Sony may be trialling a new pricing approach on the PlayStation Store that shows different discounts to different players for the same game. Data from the tracking site PSPrices suggests the company has been experimenting with this system across more than 150 titles in 68 regions.

According to the report, the testing programme appears to have started toward the end of 2025 and has gradually widened since then. Under the trial, players assigned to different groups may see slightly different promotional prices for the same game. In some cases, the variation in discounts could reach as much as 17 per cent depending on which testing group a user’s account belongs to.

Interest in the system recently grew after a screenshot began circulating online that appeared to show a price difference depending on whether a user was signed in to their PlayStation account. The image featured the PlayStation Store listing for Assassin’s Creed Unity, where the price reportedly changed once the user logged in.

In the screenshot, the game was displayed at A$7.35 with an 85 per cent discount when the viewer was not logged in. After signing into the account, the listing allegedly changed to A$19.63, lowering the discount to about 60 per cent.

The image first appeared in a Reddit post by user /TheLimeyLemmon, though the original post has since been removed. Despite that, the screenshot has continued to spread across social media platforms and gaming forums.

Other users have also shared their own images on X showing similar pricing differences, suggesting the experience may not be limited to a single case. However, Sony has not issued any official comment confirming whether the screenshot is authentic or explaining how pricing might vary once users sign in.

Variable pricing strategies are already common across many online industries. Airlines, ticketing platforms and ride-sharing services frequently adjust prices depending on factors such as demand, timing or user behaviour. The practice is less common within digital game stores, where most platforms tend to display the same price for all customers.

Reports so far suggest Sony’s experiment does not increase prices beyond the standard retail cost of a game. Instead, it appears to adjust the size of discounts offered to different users as part of a controlled test.

Even so, a system that offers varying promotions to different customers could still prove controversial among players who expect identical prices for digital products. At present, the testing appears limited in scope and is being run as an experiment rather than a permanent pricing model.