PlayStation outages frustrate users around the world

From the United States to Thailand, users of the popular Sony PlayStation consoles might encounter "difficulties," the Japanese group said Saturday, as game players around the world expressed their frustration.

"You might have difficulty launching games, apps or network features," Sony said on its status page. "We're working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience."

PlayStation's online services allow users of Sony consoles like the PS4 or the PS5 to play hugely popular multiplayer games like "Fortnite" and "Call of Duty."

The specialized site DownDetector.com reports that users' difficulties peaked sharply around 7:00 pm Friday, before falling steadily but not quite returning to normal levels.

Users took to social media to express their anger and frustration.

One user said on X that it was "criminal" to have a PlayStation outage on a Friday evening, but another quipped more equably that it was time for him to reintroduce himself to the woman he married five years ago.