Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Sony limits PlayStation download speeds, but online play seemingly unaffected

Aaron Mamiit
By

Sony Interactive Entertainment said that to “help ensure internet stability” it will limit PlayStation download speeds in the U.S.

Recommended Videos

Sony previously implemented the measure in Europe, before expanding it to PlayStation gamers in the U.S.

Related

“Playing videogames enables players all over the world to connect with friends and family and enjoy much-needed entertainment during these uncertain times,” Sony said in a blog post, but in order to help make sure that all internet users will be able to maintain their online access, download traffic for the PlayStation 4 will be managed.

Sony said that it will “continue to take appropriate action” to further the cause, so there may be other actions down the line, especially if people are urged to stay indoors and practice social distancing longer than expected.

However, it appears that for now, only download speeds will be affected for PlayStation gamers.

“Players may experience somewhat slower or delayed game downloads but will still enjoy robust gameplay,” Sony said in the blog post, which means that online play will so far not be throttled. So while downloading digital games will be slower than usual, players should not experience any lag while fighting to be the last man standing in Call of Duty: Warzone, for example.

In addition to PlayStation’s online play, another thing seemingly unaffected by the current situation is the PlayStation 5 launch, though Sony warned of possible delays in the production schedules for games being developed by first-party studios and partner studios, particularly in the United States and Europe.

Increased demand for internet

Earlier this month, senators called for internet service providers to prepare for an expected spike as employees shift to work-from-home arrangements, students move to online classes, and patients switch to remote telehealth services, among many other examples of changes in internet usage.

“The core of the network is massively over-provisioned,” Paul Vixie, CEO of Farsight Security and infrastructure expert told the Associated Press. While some access issues may arise, the national internet infrastructure has developed over time to handle bandwidth-demanding services such as Netflix and YouTube, so there should be no problem in maintaining internet access for everyone staying at home.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Aaron Mamiit
Aaron Mamiit
Contributor
Aaron received a NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was 4 years old, and he has been fascinated with…
PlayStation Spring Sale: best deals, how long is the sale, and more
PlayStation Spring Sale logo.

With the rise of all-digital consoles, more and more people are doing a majority of their game shopping on digital storefronts. For PlayStation 5 owners, whether you have a disk drive or not, you more than likely have at least a couple of games purchased from the PlayStation Store. The convenience of simply downloading a game and not having to worry about the disk is great, but you also can catch some amazing deals. The biggest sales events come seasonally, and the current Spring Sale is offering deep discounts of up to 90% on some of the biggest games on the platform. If you've been waiting to pick up one of the great games you missed earlier this year or in years past, now might be the best time to snag it for cheap!
When is the PlayStation Spring Sale 2024?
The PlayStation Spring Sale started on March 27, 2024, but new deals were added on April 10 that will last until April 24.

If any deal is exclusively for a PS5 version of a game that is also on PS4, we will note that beside the title. Since all PS4 games run on PS5, we won't mark PS4 games.
Best deals for the PlayStation Spring Sale
God of War Ragnarök Sony Interactive Entertainment

Read more
Visions of Mana paints a promising picture of the RPG series’ return
Red-haired girl with horns and dragon wing in Visions of Mana

The vibrant settings and character designs in Visions of Mana instantly alerted me that I'd be knee-deep into fantasy, riding on the back of a giant black wolf into the grassy plains of Fallow Steppe. A lush landscape welcomed me as I chatted with my teammates on top of my mount and tussled with little woodland monsters.

I had this experience at this year's PAX East, where I went hands-on with a demo of the upcoming RPG. I never played previous Mana games, but I have enough experience with RPGs and real-time combat to name it one of the most gorgeous, action-packed games I played at the show. The shiny open-world and slick combat I experienced point to a strong comeback for the Mana series coming later this summer.

Read more
This PS5 Pro leak reveals a massive jump in performance
The Playstation 5 system standing upright.

Sony is indeed working on a more advanced version of the PlayStation 5 that could feature a more powerful GPU that's potentially up to three times faster for specific tasks compared to current PS5 models.

YouTuber Moore's Law is Dead claims to have obtained a technical overview document for the PS5 Pro, code-named Trinity, and Insider Gaming's Tom Henderson has confirmed the leaked specifications' accuracy, which suggests a holiday 2024 release window for the console.

Read more