Sony is comping PS Plus members five days of free access after a major PlayStation Network (PSN) outage over the weekend left players unable to game or stream for 24 hours.
Sony hasn’t given an exact date for when the five-day extension will take effect, but it should be added automatically before your next billing cycle.
Here’s everything you need to know about the outage, the compensation being offered, and how to check if you’ve received it.
Who is entitled to free PS Plus compensation?
While the PlayStation Network outage was widespread, affecting both PlayStation Plus members and non-subscribers alike, it appears only existing PS Plus customers will receive the five-day credit. This includes members on all tiers (Essential, Extra, and Premium) and on weekly or annual membership plans.
There’s no need to take action, as the five extra days will be automatically added to your subscription. Although Sony hasn’t provided a specific timeline, the credit should be reflected in your account settings by your next billing cycle.
Network services have fully recovered from an operational issue. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank the community for their patience. All PlayStation Plus members will automatically receive an additional 5 days of service.
— Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) February 9, 2025
How to check if you received the free PS Plus days
To confirm the extra days have been added, follow the steps below based on the platform you’re using:
PS5/PS4
PlayStation App (Mobile):
PlayStation Website:
How long was PSN down for?
Sony's PlayStation Network suffered an extensive global outage from the early hours of Friday to Saturday, stretching past 24 hours and marking one of the longest unplanned downtimes for a major gaming service in recent memory.
PSN has been restored. You should be able to access online features without any problems now. For more details: https://t.co/NJX2xGusZM
— Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) February 8, 2025
Sorry for the inconvenience!
With players unable to get online, they missed out on key gaming events and promotions, including the Monster Hunter Wilds beta, Call of Duty’s Double XP Weekend on Black Ops 6, and Destiny 2’s 48-hour Contest Mode, among others.
The global blackout also kept players locked out of their accounts and unable to interact with friends.
We are aware some users might be currently experiencing issues with PSN.
— Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) February 8, 2025
For more details: https://t.co/NJX2xGusZM
Why did PSN go down?
Despite the service coming back online, Sony has remained tight-lipped on the cause and how it was fixed.
For now, all the company has said is that the outage was caused by an “operational issue”.
The lack of transparency has sparked speculation, with some users questioning whether a hack could be responsible. While PlayStation did previously suffer a breach in 2011, which kept PSN down for a record 23 days and exposed the personal data of 77 million users, Sony has not confirmed the possibility of hacking in the latest outage.
How have players reacted?
The reaction to Sony’s response has been largely mixed. Many players feel the five-day extension isn’t enough, with some demanding a month’s access or a free game instead.
What was the case of the issue?
— The Geek Commentator (@geekcommentator) February 9, 2025
Given what happened in 2011 we need to know if we need to call our banks for new credit cards and need identity protection services!!
Tell us why you were down as this is serious!!!
Non-PS Plus members are especially upset, as they were unable to play games or access digital content during the outage, leading to frustration over the lack of compensation for them.
what is 5 days of service actually mean. give fans 1 free game of there choice.
— Luke simpson (@MK2TANK) February 9, 2025
Beyond the issue of compensation, some players are more focused on Sony’s communication during the outage.
How about telling us wtf happened??
— HTB ♨️ (@HenryTheBlasian) February 9, 2025
There’s a growing call for transparency, with users expressing concern over the lack of explanation for the disruption and how it happened. Some claim that Sony’s silence only fuels distrust, with others demanding more clarity on what steps will be taken to avoid future disruptions.
