Sony Interactive Entertainment officially reminds PS4 players that the console's PlayStation Network servers are to be down for two hours next week for maintenance.
According to the PlayStation Network Service page, Sony is set to take PSN servers down for two hours next Tuesday, May 24, in order to perform regular maintenance that will only affect the PS4. For those unaware, the PS4 network maintenance is expected to begin at 9:30 PM PST and last for two hours, ending at 11:30 PM PST, which his translates to 12:30 AM EST to 2:30 AM EST for fans living on the East coast.
During the maintenance period next week, fans won't be able to access account management, PlayStation Video, or the PlayStation Store. That said, though, fans who are signed in before the actual repairs have begun will be able to play games and have access to "most" applications without intrusive hindrances or interruptions.
As of writing, all of the PlayStation Network services are up and running smoothly, but Sony still extends an apology to anyone who may be affected by the upcoming maintenance. As it happens, the company's statement on the matter reads:
"We strive to ensure that PlayStation Network services are available at all times, but occasionally we must take PlayStation Network offline to perform essential maintenance and implement feature enhancements. We are working hard to reduce the duration of each maintenance
"We apologize for any inconvenience."
Although Sony didn't mention what kind of fixes and "enhancements" would be included in next week's routine maintenance, it's interesting to note that the company did state about a month ago that it planned on including two-step authentication as a security measure soon. Bearing this in mind, it's possible that the company could be bringing the feature to PlayStation 4 users first, since it did clarify that only PS4 consoles would have the network's servers taken down.
Recently it was revealed that during the financial year ending on March 31, 2016, Sony's PlayStation Network generated more cash than all of Nintendo. Taking into consideration the fact that the PSN is just one extension of Sony's multiple branches, it not only points to the success of the online service as a whole, but also to Nintendo's financial troubles.
In any event, it has been a while since the PlayStation Network has encountered any truly serious problems, as the issues involving the last PSN outage occurred about four months ago. With a combination of both determination and luck, it seems as if Sony is intent on ensuring that the online service's integrity remains intact, at least for the time being.
The most recently released exclusive title for PS4 is Naughty Dog's Uncharted 4: A Thief's End.
Source: PSN Service Status