A well‑known dataminer has uncovered new PlayStation system icons that point to a possible ‘Cross‑Buy’ feature on PS5 — a change that would let players buy a game once and access it across console and PC.
What was discovered
Dataminer Amethxst shared video evidence in early November 2025 of previously unseen UI symbols embedded in PlayStation system files and the PS5 interface. The assets include:
- A “Cross‑Buy” label
- A combined “PS5 / PC” logo
- Additional UI tokens (an “Echo Mode” and others)
- True PS5–PC cross‑buy: purchasing a title on PS5 would grant the PC version as well, similar to Microsoft’s long‑running Play Anywhere initiative.
- A PlayStation PC launcher or storefront: enabling cross‑buy across Sony’s own PC client would simplify entitlement management and reduce reliance on third‑party stores such as Steam or Epic.
- Cross‑device ownership that includes a future handheld: some have suggested the icons could also tie into a rumored PlayStation handheld or successor to the Portal remote‑play device, though timelines for new hardware make PS5–PC the likelier near‑term use case.
- Better value: players who own both a console and a gaming PC could avoid duplicate purchases.
- Library cohesion: cross‑buy could encourage players to consolidate PlayStation purchases under a single account and possibly streamline cloud saves and cross‑progress.
- Competitive positioning: it would bring Sony closer to Microsoft’s model and might strengthen Sony’s negotiating position with third‑party PC storefronts.
- Convincing PC gamers to use a new Sony launcher over entrenched platforms such as Steam.
- Handling entitlement reconciliation for titles already sold on other PC storefronts.
- Determining whether cross‑buy would apply only to first‑party games or to third‑party releases, and whether cross‑saves and cross‑progress would be included.
Technical details cited by the finder include unique font/Unicode markers (reported as UF codes around EF5B–EF61) and the fact that the symbols appear on PS5 systems but not PS4. Follow‑up checks by community investigators reportedly found the tag referenced in CSS files and dated additions as recent as June 2025, strengthening the case that these are new, intentional assets rather than leftover legacy code.
What Sony might be planning
If genuine, the iconography implies one of several possibilities:
Sony has already been moving more PlayStation-first franchises to PC in delayed windows — Spider‑Man, God of War, and Horizon are prominent examples — so a formal cross‑buy scheme would be a logical next step in a more platform‑agnostic strategy.
Why this would matter
A cross‑buy policy could be a significant pro‑consumer shift for the PlayStation ecosystem:
However, it would also raise complex questions about storefronts, DRM and platform partnerships. Third‑party stores currently host many PlayStation ports; cross‑buy would be simpler to implement if Sony controlled the PC launcher and storefront environment directly.
Community reaction and caution
Reaction in the gaming community is mixed. Many players greeted the leak with excitement, calling cross‑buy a long‑overdue, consumer‑friendly move. Others urged caution, noting that datamines can be misread or represent experiments that never ship.
Skeptics point to practical hurdles:
At least one existing PS5 icon (a leaf symbol tied to Power Saver mode) has already rolled out, which lends credibility to the discovery that new icons can and do appear in the system UI before public announcements.
What to expect next
No official confirmation has come from Sony. The discovery is backed by video evidence and community checks, and some investigators have dated the assets to mid‑2025, but until Sony speaks, the feature remains speculative.
If Sony does intend to launch cross‑buy, we can expect more concrete signals in the months ahead: developer documentation updates, PlayStation Store UI changes, or official blog posts outlining entitlement and platform specifics.
For now, players should treat the leak as plausible and potentially significant, but unconfirmed. If implemented, cross‑buy could reshape how PlayStation owners manage purchases across console and PC — and would mark one of the most consumer‑facing changes to the PlayStation ecosystem in years.