The PlayStation 4 is out. It’s in people’s homes, and they’re playing it right now. But not everyone is having fun with their new next-gen consoles.
Some early adopters are reporting that the PlayStation 4 hardware isn’t working or is faulty. That includes a few fans that won early units through a Taco Bell promotion on Internet aggregator site Reddit.
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Be assured we are investigating reported PS4 issues. The number is very small compared to shipped, we believe they are isolated incidents.
— Shuhei Yoshida (@yosp) November 14, 2013
We reached out to Sony for further clarification and a spokesperson provided the following statement:
A handful of people have reported issues with their PlayStation 4 systems. This is within our expectations for a new product introduction, and the vast majority of PS4 feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We are closely monitoring for additional reports, but we think these are isolated incidents and are on track for a great launch.
There have been several problems reported, which leads us to believe there isn’t a singular problem that could impact a broader percentage of systems. The number of affected systems represents less than .04 percent of shipped units to date, which is within our expectations for a new product introduction.
Isolated means that Sony doesn’t believe that PlayStation 4 suffers from any systemic failures in its manufacturing. In other words, it isn’t like Microsoft’s infamous “Red Ring of Death” that plagued the Xbox 360 with failures for years.
PlayStation 4’s isolated issues are continuing today. One common complaint on Twitter is that the current update on PS4 for Battlefield 4 is breaking the game.
Even when players get the system running, some are experiencing instability.
In response to user questions, Battlefield 4 publisher Electronic Arts published a post on its support site that points the finger at Sony (as spotted by Polygon). EA blamed at least some of the issues on the PlayStation 4’s day-one patch, but it’s now stepping back from that claim.
“The message on EA’s Help site was posted in error,” Electronic Arts senior director of corporate communication John Reseburg told GamesBeat. “Players with questions about PS4 connectivity can visit [Sony’s PlayStation support site] for the latest updates.”
The instability some players are experiencing includes crashing and freezing as well as an unresponsiveness between the TV and the PS4.
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What to do if you’re having problems
Before you call Amazon and try to get them to send you a new console, you can try troubleshooting on your own.
A lot of people are reporting a flashing blue light on the PS4 and no video signal reaching the television. Here’s a trick that a few people on gaming message board NeoGAF claim may help with this issue:
Hold down “Power” for 7 seconds or until the system turns off. Double check that your HDMI cable is plugged in snuggly to both the TV and the PS4. Now turn on your console. You want to see a white light, which confirms that the PS4 has a solid HDMI connection with your display.
If that doesn’t work, it’s probably time to call Sony. The company has a variety of help options, but its livechat support is currently overwhelmed and not functioning. Your best bet is to call 1-800-345-SONY and go through the process with one of Sony’s experts.
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If that fails, you may want to consider getting your box replaced from the retailer you purchased it from.