PS4 Failure Rate At 0.4%, Says Sony

Barely a day into the launch of the PlayStation 4 and a myriad of issues have been popping up for the PlayStation 4. Whether it's the HDMI port thing or the alleged Red Line of Death, or not being able to connect to the PlayStation Network on day one, as reported by GameZone. The PS4 got off to a rocky start as far as media reports are concerned and it may not be getting any better any time soon.

So far, Sony has acknowledged that there is a failure rate of PlayStation 4 units coming off the assembly line at a rate of 0.4%. According to Shacknews Sony issued the following statement acknowledging their slip-up in the first generation PS4 units, saying...

“A handful of people have reported issues with their PlayStation 4 systems,"... "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."

Speaking to IGN, Sony verified that the issue(s) have a percentage by them, noting that...

"the number of affected systems represents less than .4% of shipped units to date, which is within our expectations for a new product introduction." According to the rep, "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."

Some gamers feel Sony is being unfairly pinned under the media spotlight for the alleged 0.4% failure rate and that the numbers are being exploited by news outlets giving greater gravitas toward the issue than what it deserves.

The flip side to this, however, is that as we all report on these issues plaguing PlayStation 4 owners right out of the gate, it gives us equal (and ample) opportunities to report on all the negative issues plaguing the Xbox One as well (in the case that there are any... but I'm sure there will be plenty, hahaha).

Anyway, there are a number of different issues that users have complained about, from units not booting, to network issues, to system hanging. It's hard to say which complaint stands out above the rest, but it is safe to say that there are complaints. At least the failure rate isn't at 16% like the Xbox 360 shortly after it launched.

If you run into the HDMI-out issue, you might be able to fix it yourself by bending the metal back into place so you can plug in the HDMI cord. If you're having network connectivity issues, you might just want to wait and see if you can login at a later time given everyone, their mother, their mother's ex-boyfriend's son (and his girlfriend) are all trying to get onto the PlayStation Network right now. For those of you encountering more serious issues, Sony has a number you can dial to get some help: 1-800-345-SONY.

If you're not worrying about defective units, poor review scores or the Xbox One, and instead you're just up for some good old fashioned positive PS4 news, feel free to check out Gaming Blend's own day-one diary with the PlayStation 4. If you haven't bought your PS4 yet... what are you waiting for? Greatness awaits.