launch of PlayStation VR2 in particular, with many not even getting their headset in the launch window. This was followed by a complicated odyssey for many to get either the hardware or their money back. At the time, PlayStation support was hopelessly overwhelmed.
There is also criticism that Sony keeps many hardware bundles and products exclusive and thus restricts competition with regular retailers. PlayStation Direct offers are rare, which many see as a bad sign for the future as Sony takes over distribution of its own products.
In the future, one can probably assume that console launches will be handled exclusively via PlayStation Direct, with the corresponding advantages and disadvantages that have already been experienced.
