PlayStation Stars live in US, but has "random" two-month waitlist for some
Rank up to Level 4 to get priority customer support.
Sony's PlayStation Stars membership program has now launched in North and South America, though some fans have been told to expect a waitlist of "about two months" after signing up.
Sign-ups are now live via the PlayStation App and PlayStation.com, Sony has said, though new members will accepted on a "rolling basis" and some should expect to be "randomly put on the waitlist".
If you are put on the waitlist, you will be able to gain access "in about two months" from your registration date.
"By evaluating feedback, continuing to improve the experience, iterating quickly, and continuously adding new members on a rolling basis, we will be able to ensure our members have an optimised experience with PlayStation Stars," a Sony Q&A states.
"If you were randomly put on the waitlist, you will be given access to PlayStation Stars within or about two months from signing up."
When your time in the waitlist is up, Sony will email you to let you know.
It's unclear if this same system will be in place when PlayStation Stars launches in the UK, mainland Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The same page has not yet updated for UK users - but likely will when our rollout begins, on 13th October.
PlayStation Stars began its launch in Japan and in other Asian countries last week. At the time, it was reported that one perk of a higher memberhsip tier let players receive priority support when contacting PlayStation's customer services.
A similar perk appears to be included in the US rollout, for the program's fourth level of membership, which unlocks when you buy four full games from the PlayStation Store and earn at least 128 common trophies.
Here, benefits include "chat priority routing", Sony states. "Level 4 Members in select countries will have the added benefit of Priority routing to our chat support team. Note: PlayStation Stars Premier Support cannot guarantee wait times. All support benefits are subject to availability."
PlayStation Stars is designed to reward players with points to use to claim money off PlayStation Store purchases, as well as digital collectible 3D models. The higher your Stars rank, the more digital collectibles you can acquire.
Level 1 is unlocked when you join PlayStation Stars, and allows to begin earning points. Level 2 is unlocked after you have bought one "full game" from the PlayStation Store and earned one uncommon Trophy. It's unclear what qualifies as a "full game" here - whether a certain price is required, or any title that's not free may count.
Level 3 is yours after you buy two "full" games from the PlayStation Store and earn 32 uncommon Trophies. Level 4 then unlocks after you purchase four "full" games and earn 128 uncommon Trophies.
It's worth noting that levels are not permanent, and require you to keep buying games and earning Trophies to stay at a specific rank.
"Once you attain a status level, your status level is valid for the remainder of the calendar year plus 13 months," Sony explains. "For example, if a member earned status Level 2 in October 2022, their Level 2 status would remain valid through that current calendar year and continue for the next 13 months until 31st January 2024."
The points you earn from completing objectives (or if you're also a PlayStation Plus member, from store purchases) can also expire.
"Points earned will expire at the end of the month plus 24 months from the date on which they appear in your PlayStation Stars account balance," Sony says.