PSA: PS4 firmware v9.0 update bricks PlayStation 4 consoles

Sony's new PlayStation 4 firmware update is reportedly hardware-bricking PS4 consoles.

Sony just released PS4's new v9.0 update alongside the PS5's big SSD expansion update, and some users are reporting that the firmware patch is hard-bricking their PS4 consoles. Multiple users on Reddit report that their base PS4s and PS4 Pros have stopped functioning after downloading the v9.0 update. Others report the PS4 is blinking blue, which signifies some sort of hardware or OS error. Reports say the consoles will not power on and do not work, however some users have gotten their systems to operate with a hard reset (unplugging the console for a minute or so and then rebooting).

Other users are reporting significant slowdowns on PS4 and PS4 Pro hardware, or consistent 35888 error codes (or SU-42118) preventing the update from being installed. The general consensus for a solution is trying to reinstall the update after a hard reset and praying for the best. The most frustrating part is that gamers can't use their PS4s or PS4 Pros online without downloading the update; Sony forces users to update to the latest firmware in order to connect to the internet or the PlayStation Store.

As someone who's had their launch 2013 Xbox One soft-bricked by Microsoft updates no less than 3 times, I can commiserate with these users and understand how frustrating it is when your hardware is slowly becoming obsolete by firmware patches. A soft-brick is usually reversible by re-installing the OS, but a hard-brick is usually permanent. Sony is asking users to spend $100 in order to repair consoles that have been hard-bricked by its own official updates.