Just two days after Sony released version 2.4 firmware for its PlayStation 3 gaming console, the company has withdrawn the update following numerous reports the update was “bricking” PS3 consoles—rendering them inoperable and unusable. Customers would report installing the version 2.4 firmware.
Sony describes the problem as impact as “limited” and reports only receiving a low volume of calls about the problem, the company says it has temporarily pulled the update and is working to identify and resolve the problem. “We are working diligently to isolate the problem for those few consumers and to identify a solution before we put the firmware back up,” wrote Sony’s Director of Corporate Communications and Social Media Patrick Seybold in the company’s PlayStation Blog.
Sony hasn’t yet offered a solution for PS3 owners whose consoles have been rendered unusable by the update. Early PS3 buyers may be out of luck, since their machines are now out of warranty. It has also offered no timeline when a safe version of the 2.4 update might be available.
Many PS3 users were able to install the v2.4 update with no apparent problems.
The incident is a black mark for Sony, which has spent a fair bit of effort hyping new features in the version 2.4 update as it tries to ratchet up pressure on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. The gaffe also comes just after Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots hit retailers: the much-anticipated title has the potential to be be first blockbuster video game exclusive to the PS3, which may provide Sony a sales boost.
