Preserving Internet Access for the Entire Community

Playing videogames enables players all over the world to connect with friends and family and enjoy much needed entertainment during these uncertain times. Sony Interactive Entertainment is working with internet service providers in Europe to manage download traffic to help preserve access for the entire internet community.

[Cobra951]

Apparently, the internet infrastructure in Europe is more stressed than in the US. I don't know if that's because it's less robust or capable, or because some European countries are so hard-hit by the pandemic. Either way, good luck to everyone on that side of the Atlantic. May your gaming continue to provide relief from anguish and anxiety.

[LoveSpuds]

It's because most of us in Europe are self isolating properly compared to US, so everyone is stuck indoors using the internet to pass the time and keep in touch.

[Christopher]

***It's because most of us in Europe are self isolating properly compared to US***

Yeah, of course. All the kids staying home from school which are closed continental-wide are outside, not self-isolating, and 100% not on their gaming consoles in the U.S. This must be it.

It's because of the population. You have twice the population as the U.S. and have been under quarantine for longer.

[frostypants]

@LoveSpuds, plenty of people in the hardest hit parts of the US are self isolating properly and our internet in these areas is just fine. It does seem to be an internet infrastructure issue in Europe.

[thorstein]

We are too. Most of us are indoors and keeping 6 feet away from anyone if we need to go to the store. Everything is closed except for hospitals, grocery stores and pharmacies. Oh. And liquor stores. Can't not have our liquor.

[chiefJohn117]

No Europe infrastructure is simply inferior. It always was

[fathertime4464]

@shaggy
America is being hit, what are you talking about?!
Our leadership is made up of nothing but a bunch of selfrichious assholes that all needed to retire like 30yrs ago! It's not the public's fault it the miss information, lies, deflecting, and utter stupidity of all our branches of governments fault. Don't worry, we in America will straighten shit out, once our leadership is all infected and smart intelligent people can take over

[b777conehead]

Because you idiots in Europe gave up your guns you let your governments control you. Fake medua virus

[arkard]

@lovespuds https://www.dailymail.co.uk... This would say otherwise

[rainslacker]

Yeah. They've been under quarantine longer. Netflix has been throttling their streams as well to help preserve overall traffic. And people spent years disagreeing when others said that the internet infrastructure wasn't really far enough along to handle all this stuff going to streaming.

[neutralgamer1992]

And people want to go all digital as Soon as possible just wait. Our games will be 100+ GB easily and we as gamers will have to pay a lot

That's why we need retail and physical media to survive

[rainslacker]

People don't know what they have until it's not around anymore.

[shiva1]

Are you expecting these situations more often? This is not ideal this is not christmas situation where everybody sat down at home. This is bigger. This is entire world. This is just not you or the infrastructure, supplies at your home. This is world.

[rainslacker]

I'd hope not. But the internet has been strained for a while without a situation like this.

[CaptainCook]

That's because some of the European countries like the UK are banned from leaving homes for 3+ weeks. You'll get a fine if you leave your home unless you're working, shopping for groceries, exercising one a day.

[Profchaos]

I think there's a few backbone networks in the US which helps spread the traffic Google fibre and Comcast for example.
The EU may not have that

[JEECE]

PS4 download speeds are already absurdly slow compared to Steam.

[Atticus_finch]

Sure bro...

[the_dark_one]

I'm able to download Red dead redemption 2 in under an hour on ps4. It's when they do update a game thats when it become slow cause of the copy thing it does, not when it's downloading.

[UltraNova]

I've been testing my internet connection via PS's OS and its showing me half of the speed I usually get(Okla test is showing my full speed on PC). No problem there, if this is what needs to be done to ensure PSN is up and running.

[JEECE]

Wow, I didn't know that stating a well known, verifiable fact would get such hate, lol.

[Atticus_finch]

Sure bro...

[ziggurcat]

what you said isn't a "well known, verifiable fact."

[JEECE]

@Gahl1k

The temperature of the sun is higher than the temperature of Earth.

Do you accept that statement as a well known, verifiable fact, or do you need "data, statistics, or at least some kind of legitimate survey with a large sampling pool" to prove it to you?

@Atticus_finch

Thanks for agreeing with me, glad someone else isn't afraid the Sony police are going to arrest them for not being a big enough fanboy.

[rainslacker]

I bet you're one of those people who spell out period at the end of a sentence thinking that that makes you right, and no further conversation is needed.

"Do you accept that statement as a well known, verifiable fact, or do you need "data, statistics, or at least some kind of legitimate survey with a large sampling pool" to prove it to you?"

No we don't need them, but that data exists should you really need to back up that claim....to maybe flat earthers or something.

