Xbox Live and Nintendo Online collapse under increased demand

Online gaming services reported short-term outages, while home fitness apps boom

Online gaming services have collapsed under the strain of increased demand while home workout services have seen a boom as the world prepares for a period of social distancing.

Xbox Live, the online service for Microsoft's games console, and Nintendo Online, which serves multiplayer games for the Switch, have both suffered short-term outages since coronavirus preparations kicked up a gear over the weekend. Although neither company directly attributed the outages to the weight of numbers, Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, confirmed that "usage is up on almost everything".