Sony has launched a new web-based digital store with very little fanfare.
As expected, the web-based version of the PlayStation Store sells TV and movie content. The official name is the Sony Entertainment Network Store and while it’s unannounced, you can reportedly login, view your wallet, and make purchases. Pricing for various bits of content appear to be the same as what you would pay on the PlayStation Store from your PS3 console.
Other than the movie and television content, there are also various video games available, including the Mass Effect Trilogy to purchase online and download to the PS3. “We are testing a new web store,” Sony rep Fred Duttonn confirmed in an official blog post. “We look forward to announcing and launching to the PlayStation/Sony community shortly.”
It appears that there may be some aspects of the digital store that aren’t working as they should just yet. Some are reporting the need to jump through a few hoops to get content to download. For example, Eurogamer notes purchases are not set to download automatically – despite the fact that the items are added to your download queue.
Users who want to purchase from the web-based store (before it officially goes live) must sign into their SCN account for the downloads to work. Once signed in, go to Account Management, Transaction Management, then Download List and select the content you specifically want to download.
Accepted payments on the web-based store include credit cards, prepaid cards, and PayPal. Eurogamer cites reader Wizlon describing how the download process works:
“After purchasing you get a link for each item stating ‘How to Download to your PS3.’ Clicking it goes to a help page stating – ‘After purchase, your content is added to your Download List on your Sony Entertainment Network activated device. Your download list is arranged in date order, with the newest first, so recent purchases will be at the top of the list.'”
