Even if you know the release date of a game, DLC, or patch that you’re anticipating purchasing or downloading, you won’t be sure exactly when it’ll go live.
Each service and store has its own update time, which is determined by the region. As a result, each game/DLC/patch will not go live at the same time because they are from different regions.
Here’s all the information you need to know about when the newest PS4 software updates in North America, Europe, Asia, and other regions will go live.
What Time PSN Updates For New PS4 Releases (America, Europe, Asia, & More)
Before we get into the timings for each area, it’s worth noting that the PlayStation Store does not update immediately even if you wait until after the update window opens. It is a gradual process, and certain items will be made available before other things.
Fortunately, in the instance of PS+ titles, these will not be free until the store explicitly states that they are. If you buy them before they announce they’re free, you’ll pay full price and have to go through a refund procedure.
Now, let’s look at how long it takes for each region’s storefront to update.
North America
The North American store is updated on a Tuesday around 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). However, the time varies greatly, and it can sometimes be much later in the afternoon.
Although there are rare occasions when games will be available at 12:01 A.M. (normally EST, but there have been PST occurrences), they are normally only used in special circumstances for major AAA games.
Europe
The EU PlayStation Store will be updated the day after, at approximately the same time as the NA store: early to late afternoon.
Asia
The PlayStation®Store Asia FAQ page has vanished, but it previously stated: “The online shop will be replenished with game content every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday when the PlayStation Store is updated. Updates usually occur between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., but update times are subject to change.”
This is calculated on Hong Kong time and appears to be still accurate today. Thursday appears to be the most dependable day of the week.
Australia & Oceania
Australia and Oceania are the top countries in terms of PSN and PlayStation Store updates. Australians on the east coast typically update PSN and the PS Store at 3 a.m. (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, etc), which is 5 a.m. in New Zealand (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch).
This should give you a decent start as to when PSN and the PS Store update with new PS4 releases in America, Europe, Asia, and other regions.
Conclusion
Overall, it is good to know the release date of a game, DLC, or patch that you’re anticipating purchasing or downloading, but you won’t be sure exactly when it’ll go live. Each service and store has its own update time, which is determined by the region.
As a result, each game/DLC/patch will not go live at the same time because they are from different regions. Thus, it is important to know the timings for each region’s storefront to update in order to be able to plan ahead.