The PSN Outage Highlights A Larger Problem For Modern Gamers
Many players, not just those with a PS Plus subscription, lost access to their games during the weekend's PSN outage. This is a symptom of a problem in gaming.
Over the weekend, PlayStation owners experienced a nearly 24-hour-long PlayStation Network outage. At the time of writing, Sony has yet to provide a clear explanation about what went wrong, simply that it was an “operational issue.” This outage happened during the first weekend of Monster Hunter Wilds second playtest, but users are expected to get another day from developer Capcom to make up for lost time. But many PlayStation users were shocked to find their digital titles unplayable, even single-player games that supposedly don’t require an online connection.
PSN outage illuminates larger problem with the current state of digital video games
PS Plus is a subscription service that allows players to play PlayStation games online and optionally sign up for a digital library of games, discounts, and more. It makes sense that during an outage like this, players would not be able to access their online features normally provided by PS Plus. But many PlayStation users reported losing access to their digital library even without having a PS Plus subscription. Comments found on ResetEra by Eurogamer claimed that “everything was down.” Continuing to add that “People that game share (like me) were locked out of their entire digital library, including offline games. You didn’t need PS Plus to be affected.”
In recent years, the push to digital gaming over physical has been slow but steady. Both Xbox and PlayStation consoles now come in two versions: with or without a disc drive. Access to huge digital libraries of games with services like PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass have pushed this even further. Maybe to Steam users this is nothing new, but even Steam recently added a distinction that players are purchasing a license to play, not purchasing the game itself.
Regarding the near 24-hour outage, Sony has been silent about any details. We still don’t know what happened or why, and that is concerning for any number of reasons. Some players may remember the 2011 PSN outage that lasted nearly a month. While outages have become less frequent since then, it’s still concerning that there’s no telling how long the next one will last. Not to mention the potential for sensitive information like passwords and credit card information to have been accessed during this outage.
Outside of its silence, once the issue was resolved, Sony did decide to graciously reward players with five extra days of PS Plus. Five extra days does not mean much for users who plan to continue subscribing to play games online. But this also leaves out the players who were affected without having a PS Plus subscription. This outage will serve as a wake-up call for many users, and what they might do next could be important.
Relying on the goodwill of huge corporations is not a fair deal for gamers
Video game companies will gladly cut off service to their online games when it makes financial sense to do so. Look at the example of Ubisoft pulling the plug on The Crew last year, making it unplayable for anyone that previously purchased it, even physical copies. I use this as an example because Ross Scott, the organizer behind the Stop Killing Games website, submitted complaints with France’s consumer protection agency (Ubisoft is based in France) regarding the removal of The Crew.
Modern gamers are being asked more and more to get comfortable with not owning their games. But when gaming services are connected to an online network in this way, it relies on the kind of stability that Sony and other digital storefronts may not be able to promise. What if everyone loses access to Steam for a week? What if Sony decides that it’s not worth maintaining the PSN network tomorrow? Relying on the goodwill of huge corporations to let us continue renting and playing their games is not a safe agreement for users.
What should users do? Buy physical games as much as possible, though as The Crew shows this is not a sure thing. Use alternative digital storefronts like GOG.com that actually let you purchase the game, not just a license. Support efforts like Stop Killing Games (you can sign their EU petition on their website) and think carefully about where you choose to spend your money.
Since coming under fire for the shutdown of The Crew, Ubisoft has announced that future titles will feature an offline mode. Ubisoft has also been sued in California, which may have encouraged Steam to be more transparent about licensing games. There are ripple effects to these actions that leave an impact on the larger gaming industry. Plus, for fans of The Crew, the community is hard at work re-creating the game from scratch.
This is a wake-up call for all gamers
This weekend, for many PlayStation owners, this must have been a wake-up call. Not only were thousands of players looking forward to playing the games in their library, but this was a huge weekend for Monster Hunter Wilds. This weekend marks the second open beta playtest, and there was a huge difference from the first one last October. This time, players didn’t need a PS Plus account to access the beta. Finally, non-subscribers could get a chance to try one of 2025’s most anticipated titles, only to have it taken away.
If you are a PlayStation owner watching your friends on Steam and Xbox enjoy the Monster Hunter Wilds beta without you, it’s going to sting. That plus losing access to an entire digital library is going to make many players wonder if they have chosen the correct console or the correct ecosystem to buy into. After this weekend, more PlayStation owners are considering Steam and Xbox than before. But even if those storefronts look more appealing right now, they still come with many of the same caveats.
In the coming days, we will have to see if Sony shares any further information about what caused this recent outage. If they decide to share any information at all. Hopefully everyone’s online services and digital libraries remain accessible for the foreseeable future, but this is a good reminder that this is not guaranteed, and we should all remember to act accordingly.
