Why are so many PS4s dead on arrival? Updated @ 10:28am, Tuesday November 19: The number of people reporting broken PS4s continues to swell. Different kinds of death People are plugging in their PS4 for the first time and being greeted by a blank TV (no video output) and a blinking blue light of death (BLOD, video above). There are some reports that the PS4 broke soon after updating the firmware to version 1.5. There have been some cases of the PS4 overheating (a red light bar), but the vast majority of broken PS4s seem to be DOA. The Xbox 360 had an issue that caused it to wear out over time, while the PS4′s issues are obviously more immediate. How to fix a broken PS4 Sony has published some guidance for PS4 owners trying to fix their BBLOD. Sony also recommends checking your cables/sockets for damage (if the HDMI socket is damaged/dirty, that can explain your PS4′s lack of audio/video). If none of these steps help, you need to contact Sony for a replacement console — or rather, a fixed console, as there’s no stock in North America to like-for-like replacement of your broken console. Red Ring of Death What’s causing so many broken PS4s? If Sony sold one million PS4s, 0.4% equates to 4,000 dead consoles. It is also noteworthy that the PS4 is the first console launch that has occurred since the popularization of social media.