News Gaming Sony Throttles PlayStation US Download Speeds to Manage Strain This follows the earlier decision in Europe by Senior News Editor Rob LeFebvre has been a freelance technology writer for 10 years and an educator for 20. His articles have appeared in 148Apps, Cult of Mac, Engadget, and many others. our editorial process Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Rob LeFebvre Published March 27, 2020 06:17PM EDT Tweet Share Email Gaming Phones Internet & Security Computers Smart & Connected Life Home Theater Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming View More Why This Matters More people are staying home, stressing the networks around the globe. Managing the strain is the best way to make sure there are no catastrophic outages. Joe Brady / Getty Images Sony has decided to slow game downloads for its US customers to manage the strain on its networks during the coronavirus pandemic response of everyone staying home. The company instituted a similar measure a few days back for European audiences. What they said: "Players may experience somewhat slower or delayed game downloads but will still enjoy robust gameplay," the company wrote in a blog post. Sony feels it's important to do its part to address internet stability concerns as people maintain social distance and rely more on internet access. What this means for gamers: Your online matches won't glitch or slow down any more than usual, but if you're downloading large game files, it may take a little longer. The bigger picture: Sony isn't the first online entertainment company to come to terms with potential network congestion, of course. Netflix, Facebook, YouTube and Amazon Prime (among others) have all committed to slower network speeds in the wake of the current pandemic. Bottom line: Making sure the internet exists, even if it runs a bit slower, is essential to our morale as a society. Simple steps like these make a lot of sense in our current stay-at-home situation, and will likely return to "normal" once things settle out. Via: The Verge Learn More About Sony PlayStation What is the PlayStation Network (PSN)? PlayStation 1: The History From the Date of its Release Until 2006 Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit