Right now, PlayStation Direct is a service restricted to the United States. According to a Sony job listing, as spotted by VG24/7, it looks like that won’t be true for much longer; the service will be expanding into Europe fairly soon.
PlayStation Direct launched in the US in September 2019. Initially only PlayStation 4 products were available. Now, the site allows players to purchase all kinds of PlayStation products directly from Sony, including hardware and games. Their prices are similar to third party sellers, making it an attractive proposition for customers who don’t want to deal with other retailers and middlemen.
The job listing is for a Director for PlayStation Direct Europe who will be based in London, UK. The Role Overview states Sony is now “looking to build on the successful launch of new direct-to-consumer business in the US with the launch in Europe.” It seems fairly safe to assume we’ll see the launch of PlayStation Direct in Europe at some point next year.
PlayStation Direct, the PlayStation Store, and other services like PS+ and PlayStation Now make up around 15% of Sony’s overall revenue. Between them, they also account for a “significant proportion” of the money made by Sony Interactive Entertainment. These services are evolving due to consumer demand and it’s understandable Sony wants to expand these services into more markets.
PS Direct played a key role in players managing to get their hands on a PlayStation 5 console without having to worry about being ripped off by scalpers. The service wasn’t without controversy, though, as they initially only invited certain people to preorder through the store. Despite this management behind the scenes, even their site couldn’t keep up with the demand with Sony’s biggest console launch ever.
More PlayStation 5 stock is gradually being drip fed to consumers across the world. PlayStation Direct has become one of the main places to watch in the US. Hopefully the service will become just as useful to Europe.
[Source: PlayStation Europe Jobs via VG24/7]
