Sony Interactive Entertainment pulls PlayStation from Russia

Sony Interactive Entertainment has suspended all software and hardware shipments to Russia and closed the local PlayStation store.

Ukraine's vice prime minister and minister for digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, suggested the move on March 2.

@Xbox @PlayStation

You are definitely aware of what is happening in Ukraine right now. Russia declare war not for Ukraine but for all civilized world. If you support human values, you should live the Russian market! pic.twitter.com/tnQr13BsSv

— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) March 2, 2022

Sony responded on March 10.

pic.twitter.com/1KV95QiFHN

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) March 9, 2022

The decision won't brick PlayStations in Russia, but will mean locals can't buy new games or kit.

Microsoft did likewise when it announced a suspension of all new sales into Russia last week, and major games publishers have also quit Russia.

Minister Fedorov's suggestion that it may be possible to bore Russians into action that would see them take steps to stop the war has also seen Netflix leave the country.

Amazon has done likewise, announcing it will suspend Prime Video in Russia and stop product deliveries, following a previous decision not to sign any more Amazon Web Services customers in the nation.

Fedorov has also thanked PayPal for bringing its services to Ukraine, and saluted Elon Musk for delivering promised Starlink satellite internet transceivers.

Received the second shipment of Starlink stations! @elonmusk keeps his word! Thank you for supporting Ukraine and peace in the entire world! @OMarkarova thanks! pic.twitter.com/hNZwsXkOCT

— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) March 9, 2022

But the minister has continued to write to more tech companies in the hope they either quit Russia or work harder to help Ukraine – or even both. In recent days he's asked Union Pay, Intel, and Hitachi to pull the plug on Putin. ®