Sony has confirmed that PlayStation Network has been partially restored in the UK following 25 days of downtime after the service was infiltrated by hackers back in mid-April.
As reported earlier on PSU, the electronics giant is currently rolling out a phased restoration process for PSN, with the service now available in North America, Ireland, and the Middle-East with more countries to follow.
Users will be required to download Firmware 3.61 and then change their password, either via the PlayStation 3 console they originally activated the account with or a validated e-mail address.
At the time of writing, PSN’s partial restoration includes online gaming, PlayStation Home and friends lists, though a number of key components – including the PlayStation Store – have yet to be made available. However, Sony hopes to have the service in full working order by May 31.
Just in case you missed our earlier story, the first phase of restoration will include the following:
-Sign-in for PlayStation Network and Qriocity services, including the resetting of passwords.
-Restoration of online gameplay across PlayStation 3 and PSP.
-Playback rental video content, if within rental period, of PlayStation Store Video Store on PS3, PSP and Media Go.
-Q Music Unlimited, for current subscribers, on PS3 and PC.
-Access to third party services such as VidZone and MUBI.
-‘Friends’ category on PS3, including Friends List, Chat Functionality, Trophy Comparison, etc.
-PlayStation Home.
-Increased Security Measures
As a means of apology, the console maker has unveiled a ‘Welcome Back’ initiative that offers a free month of PlayStation Plus, in addition to a pair of free (as of yet unspecified) games.
Stay tuned.