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PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartphones, tablets, Blu-ray players and high-definition televisions. This service is the account for PlayStation consoles, accounts can store games and other content. As of April 2016, over 110 million users have been documented, with 106 million of them active monthly as of the end of March 2022. PlayStation Network's services are dedicated to an online marketplace ( PlayStation Store), a premium subscription service for enhanced gaming and social features ( PlayStation Plus), music streaming (PlayStation Music, based on
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active use ...
) and formerly a
cloud gaming Cloud gaming, sometimes called gaming on demand or gaming-as-a-service or game streaming, is a type of online gaming that runs video games on remote servers and streams them directly to a user's device, or more colloquially, playing a game rem ...
service ( PlayStation Now; folded into PlayStation Plus Premium in June 2022). The service is available in 73 territories.


History

Launched in the year 2000, Sony's second home console, the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on ...
, had rudimentary online features in select games via its online network. It required a network adaptor, which was available as an add-on for original models and integrated into the hardware on slimline models. However, Sony provided no unified service for the system, so support for network features was specific to each game and third-party server, and there was no interoperability of cross-game presence. Five years later during the development stage for its third home console, the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
, Sony expressed their intent to build upon the functionality of its predecessor by creating a new interconnected service that keeps users constantly in touch with a "PlayStation World" network. In March 2006, Sony officially introduced its unified online service, tentatively named "PlayStation Network Platform". A list of supporting features was announced at the
Tokyo Game Show , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in September in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) and Nikkei Business Publications, Inc. T ...
later the same year. Sony launched an optional premium subscription service on top of the free PSN service in June 2010. Known as PlayStation Plus, the system provides access to exclusive content, complementary games, regular store discounts, and early access to forthcoming games. Following a security intrusion, the PlayStation Network had a temporary suspension of operation which began on April 20, 2011 and affected 77 million registered accounts. Lasting 23 days, this outage was the longest amount of time the PSN had been offline since its inception in 2006. Sony reported that user data had been obtained during the intrusion. In June 2011, Sony launched a "Welcome Back" program following the outage, allowing all PSN subscribers who joined prior to April 20 to download two free PlayStation 3 titles and two free PlayStation Portable games. Users also received 30 free days of PlayStation Plus, while users who were already subscribed before the outage got 60 free days. After the disruption, Sony changed the PlayStation Network's license agreement to legally bar users from filing lawsuits and joining class action lawsuits without first trying to resolve issues with an arbitrator. In July 2012, Sony Computer Entertainment announced that they had acquired video game streaming service Gaikai for $380 million. The acquisition was later strengthened when Sony acquired the assets of Gaikai's market rival OnLive. At the
Consumer Electronics Show CES (; formerly an initialism for Consumer Electronics Show) is an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Held in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, Nevada, United States, the event t ...
in January 2014, Sony announced that Gaikai's technology would be used to power PlayStation Now; a new cloud-based gaming service that allows people to play PlayStation games on a variety of devices. During 2014, Sony rolled out the service in North America on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 in beta form as a means for users to test performance and pricing structures. On December 25, 2014, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live suffered network disruption after a
denial-of-service attack In computing, a denial-of-service attack (DoS attack) is a cyber-attack in which the perpetrator seeks to make a machine or network resource unavailable to its intended users by temporarily or indefinitely disrupting services of a host conne ...
. Both services were flooded with millions of inauthentic connection requests, making it hard for genuine users to establish a connection. Functionality was restored on December 26, with some users experiencing difficulties in the days that followed. On January 1, 2015, Sony announced that users would be compensated for the downtime with a five-day extension to PlayStation Plus memberships. Formerly the gaming provision of the much broader
Sony Entertainment Network Sony Entertainment Network (SEN) was a digital media delivery service operated by Sony. SEN provided access to services, including PlayStation Network for games, Video Unlimited for film and television, Music Unlimited for music, and PlayMemor ...
, the PlayStation Network became Sony's premier entertainment service in 2015, unifying games, music, television and video. While synonymous with gaming, Sony said the PlayStation Network had evolved to become a "comprehensive digital entertainment brand". The SEN name is still used in some places.


User information

Signing up to the PlayStation Network is free. Two types of accounts can be created: Master accounts and Sub accounts. A master account allows full access to all settings, including
parental controls Parental controls are features which may be included in digital television services, computers and video games, mobile devices and software that allow parents to restrict the access of content to their children. These controls were created to ...
. Sub accounts can subsequently be created (e.g. for children) with desired restrictions set by the master account holder. A sub account holder has the option to upgrade their account once they reach 18 years of age. Sony encourage registrants to use a unique email and strong password not associated with other online services.


Online ID

An Online ID is one's username on the PlayStation Network. It can range from 3 to 16 characters in length and consist of letters, numbers, hyphens and underscores. A user's Online ID is central to your PSN profile and is displayed when playing online games and using other network features. In April 2019, Sony enabled users to change their online PSN ID. Users have the option to disclose their real name aside their Online ID, add a personal description, exhibit a profile picture or avatar, and list all spoken languages. Profiles also include a summary of a player's Trophy level and recent activity. Profiles can be viewed via the user interface or online through the PlayStation website. A Portable ID is a small infographic intended for use as a forum signature. The graphic showcases a user's trophy level and number of trophies awarded. Each user is able to log into their PSN account using a web browser to access and customize their Portable ID, and are then given a unique URL which they can cut & paste to display their ID elsewhere on the internet.Ed Easton
Design Your Own Portable ID
blog.playstation.com, 21 April 2011.
Several third-party websites offer similar graphics as both free and paid services which either update automatically or are updated manually by the user.


