Summary
- Sony compensates PS Plus users with a 5-day service extension after a 24-hour PSN outage.
- PSN services are back online after a day; affected users urge better communication from Sony.
- Sony cites operational issues for the outage.
The PSN outage is finally over, and Sony is compensating for it by giving PlayStation Plus members a free service extension. PlayStation's internet services were out for roughly 24 hours, frustrating many players in the process, but it's now up and running as normal once again. While the outage affected all PlayStation users, PlayStation Plus subscribers lost the most, as the interruption temporarily took online multiplayer off the table, so Sony is making up for it by extending these subscriptions.
Fans first noticed PSN was down on the evening of Friday, February 7. The official Ask PlayStation Twitter account confirmed that PSN was back online around 7 PM EST the next day, which is far from the longest outage in PSN history but was certainly long enough to cause a stir among PlayStation users.
Fans Angry Over Sony's Lack of Communication After 17 Hours of PSN Outage
As the global PlayStation Network outage enters its 18th hour, fans the world over lambast Sony over its lack of status updates.
After telling fans that PSN was working again, the Ask PlayStation Twitter account issued an apology alongside the promise of an automatic five-day extension for all PS Plus subscriptions. The update and consolation come after many users expressed disappointment over Sony's lack of communication on the matter during the outage. The team behind Marvel Rivals commented on the PSN interruption before PlayStation itself offered much insight into the situation beyond acknowledging that some users were having issues with the service. Several fans called for reimbursement amid the lack of details, and it seems Sony has listened.
PS Plus Users Get an Automatic 5-Day Extension After the PSN Outage
While the PSN outage itself lasted a day, Sony is giving PS Plus subscribers five free days of service to make up for it. Interestingly, at least one company beat PlayStation to the punch in compensating affected users, as Krispy Kreme gave away free donuts during a two-hour window after news of the outage spread. It's also worth noting that Sony has not mentioned any compensation for non-subscribers. Those without PS Plus may still have been affected, as the interruption made it impossible to use streaming services for a time, and some single-player games require a PSN sign-in but not a PS Plus account. Still, the outage did not represent a loss of money for these users, which could explain why Sony might focus on PS Plus subscribers.
Sony has also not explained what caused the outage apart from calling it an "operational issue." Some fans compared this latest interruption to the 2011 Sony hack, which took PSN offline for weeks. While Sony has reportedly dealt with hackers as recently as 2023, the outage could just as easily be a mundane technical problem. The company may reveal more in the future, but for now, players can at least enjoy their free PS Plus extension to make up for the lost day of service.
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