Skip to main content

Sony requires you to agree you won’t sue to play PS3 games online

acceptIt wasn’t long ago that we could barely keep up on the unending, daily accounts of Sony PlayStation hacks. The PSN and other Sony Web properties worldwide were subject to hackers for months, and users found themselves unable to use their subscription services as well as risking their credit card and personal data.

To say Sony’s reputation was tarnished would be something of an understatement. The company did what it could to placate user frustrations, but the PSN Welcome Back program and the promise of free games isn’t going to make anyone forget. And because of that, Sony is issuing a few updates to its terms of service.

Users will be asked to perform a mandatory upgrade on their PS3’s, which will include this new jargon:

Any dispute resolution proceedings, whether in arbitration or court will be conducted on an individual basis and not in a class or representative action or as a named or unnamed member in a class, consolidated, representative or private attorney general legal action, unless both you and the Sony entity with which you have a dispute specifically agree to do so in writing following initiation of the arbitration. This provision does not preclude your participation as a member in a class action filed on or before August 20, 2011.

Basically, Sony is trying to cover its bases from being held fully responsible should something like the PlayStation hacks ever happen again. The PSN security breach unsurprisingly resulted in a class action lawsuit filed against the company in April, a case which remains ongoing. By electronically pigeon-holing customers into this agreement barring them from joining class action suits, Sony could avoid more court time as a result of hacks. There’s no way to by-pass the new TOS via the upgrade, instead you’ll have to send a letter to the company’s headquarters in Los Angeles. Saying no to the upgrade means you can’t play games online.

We’d suggest taking the time to pen that letter. Sony’s taking great measures to improve the security of its network, but sneaking a clause like this into an upgrade and requiring it to play online games doesn’t speak well of a company’s intentions. Given the amount of users who are likely to barely glance at the legal-speak and hit “accept,” the whole thing feels a bit underhanded.

Editors' Recommendations

Molly McHugh
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
How to use an external hard drive on PS5
Two versions of the PS5 side by side.

The PlayStation 5 is a remarkable system, but it doesn't come with much storage space. Breaking from the 1TB the Xbox Series X offers, the PS5 only offers 825GB. Worse, after accounting for the storage space the PS5 takes up by default, users are left with just over 650GB of space. Thankfully, you can use external storage to expand your space, and in this guide, we're going to show you how to use an external hard drive on PS5.
How to use an external HDD or SSD on PS5

Before you can use an external hard drive on PS5, you need to make sure it's compatible. It doesn't matter if your external drive is a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SSD), you can use it on PS5 as long as it uses USB 3.0 or later. USB 2.0 external hard drives won't work. Because they won't work, you'll need to connect your external hard drive to one of the two USB-A ports on the back of the PS5. The USB-A port on the front is only rated for USB 2.0, so it won't work. Also, plug the drive directly into a console (don't use a USB hub or extension cable).

Read more
This PS5 bundle gets you a PlayStation Portal and it’s not sold out, yet
PlayStation Portal bundle home screen while turned on.

The PlayStation Portal is an excellent, albeit exclusive handheld gaming console that works with the PS5. In our Portal review, we made it clear that while it cuts a lot of corners, it is an excellent companion to Sony's titular current-gen console. But to make the most of it, you really do need a PS5, which means if you don't have one, there's no point in buying a Portal until you do. Well, we spotted an incredible bundle that includes the PlayStation 5 Slim, a PlayStation Portal, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 all together, all for you, at one great price. For $750, normally $760, so saving you $10, it's all yours. But here's the thing, the PlayStation Portal has pretty much been sold out everywhere. This bundle gets your hands on it, plus everything else you need to play. It even includes Spider-Man, so you can web-sling as soon as you set it up. If you've been searching high and low for the Portal, don't sleep on this deal.

Why you should buy the PlayStation 5 with PlayStation Portal bundle
The PlayStation 5 is a fantastic gaming console, but the exclusive games available on the platform are second to none. God of War, Marvel's Spider-Man, Horizon Zero Dawn, Death Stranding, I could go on and on. But one of the better features of the PlayStation 5 is the option to remotely play your games on compatible devices, from your smartphone to a PS4 in another room, you can connect in, stream, and play, just like if you were sitting in front of your PS5. The PlayStation Portal takes that to a whole new level.

Read more
How to factory reset a PS5 to fix issues or for resale
A standard white PS5 sitting near some small plants in a home entertainment center.

There are many reasons to factory reset your PS5, from wanting to resell it to trying to fix issues that have arisen over time. Luckily, this process is somewhat simpler than learning how to reset a PS4, but still has some issues. Plus, you will want to make sure you have all of your current data secured. Here, we take a look at all of the steps and options so you know how to factory reset a PS5 to your satisfaction.

Read more