A huge PlayStation 5 issue is preventing new console users from downloading games, and the only solution might be to perform a complete factory reset on the next-gen console. Demand for Sony’s next-gen console was huge, driving gamers to crash seller websites both when preorders went online and when more systems showed up during release day. Similar to other console releases, though, when the big day arrived, the PlayStation 5 wasn’t without issues.
One of the most serious problems was a storage rebuild error, which appeared to result from putting some games, such as Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered into rest mode. Doing so would apparently crash the console, requiring players to fix their hard drives, and sometimes force reset the console afterward.
For a certain YouTuber, though, the issue was much worse, totally bricking his console. Others were troubled about the PlayStation 5’s cooling system after one system was found to have overheated in one Best Buy branch’s display case, but Sony stated that the solution was to simply provide proper ventilation, something that can be easily achieved in owner’s homes than in retailer demo units.
Now, reports are revealing certain download errors demanding players to perform a complete factory reset to fix it. IGN reported that various members of its staff also had problems when downloading some games, which either caused the games to be forever listed as “queued for download” without ever making any progress, or prompting a download error.
In any case, there was no way to terminate or restart the download, and other gamers have reported the same issues. IGN revealed that games such as Godfall and Demon’s Souls have caused the problem for other players, but it’s most prevalent with Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War. In the case of the latter, Activision has encouraged players to do a complete factory reset to remove the error, which will, unfortunately, result in removing all data from the console.
While not as serious as a totally bricked console, any issue that requires a factory reset is almost as major as problems get. Luckily, most players likely don’t have a lot of files saved on their PlayStation 5s yet, this being the week of release, so no one will be losing years of saved screenshots and games. Regardless, players will certainly rather be playing games on their new next-gen machines than worrying to even get them to work.
Console releases are always full of worries over whether the new systems will begin showing huge problems, like the dreaded Xbox 360 ring of death, usually coming after anxiety over it will be probable to get new consoles at all.
With the scarcity of both Xbox Series X|S and the PlayStation 5 expected for the next several months, even explainable issues can induce stress for players who just spent a hefty chunk of their savings on the new consoles.