[RabbitFly]

Maybe it's not as well known and verifiable as you thought.

To be fair. i 100% agree. It has always been the case for me and all my friends as long as I have been using PSN, since it's inception, but I don't think that makes for a substantial pool to make any statistical determination.

I, just as you probably did, assumed it was a well known verifiable fact. I don't get the hate either. But maybe people are having different experiences.

[StormSnooper]

@JEECE
That could be an issue with your ISP not recognizing your PS4 as a ‘priority’.

[ziggurcat]

I can download 90GB in less than an hour, so no... if your DL speeds are slow, that's your ISP, not the console.

[JEECE]

Nope. PSN download speeds are far slower than my ISP's speed, and even compared to what PSN registers in an internet speed test. I'm not sure why people feel the need to dispute something they know to be true (Sony isn't paying attention guys, they aren't going to give you a special bonus for being the biggest fan). I've never understood the idea that we should pretend there are no problems on our favorite platform. I want to point them out, so it can get even better.

[ziggurcat]

The numbers shown whenever you do a connection test have never been accurate, so you can't go by that.

[zmeatheadz]

the slim and pro are a big improvement over the og ps4

[BillyG0AT]

My PS sucks for downloading.

[DonDon3000]

I'd be willing to not be able to play online, if it means that emergency services can have better access to internet. It's just a game.

[TheSocietalAnomaly]

Gaming isn’t using much Internet. It’s Netflix, Hulu, YouTube etc.

There’s an actual breakdown if you google it. Playing online uses like 1/100th the amount of watching a show on Netflix.

[DonDon3000]

So? I'd be willing to give up Netflix and Hulu too. Whatever will help in these times. I'm not addicted to entertaining myself to the point that I wouldn't put them down for a little while to help alleviate heavy internet traffic. I could spend time on lower traffic sites instead of streaming videos and playing games for just a few days. I don't see why that would offend anyone. I can play single player games if anything or watch a dvd. It's my own opinion.

[rainslacker]

Every little bit helps though. Internet infrastructure wasn't ready for the streaming era that Netflix ushered into the mainstream, and every other company is following.

[Atticus_finch]

Thesocial is right I've played FIFA matches that that were much less than 1mb . Video streaming is much more intense.

[GTgamer]

Don't matter to me I'm a single player guy 😂

[anonymousfan]

I don't know how dependant on internet hospitals are besides the one where I work which is pretty retarded and frankly years behind. I think the issue with internet usage right now is also all those people working from home... Using high bandwitdth VPNs to do so etc.

[lnfiniteLoop]

hope you told activision and all the other companies to stop with the 60GB updates

[anonymousfan]

And to think Skyrim with all its vast open world fitted in about 5 GB on 360 (without UHD textures obviously). I understand part of the reason they got so big is redundancy due to data retrieval speeds ... Hopefully Spencer is right and it will be better next gen with SSDs

[Shadow Man]

I just thought about Xbox one original idea to be always online. We live in crazy time that we can’t relay on the internet always been available.

[Ausbo]

Understandable. Many streaming services are throttling their speeds as well.

[lnfiniteLoop]

so sony dosnt have enough bandwidth, and claims its helping ISP's reduce theres... Im pretty sure ISP's can handle there own load... without others reducing theres...

[isarai]

Really? You're gonna use a situation with a real life death toll as ammo for your childish allegiance to a plastic box? Grow the hell up dude.

[4U2NV]

Its not just psn its also xbl. Plus not to mention thats there is twice as many playstations out there than they are xboxs.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk...

https://www.express.co.uk/e...
https://www.theguardian.com...

Jheeze common sense is dwindling. 🙄

[OB1Biker]

It's different though it sounds like psn is trying to preserve other access while xbl is struggling to get more access. 🤷‍♂️

I'm just saying that's what it sounds like.

[quenomamen]

Don't be surprised if these greedy ISP companies in the U.S dont hike the prices on us. Rat bastards.

[ssj27]

How about you stop charging us to play online.. psplus is worse turn off even all thanks to Microsoft. And same microsof who will soon be bringing g mandatory vaccinations and the 666 microchip.

[iplay1up2]

Kodi is useless most of the time right now.

[StormSnooper]

I think that means everyone is listening to the stay at home orders. Stay safe everybody!

[Dragonopolis]

Interesting website tracking internet usage and penetration.

https://www.internetworldst...

North America and Europe have very close penetration numbers. Europe has a huge user rate over 700 million vs North America at over 300 million. Those numbers are regional meaning they include multiple countries in the stats but the website breaks it down even further for those who like numbers..

Anyway similar penetration rates but more people using in Europe could be quite the interent traffic jam especially now that more people are staying home.... due to the coronavirus restrictions....