Trophies

Trophies are in-game awards presented to gamers for hitting specific targets or reaching certain milestones, such as completing a difficult level or defeating a certain number of enemies. There are four different types of trophy awarded: a bronze, silver, or gold trophy is contingent upon the difficulty of the accomplishment, with each reward contributing to a
level Level or levels may refer to: Engineering *Level (instrument), a device used to measure true horizontal or relative heights *Spirit level, an instrument designed to indicate whether a surface is horizontal or vertical * Canal pound or level *Reg ...
system attached to a player's profile. A platinum trophy is awarded to the player once they unlock all other trophies in the base game; smaller sized games, however, generally do not offer a platinum trophy. In addition, each trophy is graded by popularity—common, rare, very rare, and ultra rare—based on the percentage of people who have unlocked it. Developers can choose to make various trophies hidden so that their value and description are not revealed until after the user has obtained them. In an effort to discourage cheating in terms of how soon Trophies are awarded, the PlayStation Network requires consoles to maintain an accurate time and date setting before a digitally downloaded game can be started, which also extends to virtually all physically released software for the PS4 and certain physical games for the PS5. Without a connection to PlayStation Network, consoles would rely on a CMOS battery to maintain the date and time. If a console is unable to obtain an accurate date and time from PlayStation Network due to loss of connectivity and CMOS battery charge combined, games can be rendered unplayable on it, leading critics to decry this anti-cheat system as a form of always-on DRM and a threat to
video game preservation Video game preservation is a form of preservation applied to the video game industry that includes, but is not limited to, digital preservation. Such preservation efforts include archiving development source code and art assets, digital copies ...
upon discovery of this issue, known as the C-bomb, several months after the
PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, it was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...
's launch, as Sony was contemplating an equally controversial decision to shut down the PlayStation Store for previously discontinued systems that used it. In late September 2021, Sony resolved the C-bomb issue for the PS4 with firmware update 9.0.0, so that an inability to obtain an accurate date and time from PSN would only disable time-stamping of Trophies instead of blocking startup of games. Sony later resolved the same issue for the PlayStation 5 in November, allowing all physical and digital PS4 and PS5 games to run without any need for an accurate date and time reading from PSN, except for PlayStation Plus games, which require online verification to access them.


PlayStation Plus

PlayStation Plus (PS Plus) is a paid tiered subscription service that provides users with access to premium features. These features include access to online multiplayer, exclusive discounts on the PlayStation Store, the ability to upload up to 100 GB of saved game files to PlayStation servers, and three games available to download each month at no additional cost. These features are available to all subscribers, and are included even at the base "Essential" tier. The "Extra" tier provides access to the PlayStation Plus Collection, as well as a wide catalogue of 400+ PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 games. Moreover, the "Extra" tier also unlocks a catalogue of Ubisoft+ classics. The "Premium" (also known as "Deluxe") tier adds access to downloadable PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable games, access to limited trials of select games, and (in some regions) the ability to cloud stream certain PlayStation, PS2, PS4, and PSP games. For all tiers of subscription, users can choose between monthly, quarterly, or annual payment. Furthermore, all PS Plus tiers have the Game Help feature; a PlayStation 5 exclusive that provides spoiler-free hints and tips while playing supported games. Game Help can range from a nudge in the right direction, to a full video walkthrough which can be pinned to the side of the screen to refer to while playing.


Monthly games

Membership includes access to a rotating selection of games, with the selection varying based on PlayStation Store region. New titles are announced every month, to be downloaded immediately or added to a library for later access, before being replaced by a new selection of games. Members can keep all games in their library as long as they remain a member of PlayStation Plus. If their membership lapses, these games will become inaccessible. Once membership is renewed, the games will become unlocked again. In late June 2020, it was announced that PS Plus will expand its capacity of accessible games from two to three for its 10th anniversary.


