Covid-19 is impacting every facet of our lives right now. We’re doing our part, socially distancing, working remotely, and practicing good hygiene to “flatten the curve.”

Gaming, a hobby that should be a distraction from our frightening world is even affected. Xbox Game Studios Head, Matt Booty had the following to say regarding the global pandemic’s impact on Xbox game development:

“We know that gaming connects people during times of social distancing, and we are committed to delivering the highest quality Xbox Game Studios games for our global community of players. At the same time, the health and safety of our XGS development teams is our top priority. Each studio is facing unique challenges and constraints depending on its particular location, and many of our external development partners around the world are similarly affected. We are supporting our studio leaders to make the right decisions for their teams and their individual games during this challenging time.”

Microsoft

Sony on the other hand is doing their part. In an official blog post, Sony announced that they will be slowing game download speeds on PSN in the EU and US.

Playing videogames enables players all over the world to connect with friends and family and enjoy much needed entertainment during these uncertain times. Sony Interactive Entertainment is working with internet service providers in Europe to manage download traffic to help preserve access for the entire internet community.

We believe it is important to do our part to address internet stability concerns as an unprecedented number of people are practicing social distancing and are becoming more reliant on internet access.

Players may experience somewhat slower or delayed game downloads but will still enjoy robust gameplay. We appreciate the support and understanding from our community, and their doing their part, as we take these measures in an effort to preserve access for everyone.

Sony

Well done Sony, but I didn’t think it was possible to slow PSN download speeds any further. ZING!

[Source: Sony, Microsoft]