On September 14, Sony PlayStation rolled out system software update 9.0 for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. The update mainly brought quality-of-life improvements, and I have heard claims that it also fixed an internal clock issue.
However, you may have heard something about this update bricking PS4s. You may have heard that, after the update, your system runs slower, has trouble connecting to the network, and is experiencing issues syncing with the controller.
It’s all true, and they haven’t said a word
It’s 3:45 PST Wednesday, September 22 as I write this and there has yet to be a comment from Sony in any capacity that I could find in regards to the recent system software update 9.00 that’s damaging, destroying, or otherwise harming PS4s. I tried getting in touch with Sony, both at the New York and San Mateo headquarters. The phones are going unanswered, and it’s total radio silence on social media. As far as I know, not a word has been said by anyone working at Sony.
As luck would have it, my PS4 wouldn’t start the day after the system software update and was giving the error code for an inability to access the hard drive (ce-34355-8). I had just installed a FireCuda 2 TB SSD less than a year ago, and it showed no signs of failure previous to the update. I called PlayStation Customer Support and spoke with the general customer support representative, who, during our conversation, let slip that she had been receiving a lot of complaints just like mine after the recent update.
not hard to believe saw quite a few PS4 consoles go to an electronics repair shop for such issues with the ver. 8.0 update. ppl try to clear your cache and rebuild system database regularly to try to avoid this.#PS4UPDATE #PS4 #Ps4Pro #PlayStationhttps://t.co/Um7LaB3VRU
— Alex Patterson (@PinDin7) September 20, 2021
She couldn’t do anything more for me, so she sent me along the chain to Hardware Network Management. They told me that there was no way to prove the system software update did the damage and that I would not be able to get a free repair for the relatively new hardware they broke. I didn’t expect one; I just wanted to know their policy on repairs when they break several systems at once.
Doomed
Next, I was passed off to someone in the System Software department, specifically, system software license management. This was the person who knew all the loopholes, exclusion, disclaimers, and arbitration rules that you automatically agree to after starting a PS4.
There is a window to opt-out of arbitration, but no one will tell you that. I believe it’s 60 days from when you first use the software. Section 6 of the agreement is where they state that they take no responsibility for destroying your PS4 with their system software update and that you can’t sue them over it (at least in most of the US). I had the person from the SSLD read every section with a disclaimer or anything else that shielded them from responsibility. It was very precise and practically water-tight.
My console has been unable to connect to the internet for the past 3 days after the #ps4update despite my internet being perfectly fine. Stop being quiet, address the issues, and fix what is plaguing the players being affected by the recent update. @PlayStation @AskPlayStation
— Yan (@Yan51658481) September 27, 2021
A thought in closing
The company is still touting the benefits of the new system software update even though they know it has the potential to damage all models of PS4, even essentially brick some. They are encouraging people to update their systems to an unstable build and are keeping quiet about the damage it might cause. While the number of affected consoles is relatively small, it’s difficult to get past the fact that they know what’s happening and haven’t said a word.
YouTube: PlayStation September System Software Updates – New PS5, PS4, and Mobile App Features
Photo credit: The feature image has been taken by Mayan Sachan.
Source: Hideaki Nishino (PlayStation.Blog) / Jamel Smith (TechRadar)