PlayStation Plus Collection

In September 2020, Sony announced during its next-generation showcase that PlayStation Plus members who purchase a PlayStation 5 would also get access to a collection of "generation defining" games from the PlayStation 4. The PlayStation Plus collection includes: * '' Batman: Arkham Knight'' * ''
Battlefield 1 ''Battlefield 1'' is a first-person shooter game developed by DICE and published by Electronic Arts. It is the tenth installment in the ''Battlefield'' series and the first main entry in the series since '' Battlefield 4'' in 2013. It was relea ...
'' * '' Bloodborne'' * '' Call of Duty: Black Ops III – Zombies Chronicles Edition'' * ''
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy ''Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy'' is a 2017 platform game developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision. It is a compilation of remasters of the first three games in the ''Crash Bandicoot'' series: ''Crash Bandicoot'' (1996), '' ...
'' * '' Detroit: Become Human'' * '' Days Gone'' * '' Fallout 4 * '' Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition'' * ''
God of War A war god in mythology associated with war, combat, or bloodshed. They occur commonly in both monotheistic and polytheistic religions. Unlike most gods and goddesses in polytheistic religions, monotheistic deities have traditionally been p ...
'' * '' Infamous Second Son'' * ''
The Last Guardian ''The Last Guardian'' is a 2016 action-adventure game developed by Japan Studio and GenDesign and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. Players control a boy who befriends a giant half-bird, half-mammal creature, ...
'' * ''
The Last of Us Remastered ''The Last of Us'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Players control Joel, a smuggler tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across a post-apocalyptic United States ...
'' * '' Monster Hunter: World'' * '' Mortal Kombat X'' * ''
Persona 5 is a 2016 role-playing video game developed by Atlus. It takes place in modern-day Tokyo and follows a high school student known by the pseudonym Joker who transfers to a new school after being falsely accused of assault and put on probation ...
'' (Removed May 2022) * '' Ratchet & Clank'' * '' Resident Evil 7: Biohazard'' * '' Uncharted 4: A Thief's End'' * '' Until Dawn''


2022 revamp

On December 3, 2021, Bloomberg reported that Sony was working on a new subscription service codenamed "Spartacus" that would be a merger of the company’s current services, PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now, with the company reportedly set to keep the Plus branding. The service was reported as including three tiers, the first including all the benefits of PlayStation Plus, the second expanding upon the first by including a catalog of PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 titles, and the third expanding upon the first two by including demos as well as a catalog of games from the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable. Bloomberg claimed the service would launch within early 2022 and compete with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass service. The revamped PlayStation Plus service with a three-tier subscription model was officially confirmed by Sony in March 2022 as launching in June 2022; the new service launched first in Asian territories 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 existing service became PlayStation Plus Essential, PlayStation Plus Extra additionally gives the user access up to 400 PS4 and PS5 games as downloadable and streamable titles, and PlayStation Plus Premium further adds access to streaming of up to 340 games from the PlayStation, PS2, PS3, and PSP and download of all but the PS3 games. For markets without PS Now, Sony offers an alternate version of Premium called PlayStation Plus Deluxe that includes the benefits of Premium at a discounted rate without cloud streaming.


Sony PlayStation Plus Membership Plans


PlayStation Store

The PlayStation Store is a digital media shop that offers a range of
downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enabli ...
both for purchase and available free of charge. This includes full games, free-to-play games, add-ons, demos, music, movies and background themes. The store accepts physical currency, PayPal transfers and prepaid network cards. PlayStation Network Cards are a form of
electronic money Digital currency (digital money, electronic money or electronic currency) is any currency, money, or money-like asset that is primarily managed, stored or exchanged on digital computer systems, especially over the internet. Types of digital cu ...
that can be used with the PlayStation Store. Each card contains an alphanumeric code which can be entered on the PlayStation Network to deposit credit in a virtual wallet. Sony devised the payment method for people without access to a credit card, and PlayStation owners who would like to send or receive such cards as gifts. The tickets are available via online retailers, convenience stores, electronic kiosks and post office ATMs. In 2012 Sony introduced a cross-buy initiative whereby a game available for multiple PlayStation devices need only be purchased once. Players who download the PlayStation 3 version of a game can transfer to the PlayStation Vita or PlayStation 4 version at no extra cost, and vice versa. Users have immediate access to supported titles in their digital game library, even when they upgrade to the newest system. The initiative was later extended to include
PlayStation 5 The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 4 in April 2019, it was launched on November 12, 2020, in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, North ...
.


PlayStation Blog

The PlayStation Blog is an online PlayStation focused gaming
blog A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is a discussion or informational website published on the World Wide Web consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries (posts). Posts are typically displayed in Reverse ...
which is part of the PlayStation Network. Launched in June 2007, regular content includes game announcements, developer interviews and store updates. A sub-site of the blog called PlayStation.Blog Share was launched in March 2010 and allows PSN users to submit ideas to the PlayStation team about anything PlayStation-related as well as vote on the ideas of other submissions.


Original programming

Beginning in the spring of 2015, PlayStation Network began to produce and distribute their own original content. The first original scripted program, '' Powers'', premiered on March 10, 2015 and ran for two full seasons. The series was cancelled on August 3, 2016. In June 2017, it was announced that Sony was launching the Emerging Filmmakers Program where members of the public can submit pitches for potential television series to be aired on PlayStation Network. Submissions were due on August 1, 2017 and five of the ideas would be turned into pilot episodes that will be voted on by the PlayStation community.


See also

* List of PlayStation applications *
Nintendo Switch Online Nintendo Switch Online (NSO) is an online subscription service for the Nintendo Switch video game console. Nintendo Switch Online features include online multiplayer, cloud saving, voice chat via a smartphone app, access to a library of Ninte ...
* Xbox network


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Playstation Network Computer-related introductions in 2006 Multiplayer video game services Online video game services
Network Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematic ...
Network Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematic ...
PlayStation (brand)
Network Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematic ...
PlayStation Vita Sony services