UPDATE 2 – It seems that many are now back online, including ourselves.
UPDATE 1 – @AskPlayStation suggests: "Disconnect your router and console from the power source for 3 minutes, reconnect them and try to access again." Why should we have to even do this?
ORIGINAL STORY
The PlayStation Network is currently offline for thousands of users worldwide following the roll-out of PS4 firmware update 2.0 today.
Shortly after reports from angry consumers flooded Twitter and gaming forums, Sony issued the following response: "PSN is currently offline, and we are hard at work to resume service. At this time an estimate as to when PSN will be online is unavailable."
We’re currently awaiting any further information and will update this article as and when we hear anything.
PlayStation 4 firmware update 4.0 brings with it a host of new features, some of which we’ve detailed below.
Players in a party can now use Share Play.
With Share Play, two PSN players in the same party can share a game screen. The host (the user who initiates Share Play) and the guest (the user who joins Share Play) can play the same game together while watching the same screen, or the guest can take the place of the host and operate the host’s game screen.
To initiate Share Play, select [Share Play] from the party screen. Use of some features requires a PlayStation Plus membership.
Video clips can now be uploaded to YouTube.
You can now set themes for home screens and function screens for each user. Themes can be downloaded from PlayStation Store. Select themes in [Settings] > [Themes].
You can now play music stored on USB storage devices. Connect a USB storage device containing music files (MP3 or AAC) to the PS4 system, and then select [USB Music Player] from the content area.
Other new or revised features in system software update version 2.00:
Share:
The following features have been added to [Live from PlayStation]:
You can now view broadcasts from the past.
Broadcasts can now be filtered by language. With the list of broadcasts displayed, press the OPTIONS button, and then select [Language].
You can now follow your favorite channels or broadcasters.
[Featured) has been added. You can browse broadcasts such as PlayStation®-recommended broadcasts, broadcasts from Friends, and broadcasts you follow.
[Games] has been added. Broadcasts for each game are displayed.
Twitch icons can now be displayed in comments.
The following settings have been added to broadcasts. With the Share menu displayed, press the OPTIONS button, and then select [Share Settings] > [Broadcast Settings] > [Advanced Settings]:
You can now display messages to spectators.
You can now include party voice chats in broadcasts. A player’s voice will be included only if the setting to allow the player’s voice to be broadcast is enabled in the party settings.
You can now adjust settings such as size, background, and effects of video content from the PlayStation Camera.
When you select [Upload Screenshot] from the Share menu, you can now attach a screenshot to your message.
You can now trim your video clips in [Capture Gallery].