News of a claimed wide-ranging Sony hack has led many to search online for how to close their PlayStation network accounts.
We’re going to tell you how to do just that. But should you? Probably not.
At present, we do not know the true extent of the Sony hack. And, if the compromised data includes personal information, it has already been pulled off servers.
Cancelling your Sony PlayStation network account is also quite a drastic move, and one that may end up with you losing access to things you have bought in the past.
More on that in a minute, but here’s a brief step-by-step guide to closing your PlayStation account.
- Download and open the PlayStation app on your phone
- Tap the cog icon to get to the Settings menu
- Select Support in the menu
- Select Account & Security
- Tap Account Management
- Select Create, Change and Close Account
- Tap How to close your account for PlayStation network, then Close an Account
- Select Contact us
- Tap Account & Security, then Change online ID & other account questions
- Scroll down and select Live chat
This will connect you to a Sony service rep. You will need to have your account information ready for it to be closed.
Sony issues the following warning when you attempt to close your account. It’s worth a read, and tells you the following.
You won’t be able to use the same details to create another account. You will not be able to access any games and content you have bought digitally using that account. Similarly, access to subscriptions linked to that account will go, too, as will any funds in your PSN Wallet.
Closing your account is the nuclear option, and we don’t recommend it.
Is the Sony hack real?
The latest update from Sony is it is investigating the situation. As yet, the company has not acknowledged that the hack is actually real.
“We are currently investigating the situation, and we have no further comment at this time,” Sony told IGN in a statement on September 26.
The most consequential hack to affect the PlayStation network took place more than a decade ago in 2011, when 77 million accounts were compromised and the PlayStation Network was taken offline for 23 days.
Hackers claiming to be part of the group Anonymous said they were behind the hack, but Anonymous denied involvement with the action.
This latest hack was claimed by Ransomed.vc, a group that attempts to extort money out of companies and has been around since August 2023, according to Flashpoint.
