Well, that didn’t take long.
The PlayStation 5 console has been in stores for only a few weeks, and already, new exploits have been found by users, who are subsequently being banned from the PlayStation Network service as a result.
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The exploit in question revolves around the PS Plus Collection, which is available through the new console.
If you have a PlayStation Plus membership, you’re able to access a huge collection of PlayStation 4 games without incurring an additional fee. Some of these include Uncharted 4 and God of War, so there are some quality titles on this service.
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But, of course, some users have found a way to illegally profit from it, and Sony is smacking them down hard.
Some PlayStation 5 users have been selling access to their PlayStation Plus accounts, which makes the full library of games available on another user’s console. Reportedly, one user made over 100 British pounds by charging more than 20 people five pounds a piece to access their account.
According to sources, this scam is huge in Hong Kong right now, where PlayStation 5 consoles are scarce.
It didn’t take Sony long to figure this one out, however, and now thousands of accounts have been banned.
A Twitter user noted that “Thousands of PSN accounts have been banned, and according to community discussions, these accounts are concentrated in HK and have in common the receipt of Sony’s PS Collection service for PS Plus, which contains several PS4 games for free.”
Most of the accounts that have been dinged will be inaccessible for at least two months, which will obviously include the holiday season. Some of them were outright banned forever, which has earned the event an online nickname of the “Sony Interactive Entertainment Thanksgiving Day Massacre.”
Sony seems unsure about the future of PlayStation Plus, according to a recent statement made by PlayStation boss Jim Ryan.
“We’re going to wait and see how the world receives the Plus Collection,” he said. “You know, which games are played, how much they’re played, before we make any decisions about that. We think it’s potentially going to be a great user acquisition tool. Arguably if you never had a PS4 and you choose to buy a PS5 you basically get a PS4, right?”
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As time goes on, it’s possible that PlayStation users will uncover more loopholes in Sony’s services that can be exploited illegally. As that happens, Sony will undoubtedly continue to shut these accounts down.
The PlayStation 5 is currently available for purchase worldwide.