Sony PlayStation 4's 'Blue Light of Death' Haunting Some Customers
Sony is willing to replace PlayStation 4's affected by the malfunction.
Nov. 19, 2013— -- The PlayStation 4 may have sold more than 1 million units in its first day alone, but not all of them are happy customers. Many consoles have experienced what's being called the "Blue Light of Death," a situation where the PS4 doesn't output any signal to the TV while its power indicator displays pulsating blue light.
All PS4 consoles display the blue light when the PS4 turns on, but it eventually transitions to white when the system is fully functional. Consoles afflicted with the Blue Light of Death never get past the blue light, turning the system into a $400 paperweight. A troubleshooting guide on The PS4 forums says it could be issues relating to the system's power supply and hard drive, as well as incompatibility issues with certain televisions. "We appreciate your patience while we investigate," wrote the post's author, a Sony employee.
But patience seems to be running thin for some customers. The PS4's customer reviews page on Amazon is filled with one-star reviews, many citing the Blue Light of Death as the main reason for the negative review.
"The number of affected PS4 systems is less than 1 percent, which represents a very small percentage of total units shipped to date and is within the expected range for a new product introduction," said Sony in a statement. However, they are helping those who have been affected by the Blue Light of Death. "We understand the frustration of consumers that have had a problem and are working with them and our retail partners to help troubleshoot issues and ensure affected units are exchanged."
"We understand the frustration of consumers that have had a problem and are working with them and our retail partners to help troubleshoot issues and ensure affected units are exchanged," said Sony in a statement.
ABC News' first review unit of the PS4 also experienced the Blue Light of Death and was quickly replaced. The new PS4 has not experienced any hardware problems.
The PS4 isn't the only video game console suffering from dead-on-arrival issues. Microsoft's Xbox 360 had a similar problem with a similar name: the Red Ring of Death. The Xbox 360's problems were significant enough to extend the console's warranty to three years, costing the company more than $1 billion.
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