Sometimes I wish that I could grab a game developer by the shoulders and say, “listen, you really screwed this up, here’s how to fix it.” Now, Sony is kinda-sorta fulfilling my wish with its new PlayStation Beta Program.
The PlayStation Beta Program provides a streamlined, consolidated system for gamers to participate in game betas, PlayStation console and PC features, PlayStation app functionality, and more. Gamers who sign up for the program may receive beta testing invitations from Sony and could have the opportunity to provide feedback or bug reports for developers.
However, the Beta Program isn’t a free-for-all. Those who hope to join must submit a registration form (essentially an application) and agree to the Beta Program TOS, which explicitly states that pre-release content may not be shared or discussed outside of Beta Community Forums. If Sony accepts you into this program and offers you a beta invite—something that is not guaranteed—you’ll need to sign a non-disclosure agreement. And, naturally, Sony won’t send invitations to PSN accounts that are on “bad standing” due to poor behavior or other Network violations.
If Sony does send you a beta invitation, it’ll be by email. And, importantly, you cannot ask to participate in specific programs. Sony decides everything on its own. You’re not obligated to accept any invitations from the company, and you can remove yourself from the Beta Program at any time. It’s also worth noting that betas are limited-time, meaning that you won’t be able to keep any games you test.
“Once you’ve provided all of the required information and accepted the terms outlined in the registration process, we’ll send an email to let you know if you’ve been successfully enrolled. Invitations to participate in the program are at SIE’s sole discretion … All participants are required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Sharing content, screenshots, videos, or details about the beta outside of approved channels is prohibited.”
To be clear, this isn’t PlayStation’s first-ever foray into community beta testing. Sony has several beta testing programs in its rear view mirror. The thing that makes this Beta Program special is its defined, centralized nature.
But what about the NDA stuff? Well, this Beta Program is effectively an unpaid, remote playtester campaign. And as far as I know, playtesters typically sign NDAs. Sony wants to minimize leaks of potentially unflattering pre-release content, so NDAs aren’t much of a surprise.
As someone who’s signed a lot of NDAs, I assume that most Beta Program participants will have a sense of self-preservation and refrain from leaking or sharing pre-release content. However, some people just can’t help themselves and will leak anything that comes their way, regardless of its significance. Participants may also fail to take the threat of litigation seriously because, again, this is an unpaid program. It’s easy to understand an NDA when your income or career is at stake, but the integrity of Sony’s Beta Program rests entirely on the potential for legal consequence, which is somewhat abstract. (To be fair, there’s also the threat of being banned from PSN.)
If you’re interested in gaining beta access to new games, console features, and PlayStation App features, head on over to the Beta Program website and sign up. To reiterate, Sony does not guarantee access to all beta content—invitations are sent on a case-by-case basis. Also note that you must be 18 to participate in the program, although age requirements differ in some regions.
Sony PlayStation 5 Pro (PS5 Pro)
The Sony PlayStation 5 Pro lets you play PS5 games with the most impressive visual performance yet.
