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PlayStation Plus

PlayStation Network
PlayStation Network logo.png
Developer Sony Interactive Entertainment
Type Online service
Launch date November 11, 2006; 10 years ago (2006-11-11)
Platform Video game consoles and handhelds Social Devices
Members 110 million(65 million active monthly)
Website Official website
PlayStation Plus
PlayStationPlus.png
Developer Sony Computer Entertainment
Type Premium online service
Launch date June 29, 2010
Last updated March 7, 2017
Platform PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
PlayStation Vita
Members 20.8 million (as of March 31, 2016)
Website www.playstationplus.com

PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartphones, tablets, Blu-ray players and high-definition televisions. As of April 2016, over 110 million users have been documented, with 65 million of them active monthly.

PlayStation Network's services are dedicated to an online marketplace (PlayStation Store), a premium subscription service for enhanced gaming and social features (PlayStation Plus), movie streaming, rentals and purchases (PlayStation Video), a cloud-based television programming service (PlayStation Vue), music streaming (PlayStation Music) and a cloud gaming service (PlayStation Now).

Launched in the year 2000, Sony's second home console, the PlayStation 2, had rudimentary online features in select games via its online network. It required a network adaptor, which was available as an add-on for original models and integrated into the hardware on slimline models. However, Sony provided no unified service for the system, so support for network features was specific to each game and third-party server, and there was no interoperability of cross-game presence. Five years later during the development stage for its third home console, the PlayStation 3, Sony expressed their intent to build upon the functionality of its predecessor by creating a new interconnected service that keeps users constantly in touch with a "PlayStation World" network. In March 2006, Sony officially introduced its unified online service, tentatively named "PlayStation Network Platform". A list of supporting features was announced at the Tokyo Game Show later the same year.


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