PS4 News: Sony Releases Troubleshooting Guide for Broken Consoles
With most every piece of hardware and software, there are technical problems that users must deal with. Sony's PlayStation 4 is no exception. Several different glitches and problems have been reported by some users. While these problems have not yet reached epidemic proportions, Sony has released a troubleshooting guide for the system and various problems users may experience, including the so-called blue line of death, a play on the infamous red ring of death error found on the Xbox 360.
The blue line of death refers to the blinking blue light that appears on the PlayStation 4 during certain problems, such as no video or audio output, or the PlayStation 4 powering itself off with no explanation. No specific cause for the error has been revealed, but Sony vaguely stated that the problem can be due to TV compatibility, along with power supply issues, hard drive problems, or other hardware issues. This is a broad spectrum to investigate, so it may be some time until the specific cause of this error is revealed.
Despite the various potential causes for this blinking blue light error, Sony has many solutions for users who are frequently experiencing this problem. According to Sony, many users find that updating the firmware on their televisions may resolve the television compatibility issues with the PlayStation 4. As for power supply problems, Sony has several steps PlayStation 4 owners to try and resolve the console shutting itself off. Among the potential solutions, Sony advises users try powering down the PlayStation 4, then holding the power button until the console beeps twice (around seven seconds). Another solution is to power off the console, and then disconnect the PlayStation 4 from the power outlet and check the input and output ports for damage. This connects to reports that some users were able to fix HDMI output errors by bending a small piece of metal in the HDMI port down so the HDMI cable can fit into the console properly.
To see if the PlayStation 4's issues stem from the hard drive, users can slide out the hard drive and make sure the hard drive properly sits in the HDD bay. Sony stated that a loose hard drive connection could cause the PlayStation 4 to have problems powering up properly. Finally, if none of these solutions fix the PlayStation 4's problems, users are encouraged to call Sony's troubleshooting hotline for help.