PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital entertainment service created by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It began in November 2006 and was first designed for PlayStation video game consoles. Over time, it expanded to include smartphones, tablets, Blu-ray players, and high-definition televisions. In 2015, PSN replaced Sony Entertainment Network and became the main account system for PlayStation consoles, allowing users to store games and other content.
PSN offers several services: an online marketplace called the PlayStation Store, a special membership service named PlayStation Plus that provides enhanced gaming and social features, a music streaming service called PlayStation Music (based on Spotify), and a cloud gaming service called PlayStation Now. PlayStation Now was combined with PlayStation Plus Premium in June 2022. The service is available in 73 countries and territories.
History
In the year 2000, Sony released its second home console, the PlayStation 2. This system had basic online features in some games through its online networks. A network adaptor was required to use these features. This adaptor was sold separately for original models but built into newer, slimline models. However, Sony did not create a single online service for the PlayStation 2. Instead, online features varied by game and third-party servers, and users could not interact across different games.
Five years later, during the development of the PlayStation 3, Sony planned to improve its online services by creating a unified network called "PlayStation World." In March 2006, Sony officially introduced its new online service, named "PlayStation Network Platform." Details about the service were shared later that year at the Tokyo Game Show.
In June 2010, Sony added a paid subscription service called PlayStation Plus to its free PlayStation Network. This service gave users access to exclusive content, free games, discounts, and early access to new games.
In April 2011, the PlayStation Network experienced a security breach that caused the system to shut down for 23 days, affecting 77 million accounts. Sony confirmed that user data was accessed during the attack. In June 2011, Sony launched a "Welcome Back" program, offering free games and 30 or 60 days of PlayStation Plus to affected users. After the outage, Sony updated its license agreement to require users to resolve disputes with an arbitrator before filing lawsuits.
The PlayStation Network was managed by Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment International. In February 2012, all PlayStation Network accounts were converted to Sony Entertainment Network accounts to integrate with other Sony services.
In July 2012, Sony acquired Gaikai, a video game streaming service, for $380 million. Later, Sony also acquired assets from Gaikai’s competitor, OnLive. At the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, Sony announced that Gaikai’s technology would power PlayStation Now, a cloud-based gaming service. In 2014, PlayStation Now was tested on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in North America.
On December 25, 2014, both PlayStation Network and Xbox Live faced a denial-of-service attack, causing temporary outages. Services were restored the next day, though some users had ongoing issues. In January 2015, Sony compensated users with a five-day extension to their PlayStation Plus memberships.
In 2015, the PlayStation Network became Sony’s main entertainment service, combining games, music, and video. It was no longer just for gaming but was rebranded as a "comprehensive digital entertainment brand."
In April 2024, Sony announced that PlayStation Network features, such as social tools and Trophies, would be added to PlayStation Studios-published games for Windows, starting with Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut.
On October 1, 2024, the PlayStation Network experienced a global outage lasting seven hours. Sony did not explain the cause. Another global outage occurred on February 8, 2025, lasting nearly 24 hours. Sony apologized and offered compensation, but the offer was criticized by users.
Availability
PlayStation Network is available in all countries and territories except North Korea, the Philippines, Russia, and Vietnam.
On March 9, 2022, PlayStation announced that it suspended operations of PlayStation Network and PlayStation Store in Russia in response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Features
Creating a PlayStation Network account is free. Two types of accounts can be made: Master accounts and Sub accounts. A Master account gives full access to all settings, including parental controls. Sub accounts, such as for children, can be created later with limits set by the Master account holder. Sub account users can upgrade their account when they turn 18. Sony advises users to use a unique email and strong password not linked to other online services.
An Online ID is a username used on the PlayStation Network. It appears when playing online games or using other network features. It can be 3 to 16 characters long and include letters, numbers, hyphens, and underscores. Starting in 2019, users may change their PlayStation Network ID for a fee.
Users can choose to share their real name next to their Online ID, add a personal description, display a profile picture or avatar, and list spoken languages. Profiles also show a player's Trophy level and recent activity. Profiles can be viewed through the user interface or online via the PlayStation website.
A Portable ID is a small graphic used as a forum signature. It shows a user's trophy level and number of trophies earned. Each user can log into their PSN account using a web browser to customize their Portable ID and receive a unique URL to display it online.
Trophies are in-game rewards given for completing specific tasks or reaching milestones, such as finishing a difficult level or defeating enemies. There are four types of trophies: bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. Platinum trophies are given when all other trophies in a game are unlocked, but smaller games often do not offer platinum trophies. Each trophy has a rarity level—common, rare, very rare, or ultra rare—based on how many people have earned it. Developers can hide some trophies so their details are only revealed after they are earned.
To prevent unfair advantages, the PlayStation Network requires consoles to have correct date and time settings before starting digitally downloaded games or certain physical games. If a console cannot connect to the PlayStation Network and its internal battery is low, games may become unplayable. This system has been criticized as a form of always-on DRM and a risk to game preservation. In late 2021, Sony fixed this issue for the PS4 with a firmware update, so incorrect date and time settings now only affect Trophy timestamps, not game startup. A similar fix was later applied to the PlayStation 5.
