Sony suspends PlayStation Store in China to upgrade security

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Sony has suspended its PlayStation Store in China saying it wanted to improve the online store’s security, in a move that will temporarily prevent it from selling games in the world’s largest video game market.

PlayStation China announced the closure in a statement on its Weibo account on Sunday, saying it was for a “system security upgrade” without providing further details.

It also did not specify a reopening date.

The closure, however, comes on the heels of reports on social media that China PlayStation users were able to switch to overseas services via a backdoor and circumvent China’s restrictions to download unlicensed games.

Sony declined to comment on whether the reports had played a role in the closure and said the target of the temporary shutdown was to enhance the safety of the store’s services.