Just hours before the PlayStation 4's European release, Sony has announced that it's temporarily turning off some of the console's features to ensure a smooth experience for consumers. "Following the successful launch of PS4 in North America on the 15th November, we have seen an unprecedented influx of players onto PSN," the company posted on its European blog today. "When we launch in Europe on Friday, once again, we are expecting record sales and record numbers of people logging onto PSN at similar times, alongside the North American players already on PSN." Following PS4's American debut, the PlayStation Network experienced service interruptions and various other issues thanks to the increased traffic.

As such, both features being disabled are powered by PSN: first is the "What's New" section, which tells PS4 users what their friends have been doing or playing with their console. What's New is also viewable from PlayStation's recently launched apps for iOS and Android — presumably it will be turned off there as well for now. Additionally, the submenus (or "content information screens" as Sony calls them) that appear beneath games on the PS4's main menu won't be available at launch. Sony has promised that both features will return in a matter of days, "once the intensity of launch day calms down." The company is also quick to note that online multiplayer, trophies, and other core PSN functionality should be working fine when the PS4 hits Europe. What's New and game-specific information screens should remain available to North American players; these temporary restrictions only affect the European market.