Gaming is one of the best bonding activities available. Multiplayer entries allow you to share with friends and family or meet new people. Gifting games take the bonding to another level. It allows you to invite someone else to the game you’re enjoying and even play it together online. Or it allows you to surprise someone with a title you know that person would like.
How To Gift Games On PS4 And PS5?
The trick is Sony’s purchase policies restrict your digital buying choices to the PlayStation Store. Moreover, you can’t buy PS4 or PS5 games for other people via the PlayStation Store. Therefore, your best option is to buy a PlayStation gift card. In other words, it’s not possible to gift digital copies of games to family and friends. There’s a secondary option, though, game sharing. We already made the guide; for example, PS4 users can log in with your user on your friend’s PlayStation and set it as their Primary PS4. That grants the secondary console access to your entire library. Or, of course, you can purchase a physical game from any retailer. I bet that may not work for you. In particular, the other person may not be physically close. Also, The PS5 Digital Edition doesn’t even have a disk tray.
Gift Games With the PlayStation Store Gift Card
The next part of the equation is how to buy the PlayStation Gift Card. It’s not available on the PlayStation Store, but you can find it through the site. After you buy it, you can gift the card to someone else so that person can buy any game in the PlayStation Store. It’s not technically a “gift,” and it’s far from desirable. However, it’s the only real option you’ve got. The good part is every PlayStation game is available digitally and physically – you don’t have to worry about unavailability.
How to Buy a PlayStation Store Cash Card?
You can visit this PlayStation Store site to buy a Gift Card. Here are the steps you need to follow: You can purchase the PlayStation Store Cash Card in various physical and digital retail stores. These options include Walmart, Target, GameStop, and Best Buy. Alternatively, you may find it in other gaming, tech, or convenience stores in your country. Then, you can physically give the card to the other person or simply send the digital codes. Overall, getting a PlayStation Cash Card depends on where you are in the world. It will be easier if you have worldwide-accepted payment methods or are physically close to an official PlayStation retailer. Lastly, you can also buy a PlayStation Plus card in physical or digital stores. That way, you could gift a subscription to a friend. That said, redeeming these cards works the same as a regular card.
How to Use a PlayStation Gift Card on the PS4?
Lastly, you should know how to use a PlayStation Store Cash Card, so you can guide your friend after. Here’s how to redeem the gift card on the PS4: Now, the Cash Card funds are part of the Wallet, and you or the other person would be able to use it for purchase. PlayStation uses the funds automatically on purchase.
How to Use a PlayStation Gift Card on the PS5?
Redeeming the code on the PS5 is similar, and here’re the instructions: As before, after you redeem the Cash Card, its funds will become a part of the PlayStation Wallet.
How to Use Your PlayStation Wallet funds?
PlayStation will automatically use the Wallet funds whenever you purchase on its online store. Specifically, it will deduct funds from your Wallet first and complete -if needed- with your payment method. For example, if you add $20 via a cash card and buy a $60 game, it will deduct the full $20 from the Wallet and charge $40 from your payment method. If you don’t have a payment method by this point, it will ask you to add one.
How to Check Your PlayStation Wallet balance?
You can check the Wallet funds on the PlayStation if you’re wondering. This is quite easy. When you enter the PlayStation Store, your avatar, username, and PSN balance (your Wallet) will be in the top-right corner.
Deceased Digital Download Codes
That’s no longer an option; the only option left is buying a gift card. Since April 1, 2019, Sony disallowed physical retailers to sell digital game download codes. It was the way users had to gift games on PS4.
Is There a Better Alternative?
All of this is not very convenient, but it’s still possible. If you’re looking for an easier way to gift games, perhaps you can try it through Steam. In particular, if you don’t have a payment method PlayStation retailers accept, you may have one for Steam. In particular, the Steam Wallet has a wider gamut of worldwide Payment methods, and you can buy a Steam Gift card within the platform.
