If you've tried signed into the PlayStation Network lately, chances are good you're experiencing some difficulty connecting. A number of users were reporting receiving e-mails, asking them to change their PSN password. At first, they weren't sure if it was part of some phishing scam, but now Sony has stepped forward to clarify that the company is indeed behind the e-mail, issuing a mandatory password change.
The company is citing the change as a "precautionary" measure, but didn't get into the nitty gritty. According to a post on the PlayStation forums, "If you are getting an error that your PSN account password is incorrect, you may need to reset it. We routinely monitor for irregular activity, and if such activity is detected, we may sometimes reset passwords of affected SEN accounts to protect consumers and their account information," a moderator wrote.
WIth the PlayStation 4 set to undergo another massive launch in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K at the end of the week, the password change is likely related, but Sony didn't provide details.
Directions on how to change your password can be found below, thanks to the PlayStation Knowledge Center:
To change your SEN password if you know the email address and password associated with your SEN account:
1. From the PS4's Home Screen, press up on the d-pad to get to the Function area.
2. Go to [Settings] > [PSN] > [Account Information] > [Password] and press X.
3. If prompted to enter your Sign-In ID and password, do so and choose OK. If you've recently signed in, you won't see this screen. In that case, go to the next step.
4. Enter your new password twice and choose Confirm. Your password is now reset.
To change your SEN password if you do not know your password, but have access to the email account and date-of-birth associated with the account:
1.From the PS4's Home Screen, press up on the d-pad to get to the Function area.
2.Go to [Settings] > [PSN] > [Sign In] and press X. If you see [Sign Out] instead of [Sign In], go ahead and sign out and then choose [Sign In].
3. Enter the Sign-In ID for which you wish to recover your password, and then press the triangle button to choose "Forgot your password?"
4. Your Sign-In ID should already be filled out. Now enter the Date of Birth you entered when you created your account.
5. Highlight [Confirm] and press the X button icon button to have a password reset email sent. Once you receive the email, follow the instructions in the email to complete your password reset.
A few things to note when resetting your password:
- If you have done the "Forgot your password" process multiple times, use the temporary reset link from the last email you received from the PlayStation Network as it will contain the only valid link.
- Please check your SPAM folder just in case your "Forgot your password" reset email was flagged as SPAM.
- Add "PlayStationNetwork@ac.playstation.net" to your address book.
- Make sure you are checking the email account that is linked to your Sony Entertainment Network account.
To change your PSN/SEN password if you don't know your password and don't have access to both the email account and the date-of-birth associated with your PSN/SEN account:
Contact the Consumer Services Department at 1-800-345-SONY (7699), or you can contact Sony's Live Chat.
While Sony 's password change is a nuisance at best, Microsoft is having considerably more difficult problems with its own network. Multiplayer functionality and store purchasing have since gone offline to the company can provide a status update.
A Xbox Live status alert message states: "Using prepaid cards or codes for downloadable items or Xbox Live subscriptions," is currently unavailable. The same goes for, "Joining other Xbox Live members in online games," as well, "Posting game performance or viewing the performance of other Xbox Live members."
It's currently unknown what is causing the issue.