Reports of PS4 "Red Line of Death" Appear Online

[roseofbattle]

Reports of PS4 "Red Line of Death" Appear Online

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Some PS4 users' consoles have a blinking red light on the hardware, indicating the PS4 is overheating.

Named the "red line/light of death" as a callback to the Xbox 360's "red ring of death," since the launch of the PS4, some users have reported their PS4s powering off after the console flashes a red light on top of the console. Multiple YouTube videos have shown the same occurrence: the red line flashing and three beeps sounding before the PS4 turns itself off.

According to the "not true." [http://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps4/basic/partnames.html]

Several pre-launch systems, such as ones received through a Taco Bell promotion and ones provided to journalists, had problems and had to be sent back to Sony. Sony Worldwide Studios President Shuhei Yoshida said users have also had problems of their PS4 systems not responding [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/129646-Sony-Investigating-Isolated-Reported-PS4-Problems], and Sony has created a forum for troubleshooting. The pulsing blue light problem seems to be different from the overheating issue of the blinking red light.

While the "red light of death" appears to be an overheating issue rather than permanent brick, if the fans never turn on and if leaving the console alone for a while does not cool down the system, the system most likely cannot be saved.

Source: GameZone [http://www.gamezone.com/news/2013/11/15/new-claims-of-ps4-s-red-line-of-death-beginning-to-pop-up]

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[Vivi22]

If this is true and some people are having issues that's unfortunate. At first I was surprised that a console that draws so little power could have heat issues, but then it mentioned the fans not turning on. That would certainly do it.

 

[Casual Shinji]

That red line makes it look like the PS4 is about to go on an 80's cyborg killing spree. Unfortunately the only thing it ends up killing is itself.

 

[sid]

That red line makes it look like the PS4 is about to go on an 80's cyborg killing spree. Unfortunately the only thing it ends up killing is itself.

"unfortunately"

Also, it's pretty alarming to see such a large variety of shit breaking ps4s. You'd think they'd take special care with the first batch of consoles

 

[Buizel91]

Hope it is just an isolated issue on a small scale, and i hope sony manage to ship new consoles to the people it's affecting.

*awaits the Xbox army to arrive*

 

[New Frontiersman]

Wow, that sucks. I mean, it's not good for Sony certainly, but it really sucks for everyone who bought a PS4 early and had it die on them. You'd think they'd have the foresight to work these things out before the system launched. Did their test models not have this problem or something? Well whatever, I'm sure they'll get it fixed eventually.

I'm thankful that I currently own a next-gen console which hasn't had any overheating problems, and for which there haven't been any widespread reports of any technical issues, so I don't have to worry about it breaking down on me.

 

[AstaresPanda]

silly trying to use a PS4 with a SAMSUNG tv.....tut n00b, his own fault really.

 

[Covarr]

And the 360 had issues at launch too... let's not forget the RRoD. What's going to make all the difference is how they respond to it. If this is still a widespread problem in a year, as it was for the 360 a year after launch, then I'll be more critical of Sony, but if they act quickly to replace faulty units (for free) and prevent this issue in future runs, I won't hold it too much against 'em.

Mostly it needs to be fixed before Ground Zeroes comes out, because that's when I plan on getting a PS4. If this is still a problem, I may well get an Xbox One instead for that alone. I don't care how much I dislike MS, defective hardware on Microsoft's part was the reason I got a PS3, and I wouldn't be ashamed to get an Xbox One over a PS4 for the same reason.

P.S. Thanks

 

[TiberiusEsuriens]

I'd be interested to hear how many developers had issues with dev kits. I mean, the people making games for it have been using the console for a year or two now, so I can't imagine this being too widespread of an issue.

Can't they just cut a hole in the side of the console and set it in front of a box fan or something? ;P

I had a friend who did that with his PC. He just took off all the casing and left it sitting in the middle of his room. Everyone cringed each time they saw it. It's a miracle it survived as long as it did.

