Sony throttles back game downloads in Europe
PlayStation maker says gameplay will be unaffected but players may see slower or delayed downloads to reduce strain on ISPs
With the pandemic keeping people indoors and increasingly opting for digital entertainment options, Sony is pumping the brakes on PlayStation download speeds to help internet service providers cope with the surge in demand.
Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Jim Ryan today announced in a blog post that the company is working with ISPs in Europe "to manage download traffic to help preserve access for the entire internet community."
"We believe it is important to do our part to address internet stability concerns as an unprecedented number of people are practicing social distancing and are becoming more reliant on internet access," Ryan said.
"Players may experience somewhat slower or delayed game downloads but will still enjoy robust gameplay. We appreciate the support and understanding from our community, and their doing their part, as we take these measures in an effort to preserve access for everyone."
The move follows a similar initiative from video streaming service Netflix, which said it would downgrade video quality on its service in Europe for 30 days to reduce data consumption by 25%.