Multiple dataminers have dove into the backend of the PlayStation Store and found a cross-buy symbol for PS5 games. Additionally, there are mentions of cross-buy in the code, which was inserted in June of this year, potentially setting up for an official announcement in the near future.
You can see a list of the symbols datamined by Dealabs below.
Is Cross-Buy Coming to PS5?
It would certainly seem that PlayStation is planning to bring cross-buy to the PS5, but we don’t know for sure when. The fact that it is in the files now means they are at the very least testing and getting the feature ready to go, but who knows what the plan is for rollout or expected release. We wouldn’t be surprised if we heard something in 2026, or maybe even later, as we approach the announcement of the PS6.
Back in the day, certain games on the PS Vita and PlayStation 4 featured cross-buy between the home and portable consoles. With Sony jumping into the PC market in recent years, bringing the feature back would probably be focused on that area, most notably on games like Helldivers 2 that are focused on multiplayer, so you wouldn’t have to buy the game twice.
What Does Cross-Buy Mean for the PlayStation on PC?
We know that PlayStation is celebrated for its single-player games, but the company is very focused on the live service multiplayer area right now, and features like this could help in engagement for players with a PC and PS5.
We also wonder if this could be a sign that PlayStation is more willing to start releasing its games day one on PC. Helldivers 2 got that release right away, but other than that, it’s very common for games under the PlayStation Studios umbrella to wait quite a bit before they make the jump. With cross-buy, this could signal a new launcher for PlayStation games on PC outside of Steam, while still releasing games on the more popular platform. Of course, this is all speculation as of now.
Regardless, cross-buy is an awesome feature for players who like to hop between platforms. Hopefully, it comes soon and is stretched out to all first-party games, not just a select few.
