Players Frustrated by Alarming New Trend on PS Store

Navigating the PlayStation Store can be quite an experience, and not always in a good way. If you’ve spent any time combing through the offerings on the PS4 and PS5 digital shelves, you’ve probably noticed some questionable content. Unfortunately, the situation may be getting worse with allegations surfacing about sham games making it onto the “Trending” list, masquerading as beloved PC titles.

Over on the PlayStation subreddit, a user posted a snapshot of what’s currently trending on the PS Store, and shockingly, three out of the top five games are essentially scams. These titles are brazenly trying to pass themselves off as well-known PC games. Two games seem to be cashing in on the popularity of the co-op horror game REPO, and another is mimicking the drug dealer simulator Schedule 1.

This is concerning even if these misleading titles weren’t getting prime real estate on the Trending list. But their placement there gives them an air of authenticity, misleading players into believing they’re the real deal. It’s trickery, plain and simple, and it’s leading some unsuspecting customers to fall right into the trap.

There have already been cases of players buying these knock-offs only to realize their mistake and ask for their money back. Just yesterday, we covered the story about REPO: Ghost Haul, one such imposter pulling the wool over many eyes in the PS Store. Typically, once a game is downloaded, refunds are off the table, but there might be a loophole here. One person on Reddit pointed out that since this game falsely advertises itself as multiplayer, there could be grounds for a refund.

It’s frustrating, and while it would be ideal if Sony took action to clean up this mess and remove these cash grabs, there’s no sign of a remedy coming soon. So, for the time being, players need to double-check that they’re getting the game they actually want before pulling the trigger on a purchase.