Sony has switched selected PS4 features off temporarily in order to smooth the console's launch in Europe, which began at midnight last night.
The next-generation console, which packs an eight-core AMD accelerated processing unit and 8GB of high-speed memory into a compact black chassis, became officially available in the UK late last night but required a 308MB day-one patch before it was ready to play. While gamers who plan ahead will likely have followed our guide to pre-download the update will enjoy a hassle-free experience, plenty of others will be relying on the console updating itself - which will put strain on Sony's servers.
It's a problem of which Sony is all too aware, and it's eager to make a good first impression on its customers. As a result, the company has deactivated a small number of features on the PS4 in order to lessen the traffic hitting its servers.
"We are expecting record sales and record numbers of people logging onto PSN at similar times, alongside the North American players already on PSN" claimed Sony's Fred Dutton of the move. "We have made the decision to switch off a couple of features for European customers on day one. These features will then be switched back on a few days later, once the intensity of launch day calms down."
The features to be disabled aren't critical to the console's primary function of gaming: the What's New screen, which lists activities being undertaken by PlayStation Network (PSN) friends, and the Content Information Screen, which lists information and friends' statuses specific to a given title, are the only two functions to get the temporary chop.
"Not to worry, all of the other features of PSN will be fully available on day one. You’ll be able to play online multi-player games with friends and your gaming community, get trophies, make friends and share videos and live broadcast your games ..." added Dutton - the latter possibly a sly jab at rival Microsoft's Xbox One, which has launched without its promised live streaming functionality.
The next-generation console, which packs an eight-core AMD accelerated processing unit and 8GB of high-speed memory into a compact black chassis, became officially available in the UK late last night but required a 308MB day-one patch before it was ready to play. While gamers who plan ahead will likely have followed our guide to pre-download the update will enjoy a hassle-free experience, plenty of others will be relying on the console updating itself - which will put strain on Sony's servers.
It's a problem of which Sony is all too aware, and it's eager to make a good first impression on its customers. As a result, the company has deactivated a small number of features on the PS4 in order to lessen the traffic hitting its servers.
"We are expecting record sales and record numbers of people logging onto PSN at similar times, alongside the North American players already on PSN" claimed Sony's Fred Dutton of the move. "We have made the decision to switch off a couple of features for European customers on day one. These features will then be switched back on a few days later, once the intensity of launch day calms down."
The features to be disabled aren't critical to the console's primary function of gaming: the What's New screen, which lists activities being undertaken by PlayStation Network (PSN) friends, and the Content Information Screen, which lists information and friends' statuses specific to a given title, are the only two functions to get the temporary chop.
"Not to worry, all of the other features of PSN will be fully available on day one. You’ll be able to play online multi-player games with friends and your gaming community, get trophies, make friends and share videos and live broadcast your games ..." added Dutton - the latter possibly a sly jab at rival Microsoft's Xbox One, which has launched without its promised live streaming functionality.
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