The PS4 is here! And PSN is struggling to cope

The next-gen is finally upon us following the North American launch of the PS4 last night.

And almost predictably, as a result Sony’s PlayStation network is struggling to cope.

Users have been reporting connection problems across the region, with attempts to get online being greeted with a warning message stating that the "network connection has been lost".

In addition, an alert on PlayStation.com currently states: The PlayStation Network is currently experiencing extremely high volume, some gamers may experience some difficulty connecting. We ask for your patience.”

PS4 will once connected and turned on automatically begin downloading the console’s day one patch – a move no doubt adding to Sony’s server load.