Sony has published a troubleshooting guide attempting to help users fix the blue light of death issues with the PS4.
Some new PS4 users have complained of a blinking blue light on their new consoles, currently being referred to as the “blue light of death”, which is affecting its operation.
Currently Sony believes the issue may be caused by a variety of issues, the majority of which the company has tackled with its new PS4 troubleshooting guide.
“We are aware that some people have reported issues with their PlayStation 4 systems in the US. We are closely monitoring for additional reports, but we think these are isolated incidents and represent a very small percentage of total units shipped to consumers to date”, reads the official Sony statement.
The blinking blue light of death means the PS4 doesn’t enter the power on state indicated by the solid white light. Due to this there may not be any video or audio output to the television and could cause difficulties actually turning the console off.
The problem might be attributed to TV compatibility, PS4 power supply, hard drive or hardware issues.
Sony suggests updating your TV firmware as a resolution, but also details how to turn off the PS4 completely by touching the power button for at least 7 seconds until the console beeps twice.
You may also opt to try a different power cable, such as the one from your PS3, and you’ll need to check the parts labelled A,E and F in the published diagram below.
Trying to sort out potential hard drive issues are a little more complicated, but Sony outlines a quick check you can do to see if it has been fitted correctly.
“Slide the HDD bay cover in the direction of the arrow to remove it. Inspect the harddrive to make sure it is properly sealed in the HDD bay. A loose harddrive connection can prevent the PS4 from powering on completely. A single screw keeps the assembly in place.”
If all else fails, you can try booting your PS4 up in Safe Mode, which is explained on the PlayStation Support pages.
“We appreciate your patience while we investigate,” added Sony on the PS4 troubleshooting page.
Next, read our Xbox One vs PS4 comparison.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