If this is true and some people are having issues that's unfortunate. At first I was surprised that a console that draws so little power could have heat issues, but then it mentioned the fans not turning on. That would certainly do it.

Yeah, I know the PS3 had heating issues and it doesn't help that people like to put consoles in spots surrounded by other electronics or heat absorbing materials. I have all my big electronics by the window so the cool airflow takes care of most of it, but I don't think there's much of anything that can be done if the fans don't turn on to start with. Throw all the cool air you want at the case, if the fans refuse to pull it inside the thing is toast.

 

[Dragonbums]

That red line makes it look like the PS4 is about to go on an 80's cyborg killing spree. Unfortunately the only thing it ends up killing is itself.

"unfortunately"

Also, it's pretty alarming to see such a large variety of shit breaking ps4s. You'd think they'd take special care with the first batch of consoles

I mean, just look at the Amazon reviews (granted they got a blue pulse) there is a thread about it on the Gaming forums and more people are inclined to believe it was the work of 500+ Nintendo/Microsoft trolls (regardless of Amazons official consumer label) than a legitimate problem because "theirs" worked, which means everyone else's should.

 

[TiberiusEsuriens]

I had a friend who did that with his PC. He just took off all the casing and left it sitting in the middle of his room. Everyone cringed each time they saw it. It's a miracle it survived as long as it did.

I've done that too! And I've known people to do it with 360s. I was just pointing out that there are technical solutions to the problem without having to rely upon manufacturer warranties.

Then again, I forgot that this is Sony we're talking about. Cooling a PS4 with a box fan will likely result getting sued for "illegal modification" of the hardware.

Surprisingly Sony indirectly seems to be supporting that type of hijinks this time around. They've already released a "do it yourself" troubleshooting guide for a lot of small issues and they've also detailed each component, where they sit in the machine, and how to open it and replace the hard drive. Currently they're only one step short of releasing a video detailing exactly how and where to add water cooling to your PS4, but based on this being the internet I'm sure someone else is already making that.

 

[el_kabong]

And this, kids, is why I never buy into electronics before they've had a chance to be tested by the masses.

 

[Casual Shinji]

That red line makes it look like the PS4 is about to go on an 80's cyborg killing spree. Unfortunately the only thing it ends up killing is itself.

just make sure you never set any of your sony account user names to sarah or john conner and you should be right

Well, with any luck it'll just turn into this red line...

 

[Lightknight]

If this is true and some people are having issues that's unfortunate. At first I was surprised that a console that draws so little power could have heat issues, but then it mentioned the fans not turning on. That would certainly do it.

Yeah, that'll do it.

We live in a somewhat interesting era where we have so much information that problems impacting just 500 or so people can end up looking like the norm.

I do look forward to finding out the actual numbers of breakdowns. But I'll have to wait for a couple months before any reliable information. We've had this stuff at every launch. Sony says that these fall within expected numbers but I certainly wouldn't trust what companies would say.

Though, if any company knows hardware, it's Sony. So right now I'm leaning more towards this being a thing of rarity. But I'm still happy I don't buy consoles until well after release.

 

[Covarr]

We live in a somewhat interesting era where we have so much information that problems impacting just 500 or so people can end up looking like the norm.

It's odd how that claim only seems to work for bad news. When Diablo III launched, I'm sure over 500 people managed to play the game without a single Error 37. But they certainly weren't portrayed as "the norm" in the media.

You've gotta look at it in terms of percentage of units sold. If 500 out of a million run into problems, that's only .05%, which really isn't that bad. If even ten times that, 5000 people could get into Diablo 3 out of its 3.5mil day-one sales, the vast majority of users have run into problems.

There is a time and a place for absolute numbers, but when it comes to failure rates (of anything really, not just electronics or games), it's vital to look at relative numbers. Not just how many people did or didn't have trouble, but how those two numbers compare to each other and to the total sold.

P.S. Thanks