A new Sony Entertainment Network web store quietly launched in Europe this morning, now making it possible to buy PSN content via a PC. We've confirmed the store is accessible in certain European regions, including the UK, but it's not available in the United States or Canada as yet. Approached for comment, a Sony Computer Entertainment UK rep told us, "We are testing a new web store, which we look forward to announcing and launching to the PlayStation/Sony community shortly."
The SEN store offers a slick black look in line with the redesigned PS Store. Content can be filtered by platforms, genre, type (games, add-ons, demos etc.) and release date, and then further filtered by things like price range and required accessories. Much like the Xbox Live Marketplace via Xbox.com, purchases made via the web store then appear on download lists of compatible Sony devices, a process we verified on both PS3 and Vita. However, unlike with Xbox.com, purchases cannot be set to automatically download.
Sony converted PSN accounts into SEN ones earlier this year, a move clearly intended to give its online content a more universal umbrella. That changeover surely reached its logical conclusion this morning, one will that evermore save us from finding out about a cracking PSN deal and then being forced to boot up and navigate our PS3s and Vitas to actually purchase it.