An increasing number of PlayStation 4 users have complained about an issue where the PS4 system turns off immediately after it’s turned on – a.k.a Blue Light of death. With this issue, the console light blinks red or blue – a signal that your console will soon be shutting down suddenly. Some other users have experienced also the abrupt shutting down of the device during gameplay.
There are a couple of reasons liable for this issue. Firstly, it could be from your power connection or ports. A faulty hard drive can also be the reason for the sudden shutdown of your console. Software problems aren’t new – this makes it very likely for a bug or issues within the system software to cause the PlayStation 4 to turn off by itself. Another major reason could be a fault from the Accelerated Processing Unit (APU), which consists on the CPU and the GPU. The APU issue mainly occurs because some units have been poorly soldered. The APU cannot be repaired or replaced. This is because APU units are made uniquely for each PS4 console and cannot be easily found on the market.
This guide will show you various ways you can troubleshoot your PlayStation 4 to solve the sudden shutdown issue. These fixes basically include checking the power supply, hard disk and utilizing the safe mode as suggested by Sony.
Method 1: Checking the Power Connection
- Turn off the PS4 completely by pressing the power button for at least 7 seconds – it will beep twice to indicate it’s been completely turned off.
- Disconnect the power cable of the console from your electrical outlet.
- Check the power words and all the other cords connected to see if there is anything unusual going on. If you have any spares, you can replace your cables to verify if the problem is indeed from the power connection. You can look into the various ports to see if there’s anything clogged in there.
Method 2: Checking the Hard Drive
This process consists of taking apart the device, so you’ll want to be extra cautious with this step.
- Turn off the PS4 completely by pressing the power button for at least 7 seconds – two beeps indicate it’s been completely turned off.
- Disconnect the power cable from the electrical outlet and the cable. Remove any other cable connected to the console.
- Slide the Hard Disk Drive bay cover (the shiny part) out and away from the system to remove it.
- Check the hard drive to make sure it’s properly seated and properly screwed to the system. If you wish to change it, take of the screw and swap the hard disk with a new one. Remember you’ll need to install a new system software to the new hard disk.
Method 3: Updating the System in Safe Mode
Probably a bad update could be the cause of your problem. Installing a zero-day or day-one update can solve your problem.
- Get a USB stick with at least 400 MB free space. The USB must be wiped and then create a folder called PS4 inside which you’ll create another folder called UPDATE.
- Download the latest PS4 update from here and copy it over to the UPDATE folder on your flash drive.
- Turn off the console complete, and then connect the USB stick to the PS4 through one of the forward-facing USB ports.
- Hold the power button for at least 7 seconds, at this point the system will boot into Safe Mode.
- In Safe Mode, select the third option which is “Update System Software” and you’ll be able to follow the directions with ease from there.
Method 4: Preventing the APU Problem
It’s very likely the cause of the Blue Light of Death is not caused by any of fixes described above. As I said earlier, the Accelerated Processing Unit of some PS4 consoles have not been properly soldered to the motherboard. This cannot be fixed and the only thing that can be done is to get a replacement unit from Sony. However, the only sensible reason the APU would come off the motherboard is when there’s too much heat. Here are a few tips to prevent the APU from coming off the motherboard.
- Make sure your console is well ventilated. Remove any objects blocking the air vents of the PS4.
- Provide extra cooling with a standing fan or an air conditioner at all times.
- Avoid prolonged use of the console. Put it to sleep after hours of excessive use.
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