Skip to main content

No online requirement for PS4

Yoshida confirms "if you don't want to connect to anyone else, you can do that"

In good news for the broadband challenged, Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida has stated that the PlayStation 4 does not require a constant internet connection.

"Yes, you can go offline totally. Social is big for us, but we understand there are some people who are anti-social! So if you don't want to connect to anyone else, you can do that," he told Eurogamer.

"You can play offline, but you may want to keep it connected. The system has the low-power mode - I don't know the official term - that the main system is shut down but the subsystem is awake. Downloading or updating or you can wake it up using either the tablet, smartphone or PS Vita."

So while the console seems heavy on the internet features, none of them are compulsory.

Lately rumours have circulated that the next Xbox will require a permanent online connection, a move that could cause problems for anyone who wants to share or buy old games.

Read this next

Rachel Weber avatar
Rachel Weber has been with GamesIndustry since 2011 and specialises in news-writing and investigative journalism. She has more than five years of consumer experience, having previously worked for Future Publishing in the UK.
Related topics