PlayStation Plusisn’t always the apple of gamers' eyes; in fact, many in the gaming community have taken major umbridge with the subscription service over the years. Common grievances can range from the very nature of the service, as a paid subscription wasn’t needed to play online before the PlayStation 4, all the way to serious privacy and performance issues, likePS Plus' major outageearlier this year.
But recently, the platform has come under fire for a different reason entirely: dark patterns. The term “dark patterns” is typically used in reference to any elements of the user experience that are designed with the express purpose of keeping users in a loop that’s harmful to them but beneficial to the platform holder. For instance, if someone wants to cancel a subscription, but the relevant website hides the “cancel subscription” option behind walls of obscure questions or otherwise makes it hard to reach, that’s a dark pattern. PlayStation has typically not been too egregious in this respect, but a relatively recent change toPS Plusaccount management has opened the floodgates of criticism.
Why Sony’s ‘Cancel Subscription’ Change Has Made Consumers Angry
Sony’s Changes to Subscription Management Implements a Dark Pattern
For several years now, if someone wanted to cancel auto-renewal for theirPlayStation Plus subscription, they could go into the relevant category in the system settings and select the “Cancel Auto Renewal” option. That was all there was to it: users would select this option, and it would almost be like they removed their card information from their console. They wouldn’t be refunded for the subscription time they already paid for, but they would be able to rest easy knowing that they wouldn’t get charged again. This option was particularly suitable for those who simply didn’t want to keep paying for PS Plus, but who had no qualms about riding out the rest of their sub period.
Users cancancel their PS Plus auto-renewalby navigating to their system settings, but instead of being met with the Cancel Auto Renewal option, they’ll encounter a button that says “Cancel Subscription.” Indeed, as of this year, the “Cancel Auto Renewal” option—whose function was clear as day—has been giving a much more ambiguous name, despite accomplishing the exact same goal.
In the end, it’s the mere existence of this ambiguity, coupled with the ostensible lack of a real reason for changing the name of the Cancel Auto Renewal button, that has consumers sofrustrated with PlayStation. It feels dishonest and manipulative, as though the gaming giant is trying to confuse its audiences in the hopes that at least some of them will rethink their plans to cancel.
PlayStation Plus
PlayStation Plus offers three membership plans packed with benefits and games to level up your play.PlayStation Plus PremiumEnjoy all the core PlayStation Plus benefits, hundreds of games in the Game Catalog, and premium benefits like game trials, cloud streaming, and the Classics Catalog.PlayStation Plus ExtraGet all the great benefits included in the PlayStation Plus Essential plan, as well as access to the Game Catalog, featuring hundreds of games to download and explore.PlayStation Plus EssentialEnjoy all the core PlayStation Plus benefits: join your friends in online multiplayer matches, add new games to your collection every month, save at PlayStation Store and more.
