A player plays on a Sony PlayStation 5 at his home in Seoul.
Lim Lee | AFP via Getty Images
Sony It has stopped selling its PlayStation consoles and software in Russia, becoming the latest major brand to pull out of the country due to the Ukraine war.
Sony’s decision is one of the video game industry’s most significant moves to date. The company has the largest presence in Russia of any console manufacturer, according to industry insiders.
“The PlayStation has the largest installed base, so if a company on the console side has a particularly difficult choice from a purely financial standpoint, it’s Sony,” said Lewis Ward, head of games at research firm IDC.
A representative of Sony’s video game console said in a statement on Wednesday that the company has suspended all software and hardware shipments in the country, as well as the launch of the new racing title Gran Turismo 7. The PlayStation Store will also not be available in Russia.
“Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) joins the global community in calling for peace in Ukraine,” the company said.
“To support humanitarian aid, Sony Group Corporation has announced a $2 million donation to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the international NGO, Save the Children, to support the victims of this tragedy,” the company’s statement added.
Large selection of major brands, from McDonaldto Coca ColaAnd the Operations suspended in Russia Amid protest against the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Last week, video game companies I started taking steps to cut ties with Russia. CD Projektthe makers of the sci-fi game Cyberpunk 2077, and electronic artsThey said they would block all sales of games and content in Russia and Belarus.
at the same time, Microsoft he said that Stop all new sales for its products and services in Russia, including Xbox game consoles, software, and subscription services. Epic Games, the studio behind Fortnite, followed suit on Saturday, saying it was “stopping trade with Russia in our games.”
Mikhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, had previously called on Microsoft and Sony to ban all Russian and Belarusian accounts and cancel any planned events in the two countries.
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