PlayStation Removes PS5 Ad Screen “Tech Error”

Key Takeaways

PlayStation removed a “tech error” forcing newsfeeds into homepages.
PSN servers faced a global blackout that PlayStation has been silent about.
The silence has upset players and raised security concerns over prior similar incidents.

Only a day after it was discovered, PlayStationhas removed a controversial “tech error” that forced outdated newsfeeds into player’s homepages.

The official AskPlayStation X account announced the fix and claimed there was no change in how newsfeeds work.

Before the fix, updated newsfeeds displayed the latest news and even ads for the selected game instead of the usual game art. This wasn’t well received, but what made matters worse was that most games had topics that were months old or tangentially related.

PlayStation users voiced their anger online, annoyed at a seemingly greedy, unrequested, addition. A few on Reddit asked the broader community to protest the change online.

Despite the overwhelmingly negative response, some players have noted that they wouldn’t have objected to the change had it displayed up-to-date news instead of advertisements—after all, if you’re playing Tomb Raider, you wouldn’t want a forced Soul Reaver ad.

AskPlayStation’s post dispelled rumors that PlayStation implemented this as a “feature” and called it a “tech error.” However, some have theorized that PlayStation is covering its tracks after the horrible reception it received.

Curiously, the post did not comment on the ongoing worldwide PSN blackout.

PSN Blackout For You, You, and You

Just as PlayStation fixed the newsfeed issue, servers went dark, affecting the PS5, PS4, and even older consoles.

The scope of the blackout is unclear, but thousands of players have reported being affected by it globally. While some players were only unable to play online and buy digital games, others couldn’t use their PlayStations at all, even unable to access single-player games.

PlayStation hasn’t publicly acknowledged this blackout, upsetting many players. Their social media accounts have continued to post and repost, but have ignored players complaining about the issue thus far.

To some older gamers, this incident echoes similar ones in 2011 and 2014, raising concern over potential security breaches.

In 2011, hackers breached PSN and gained access to the personal information—including some credit cards—of nearly 77 million players. To prevent this breach from causing further harm, Sony shut down PSN servers for 23 days.

Three years later, in 2014, the infamous Lizard Squad hacker group launched a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack against multiple games and gaming platforms, causing many to shut their servers down temporarily; millions of gamers, on Christmas day no less, were locked out of their games that year.

While there has been no confirmation that hackers are behind this blackout, many who remember these incidents have been anxious over their details being compromised.

As of writing, many players have regained access to the PSN servers, particularly in North America. Still, hundreds, if not thousands, are still unable to connect.

Sony might have to do some damage control given the double whammy their reputation has received in barely 48 hours— and frankly the past few months.

PlayStation Removes PS5 Ad Screen “Tech Error”