In the wake of steaming services like YouTube and Netflix reducing video quality in Europe, PlayStation console owners will see a similar slowdown soon, although it’s only slated to impact download speeds.
Jim Ryan, President & CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, released a statement today on the PS blog, stating that Sony will be working with ISPs in Europe to “manage download traffic.”
Ryan says however that multiplayer gameplay will remain “robust,” which is likely due to the relatively low active data transfer required for multiplayer games.
Many countries in Europe have enacted some form of quarantine measure against the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, forcing most people to rely on the Internet for work, play and distraction from easily one of weirdest, most unsettling times in our history.
It’s uncertain how much downloads will be slowed, or exactly when this will go into effect, although you can bet if the United States and Canada see similar outbreaks (and/or similar quarantine tactics), North America may be next on the list.