Sony PlayStation Plans to Stuff Ads on Free Games | Similar to Microsoft Xbox Rumor?

Sony PlayStation is planning to stuff advertisements on its free-to-play gaming titles. The latest report comes shortly after rumors also suggested that ads are coming to free Xbox games.

Sony PlayStation Plans to Stuff Ads on Free Games | Similar to Microsoft Xbox Rumor?
Sony's Playstation 5 logo is seen at an electronics store in Tokyo on November 10, 2020, ahead of the gaming console's release scheduled for November 12. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

Sony PlayStation Ads on Free Games

As per a news story by IGN, a report last week claimed that the gaming console of Microsoft, Xbox, is looking to put ads on its free-to-play game offerings.

But it turns out that Xbox is not alone in planning to stuff ads on free games, a recent report from the paywalled site, Advertising Insider, claims Sony is also looking into it for PlayStation games.

PlayStation
CHIBA, JAPAN - SEPTEMBER 20: An attendee walks past the PlayStation logo in the Sony Interactive Entertainment booth during the Tokyo Game Show 2018 on September 20, 2018 in Chiba, Japan. The Tokyo Game Show is held from September 20 to 23, 2018. by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images

The ads on PlayStation free-to-play games will reportedly look like real-life promotional materials, including virtual billboards and sports stadiums in games.

The Japanese tech firm, Sony, is said to be planning to give its players rewards by simply viewing ads and other promotions in PlayStation games. The prize for watching them interestingly ranges from in-game cosmetics and other virtual items.

Sony PlayStation Ads Profit

It is worth noting that even if Microsoft is looking to include ads on its free games, it plans not to take any cut from its revenue.

Instead, Xbox wants to give developers who are giving away their games on the platform for free an added opportunity to make a profit.

On the other hand, Sony is reportedly still thinking about how it will treat the ad earnings, whether it will profit from it or PlayStation will follow the route that Microsoft is rumored to be taking.

Xbox PlayStation
Game enthusiasts and industry personnel walk between the Microsoft XBox and the Sony PlayStation exhibits at the Annual Gaming Industry Conference E3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center on June 16, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

On top of that, the Japanese gaming tech giant is also reportedly curating a stringent vetting process to weed out advertisers that collect too much data from its players.

Sony is said to refuse to work with ad partners that will collect the personal information of its players, including their names and email addresses.

PlayStation Ads Release Date

According to a recent report by Euro Gamer, Sony has been considering the ads project on free PlayStation games for more than a year now, or in 18 months already, to be more precise.

The Japanese console maker is reportedly planning to roll out ads on free games in the latter part of 2022.

Meanwhile, it is interesting to add that an earlier report suggested that Microsoft is releasing ads on Xbox games in the third quarter of this year.

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Written by Teejay Boris

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