PS4 Issues: Sony Investigating Reports Of Playstation 4 Hardware Problems Ahead Of Release Date

The PS4 from Sony won't be available for purchase in North America until Friday, Nov. 15, but some users who have managed to get their hands on a PlayStation 4 prior to its official release date have reported hardware problems, Sony representatives told IGN on Thursday. "A handful of people have reported issues with their PlayStation 4 systems," the company told the site in a statement. "This is within our expectations for a new product introduction, and the vast majority of PS4 feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We are closely monitoring for additional reports, but we think these are isolated incidents and are on track for a great launch."

The statement continued, "There have been several problems reported, which leads us to believe there isn't a singular problem that could impact a broader percentage of systems. The number of affected systems represents less than .04% of shipped units to date, which is within our expectations for a new product introduction." The PS4 is covered by a warranty for 12 months, as is the case for all PlayStation hardware. The official box urges users not to return the console to the store if they experience problems, indicating that they should call customer support to resolve the issue instead.

IGN had previously reported that some early users of the PS4 had been reporting broken displays. "An IGN retail PS4 stopped outputting through the HDMI after the user began downloading Netflix," wrote the site. "Kotaku's first retail system also reportedly had a faulty HDMI jack that would not output a signal. Two other users on NeoGAF, who obtained early access to their consoles via a Taco Bell promotion, also reported similar problems with HDMI outputs." One such user, a 23-year-old Maryland man who received a PlayStation 4 before launch as a special prize, found that he could not turn on the console. When he called Sony support systems, the company told him that he should call back on Friday and that nothing could be done until then. Frustrated, the man hung up and called support again.

"This time," wrote IGN, "a representative was more attentive and said they would look into the matter with their supervisor. Unfortunately for Arogon, he lives in "the middle of nowhere," as he put it, in Maryland -- his support call dropped. He called again, and PlayStation support had a record of his most recent call, but they repeated they could do nothing until Friday."

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