Things Are Getting Worse For The PS5 Launch
Following the console's launch on Nov. 12, new PS5 owners have quickly become the envy of the many without the luck or wherewithal to secure a preorder in advance of its release date. However, some PS5 owners have already found themselves in the unenviable position of running into a bug that requires a full factory reset to remedy.
As described in a report from IGN, three of its staff members attempted to download a game or app, only to receive a notification that the file was either queued to download later or had encountered an error while downloading. Upon receiving either of these two prompts, the console directs users to the PS5's Downloads menu, which displays no such game or app. Multiple threads posted to the PS5 Reddit also describe this error, suggesting that, at the very least, it's not an uncommon occurrence.
It should be noted that other games and apps remain accessible when this error occurs. For example, if this error were to prevent a download of Demon's Souls, the owner of this hypothetical PS5 could play simply any and all of their successfully-downloaded games while they waited for a fix to be patched into the console's firmware.
Upon a factory reset, the phantom game download disappears. Unfortunately, anything previously downloaded to the PS5 console will also be deleted. Polygon explains that save data stored on the console's hard drive is included among the data wiped during a factory reset, meaning that either a Playstation Plus subscription's online storage or the console's built-in system backup feature is necessary to shield save files from permanent deletion. This is due to the PS5's inability to transfer individual files to a USB drive, which has rendered PS5's external storage options essentially useless — at least for the time being.
Unfortunately for Sony, this is not the only issue accompanying the PS5's launch. Some fans are in an uproar at the limited number of PS5 units available at launch, which has led to scalpers reselling the console for exorbitant amounts. Others are encountering an error that kills their console outright.
As the PS5's launch continues to prove, access to cutting edge gaming technology at the time of its release inherently carries with it a certain degree of risk. While this particular download error is far more innocuous than a bricked console, it still requires some preparation, or at least tempered expectations, from new PS5 owners. Hopefully this new error will be addressed by Sony sooner rather than later.