Sony has announced through a legal update that it is consolidating the branding of the PlayStation Network (PSN) into 'PlayStation'.

Sony Interactive Entertainment announced on its official website on the 23rd that it will be rebranding its services from PSN to PlayStation. According to the update, the change is intended to clarify the scope of PlayStation's content and services. The updated terms of service will take effect on April 23.

Under these new terms, the subscription-based online service will change from 'PSN Plus' to 'PlayStation Plus'. The legal terminology for the community will also shift from 'PSN Community' to 'PlayStation Community'.

This change is seen as a measure to reduce confusion caused by the existing 'PSN' label. During the PS3 era, creating a PSN ID was sufficient to access free online multiplayer. However, as paid subscription services were introduced, users were required to subscribe to enjoy online multiplayer, yet the word 'Network' in PSN continued to cause confusion regarding online connectivity.

In particular, because the basic account was called a 'PSN ID', it often led to the misconception that simply creating an account granted full access to all online services. Even among users, 'PlayStation Plus' and 'PSN' are often used interchangeably. Therefore, this consolidation and the transition to 'PlayStation ID' are analyzed as an effort to clearly define the scope and definition of each service.