Sony's PlayStation 4 has been widely praised by reviewers as a significant step up from its predecessor, but some early consumers are reporting major problems with the console.
Most of the reports are popping up as reviews on Amazon, as well as on Sony’s own support forum. Many of the users describe a pulsing blue light and the inability to get the console to send video to their televisions.
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As of this writing, the PlayStation 4 had 373 one-star reviews on Amazon, versus 630 five-star reviews, with very few opinions in between.
One Amazon reviewer named Julian Woodrum from California posted a report that echoes the experiences of several other users:
I also got a defective console right out of the box. I just get the blue flashing/pulsing light on the PS4 and never turns white; no display or sound. Very disappointing in this whole mess. I don't think I've ever had a piece of electronics fail right out of the box. I tried the different methods that I found online to get it to work, but they didn't do anything. I can't even get it to boot into the safe mode. Getting my refund and going to try to get one at a local store, if any are in stock.
Another user, going by the name Klueso-007, posted the following message on Sony’s PlayStation forums:
Purchased a PS4 in July picked up today and flashing blue lights. All the customer support could do for me was offer me an extended warranty, I find this very offensive. They told me basically to take it back but they are no replacements available at best buy now. Extremely **bleep** customer.
In a statement obtained by IGN on Thursday, Sony commented on the issue:
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.
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 .4% of shipped units to date, which is within our expectations for a new product introduction.
Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Image: Mashable