Starting around 2020, Sony began releasing versions of its first-party games for Windows computers. After the 2024 release of Helldivers 2, Sony required users to have a free PlayStation Network account to play the game. This caused criticism because PSN was not available in all regions. Sony later removed this requirement, but some later Windows ports, including God of War Ragnarök and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, still required a PSN account. In January 2025, Sony announced that the PSN requirement would become optional for future games and would be removed from previously released games. Players using a PSN account may receive in-game rewards, track trophies, and connect with friends.
PlayStation Plus
PlayStation Plus (PS Plus) is a paid subscription service with different levels that give users access to special features. These features include online multiplayer, discounts on the PlayStation Store, the ability to store up to 100 GB of saved game files on PlayStation servers, and three downloadable games each month. All subscribers can use these features. The "Extra" level adds access to more than 400 PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games, as well as a collection of Ubisoft+ classic games. The "Premium" (also called "Deluxe") level includes access to downloadable games from PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable, limited trials of select games, and in some areas, the ability to stream certain PlayStation, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5, and PSP games online. Subscribers can choose to pay monthly, quarterly, or annually for any tier.
All PS Plus levels include the Game Help feature, a PlayStation 5-exclusive tool that offers hints and tips for supported games without revealing spoilers. Game Help can provide simple suggestions or full video walkthroughs that can be viewed on the side of the screen while playing.
Membership gives access to a changing selection of games, which varies by region on the PlayStation Store. New games are added each month and can be downloaded immediately or saved for later. Members can keep all downloaded games as long as their subscription remains active. If a subscription ends, the games become unavailable. Renewing the subscription unlocks access to them again. In late June 2020, PS Plus announced it would increase the number of free downloadable games from two to three for its 10th anniversary.
In September 2020, Sony announced that PlayStation Plus members who bought a PlayStation 5 would also receive a collection of "games that defined the generation" from the PlayStation 4. This collection was removed in May 2023.
In December 2021, Bloomberg reported that Sony was working on a new subscription service called "Spartacus," which would combine PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now. The service was expected to have three levels: the first would include all PlayStation Plus benefits, the second would add access to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games, and the third would include demos and games from PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable. Bloomberg said the service would launch in early 2022 to compete with Microsoft's Xbox Game Pass.
Sony officially confirmed the revamped PlayStation Plus service with a three-tier model in March 2022, launching in June 2022. The service first launched in Asian regions (excluding Japan) on May 23, 2022, in Japan on June 1, 2022, in North America on June 13, 2022, and in Europe on June 22, 2022.
The updated service includes three levels: PlayStation Plus Essential, PlayStation Plus Extra (which gives access to up to 400 downloadable PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games), and PlayStation Plus Premium (which adds access to up to 340 games from PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable, plus streaming of all games except PlayStation 3 titles). In regions without cloud streaming, Sony offers PlayStation Plus Deluxe, a version of Premium with benefits at a lower cost but without cloud streaming or PlayStation 3 games.
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online store where users can download various types of content, such as full games, free-to-play games, game add-ons, demos, music, movies, and background themes. Some items are purchased, while others are available at no cost. The store accepts payments through physical money, PayPal, or prepaid PlayStation Network cards.
PlayStation Network Cards are a type of electronic money used to buy items from the PlayStation Store. Each card has a unique code made of letters and numbers. This code can be entered on the PlayStation Network to add funds to a virtual wallet. Sony created this payment method to help people who do not have a credit card and to allow PlayStation users to give or receive these cards as gifts.
In 2012, Sony started a program called cross-buy. This allows users to buy a game that works on multiple PlayStation devices once, and then use it on any of those devices without paying again. For example, if someone buys a game for the PlayStation 3, they can later use it on the PlayStation Vita or PlayStation 4 without extra cost, and the same applies in the opposite direction. Users can instantly access supported games in their digital library, even after upgrading to a newer system. Later, this program was expanded to include the PlayStation 5.
PlayStation Blog
The PlayStation Blog is an online blog about gaming that is part of the PlayStation Network. It started in June 2007 and regularly shares information about new games, interviews with game developers, and updates about the store. In March 2010, a part of the blog called PlayStation Blog Share was created. This section lets PlayStation Network users share ideas about anything related to PlayStation and vote on ideas from other users.
Original programming
In the spring of 2015, PlayStation Network started creating and sharing its own original content. The first original scripted show, Powers, was first shown on March 10, 2015, and had two seasons. The series was stopped on August 3, 2016.
In June 2017, Sony announced the start of the Emerging Filmmakers Program. This program allowed people to send ideas for possible TV shows to be shown on PlayStation Network. Ideas needed to be sent by August 1, 2017. Five of the best ideas would become test episodes, and PlayStation users would vote on them.
Change to terms and conditions
On September 15, 2011, a change to the PSN terms and conditions required users to agree that they would not be allowed to join a group lawsuit against Sony for any future security breaches. Instead, users had to first try to resolve legal issues with a neutral third party before taking any legal action. This rule applied to any group lawsuits that were already happening before August 20, 2011.
Another rule stated that if a user chose not to follow this clause by sending a letter to Sony, they would lose the right to have a trial by jury. Sony also promised that courts in the user’s country, which is the United States in this case, would be responsible for handling any legal matters related to changes in the PSN Terms of Service.