Sony PlayStation Network Still Experiencing Connectivity Issues, Some Xbox Live Apps Not Working

After a string of outages and disruptions that began on Christmas Day, Sony’s PlayStation Network and Microsoft’s Xbox Live are still facing problems. Xbox Live is currently experiencing issues with two apps -- namely, the Maxim app and the IGN app -- that aren’t launching correctly or are crashing during use. Currently, the PlayStation Network appears to be up and running, but many users are having issues with connectivity, a problem that Sony believes is the result of high volume (i.e., too many players attempting to log in at the same time).

Both online networks haven’t had it easy for the past week. On Christmas Day, hacker group Lizard Squad took credit for crashing both networks, which the group alluded to in early December on Twitter. The hacker group’s Twitter account is currently unavailable, but the tweet said, “[T]his is not a threat but a promise. On December 25 aka Christmas. We will tap into Microsoft and shut down Xbox Live FOREVER! So enjoy it while it lasts. – Lizard Squad.” The group also warned users to “play while you can.”

Neither Sony nor Microsoft have revealed whether the latest issues that both networks face are related to their earlier hacker-induced outages, but a number of games extended certain online features due to earlier network outages. New York City-based developer Rockstar extended its “Grand Theft Auto 5 Online” holiday event “Festive Surprise” due to the inaccessibility of both networks on Dec. 25. Bungie also lengthened the stay of in-game merchant Xur in popular online shooter “Destiny.” The character usually visits the game’s online mode from Friday to Sunday, but Bungie allowed players to purchase and trade with Xur until Monday, Dec. 29.