Sony PSN Issues: PlayStation Network Sign-In Problems, Features Limited As PS4 Release Arrives

As Sony releases the PlayStation 4 (PS4) in the U.K., users on Friday across Europe and the U.S. were unable to log in to the PlayStation Network (PSN), which is required for playing the console’s games online.

Sony released a statement on its official Twitter account, stating that it would investigate the issue. As the PS4 release date arrives worldwide, several system outages are likely as Sony attempts to deal with the heavy traffic from new users.

Sony says it has limited some PSN features, such as the "What's New" section, and the ability to view submenus, to reduce network issues. The manufacturer says it will restore the features shortly after the PS4 launches globally

The PSN outage follows an issue earlier this week in which users’ passwords were reset automatically. Some users complained that they were unable to sign in to the PSN despite entering a correct “date of birth” and email address to reset their password.

The PSN password reset also began affecting PS4 and PS3 owners in the U.S. a few days later. Sony says it is resetting user passwords “purely as a precautionary measure” and that the move was caused by “irregular activity.”

In 2011, hackers stole more than 77 million account passwords for PlayStation Network and other Sony services, costing the company $171 million. Less than six months after the initial breach, hackers were able compromise another 93,000 PSN accounts.

Sony announced that when it launched the PS4 in the U.S. earlier this month, it sold more than one million consoles in 24 hours. Sony’s Fergal Gara told CVG that PS4 “stock allocation in the UK is very healthy indeed, and we go into this ready and willing and break our own previous launch record."

Follow Thomas Halleck on Twitter