Sometimes, a game just isn’t the right fit for you. Maybe it doesn’t come as described, or maybe you’ve managed to buy it by accident by misclicking in the store. Perhaps the game is fundamentally broken or doesn’t work for some reason, and you wish you hadn’t bought it. Well, depending on your circumstances, you may or may not actually be entitled to a refund. There is a process for applying for a refund on PS4, but it can be somewhat arcane and difficult to understand. That’s where we come in. Here’s how to refund a game on PS4.
How to refund a PS4 game
The process for refunding a PS4 game is pretty straightforward, but obviously, Sony doesn’t make doing so easy. First off, you should know that it’s not actually possible to request a refund for a game via your console itself. You’ll need to fire up a web browser in order to begin the refund process. Grab your laptop or fire up your desktop PC and open up your favourite web browser.
- Head to the PlayStation Store refund page. When you navigate to this page, you should be greeted by a number of different options depending on the content you’ve purchased. Whether it’s a game, a subscription, or a pre-order affects what kind of refund you’ll be able to get and whether you’ll be eligible. Select the kind of content you’ve purchased, then click “Contact PlayStation Support”.
- Tell the chatbot about your experience. A simple PlayStation chatbot will ask you some questions about the game or content you’ve purchased. This is in order to determine whether it should connect you to a live agent or not. Answer the questions truthfully and succinctly, and the chatbot will determine whether you’re eligible. Be aware that the chatbot isn’t available on weekends, so you’ll need to contact it between Monday and Friday.
- Answer the live agent’s questions. Assuming you’re deemed eligible for a refund, you’ll then talk to a live customer support agent who will help you with your purchase. Make sure to answer any questions they might ask as well. If all goes well, your refund should be authorised and you should be able to secure the money back into your account
When am I eligible for a refund?
Unfortunately, Sony’s rules concerning refunds are decidedly less liberal than, for example, Valve’s might be around the Steam platform. Here are the circumstances under which you’re entitled to a refund on PlayStation 4.
Buying a PS4 game
If you’ve bought a PS4 game, you’re eligible for a refund on that game for up to 14 days. It doesn’t matter why you want the refund; provided you’re within that 14-day period, then you should still be eligible for your money back.
However, there is one very important caveat here. If you have downloaded the content – even if you’ve started the download process but not finished it – that means you’re no longer entitled to your refund. Think very carefully before you hit that download button, because pressing it might mean that you can’t get your money back anymore.
There can sometimes be exceptions, of course. If, for example, you download the game and it turns out to not be fit for purpose – as was the case with Cyberpunk 2077 in late 2020 – then Sony will almost certainly refund your purchase. However, it’s worth remembering that this is often done on a case-by-case basis, so your particular case may differ. Always talk to Sony support if you’re looking for a refund.
Purchasing a subscription
According to the official Sony website, if you buy a PlayStation Plus subscription and then change your mind, you may be eligible for a refund on the remaining time. However, if you have used the subscription within that time, then Sony may deduct value from your refund based on how much you’ve used your subscription.
Let’s say, for example, that you buy a year’s worth of PlayStation Plus. You decide to refund the purchase, but you have already used the service for seven days; you might have downloaded a game, for example, or taken advantage of a discount. In that case, Sony would likely deduct a certain amount from your refund. Again, it’s always worth contacting Sony support, because your personal or individual case may differ.
Buying a pre-order
There are two different cases in which you might be applying for a refund if you pre-order a game or other type of content.
- Refunding over 14 days before release. If you want to get a refund on a pre-order 14 days before release, that won’t be a problem. Simply contact Sony support as you would for a regular refund and you should be given your money back with no hassle.
- Refunding within 14 days of release. You’ll be entitled to refund your pre-order up to 14 days after the product releases, but it’s worth remembering that once again, if you download the game or begin to download it, you won’t be entitled to a refund anymore.
We hope this guide on how to refund a game on PS4 has been helpful. As you can see, the refund policy can be slightly restrictive; if you decide you don’t like a game after an hour or so, for example, there’s no way to refund it unless it somehow violates Sony’s terms and conditions. We’d advise you to be extra-careful when it comes to buying games on PS4.