Sony will slow down PlayStation downloads in Europe, but says multiplayer will remain ‘robust’

Sony will slow down PlayStation game downloads in Europe to help preserve overall internet speeds. The change won’t materially affect multiplayer, according to a blog post, with the company saying that gamers “will still enjoy robust gameplay. ” Downloads of games may be “somewhat slower or delayed” during this period. While Sony is the first to announce limits to game console bandwidth during the novel coronavirus pandemic, a number of streaming services began similar practices last week.

Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, Apple, Disney, and more have all begun or committed to limiting video quality in Europe to reduce strain on broadband networks. The measures are meant to help maintain strong internet speeds for everyone while the pandemic leads to a sharp uptick in people working at home. Sony says it’s been working with European internet service providers “to manage download traffic” and “do our part to address internet stability concerns. ” Sony doesn’t go into specifics on to what extent it’ll be reducing download speeds or when users might find downloads delayed.