Receiving a random error while gaming on your PS4 is never fun.
Sometimes, these errors are relatively benign; they may, for instance, relate to a game failing to save, at which point you simply try again and everything goes off without a hitch.
Occasionally, though, the errors are much more grim and severe, and they could even mean a complete halt to your gaming session, resulting in frustration and worry as you wonder whether your console can even recover this time.
One such error is the PS4 Blue Light of Death, or BLOD – If you have the Red Light of Death issue, then read more about it here.
The Blue Light of Death is so-called because it can sometimes herald the premature end of a console’s lifespan, necessitating either a repair or a replacement. It joins other dreaded errors like the Xbox 360’s Red Ring of Death or the PS3’s Yellow Light of Death.
What does the PS4 Blue Light of Death mean, though, and how can you fix it? Here’s our guide to troubleshooting the Blue Light of Death.
What is the PS4 Blue Light of Death?
Simply put, the Blue Light of Death represents a failure of the PS4 to power on into its standard operating mode.
You’ll see the PS4 Blue Light of Death phenomenon when you’re powering on the console. Normally, when you switch on your PS4, you’ll see a steady white light, which means the PS4 is operating normally.
However, you might see a pulsing blue light instead of that white light. If you see this, then unfortunately, you’ve fallen prey to the Blue Light of Death.
What if you see a blue light on your DualShock 4 controller? Thankfully, you don’t need to worry about this; a blue light on the controller is nothing to do with the PS4 Blue Light of Death, and is instead a perfectly normal light that you’ll often see on the DualShock 4’s light bar.
What does the Blue Light of Death mean?
When you see the Blue Light of Death, it means the PlayStation 4 is having trouble entering its standard power cycle.
There could be a number of reasons for this. These include power supply issues, a problem with the audio or visual component of your console, faulty storage, or some internal fault.
As you might imagine, some of these problems are harder to diagnose and deal with yourself than others.
It’s fairly easy to test whether your PS4 has some kind of audiovisual issue, for instance, but a faulty storage drive is much harder to spot and fix.
What can you do if you see the Blue Light of Death?
If you see the PS4 Blue Light of Death, you may think it’s an omen of your console’s demise.
In some cases, unfortunately, you might be right, and you may need to initiate official support procedures. However, there are things you can try before you get to that stage.
Here are some of the things you can do to try and diagnose the reason behind your PS4’s Blue Light of Death.
Update your TV’s firmware
The first thing you should do is try to update your TV’s firmware, if you’re playing on a smart TV.
This is done in different ways depending on the make and model of your TV, but you’ll usually find the update option under your TV’s Settings menu.
Doing this may remove any issues that your PS4 is experiencing when it tries to communicate with your TV.
Test your audiovisual cables
Sometimes, the PS4’s Blue Light of Death is caused by a faulty HDMI cable.
As such, you should try a different HDMI cable when connecting your PS4 to your TV. Hopefully, you’ve got other spare HDMI cables lying around.
It’s also prudent to try different HDMI ports on your TV, as there could be an issue with the port you’re using to connect your PS4.
Try a different power supply
Of course, there’s no way to switch out your PS4’s internal power supply without breaking into the console, and that requires a degree of expertise.
However, you can easily swap out the power cable you’re using, and a different power cable might be just the remedy you need in order to fix your PS4 Blue Light of Death issue.
Any two-pin power connector will do; you could try the power supply from a printer, for instance, or from any other device that uses this connection type.
Boot your PS4 into Safe Mode
Another method you can try, although this one might be less reliable depending on the source of the problem, is to boot your PS4 into Safe Mode.
First, you’ll need to turn your console off completely by pressing and holding the power button for a few seconds. Then, wait a few more seconds before pressing and holding the PS4’s power button again.
You should hear a beep, but keep pressing the button until you hear a second beep. This will boot the console into Safe Mode and allow you to access a number of functions.
Here, you’ll find the chance to change your PS4’s resolution, as well as the option to initialise the PS4, rebuild its database, and more.
You should try all of these options to see if any of them circumvent the PS4 Blue Light of Death issue and allow you to boot your console as normal.
Advanced Hardware Diagnostics (The NOR Flash)
If you have tried different cables, updated your TV, and still cannot even reach Safe Mode, the issue may be deeper than a loose wire. It could be a “software brick” located in your console’s NOR Flash memory.
What is the NOR Flash?
The NOR Flash is a tiny chip on your PS4 motherboard that stores the console’s “DNA”—essential boot code and hardware-specific data. If this data becomes corrupted due to a power surge or a failed update, the PS4 will pulse blue indefinitely because it can’t find its own “brain.”
How the PS4 NOR Validator Helps
In the past, a corrupted NOR chip meant your console was a paperweight. Today, the repair community uses a tool called the PS4 NOR Validator (such as the one developed by Better Way Electronics or Andy-Man’s Wee Tools).
- Entropy Check: These tools analyze a “dump” of your console’s flash memory to see if the data is scrambled.
- UART Patching: They can enable internal diagnostic logs (UART), which allow a technician to see the exact error code the CPU is throwing (like a “Check Engine” light for your car).
- Corruption Repair: If the validator finds that your “Safe Mode” flag or boot sector is corrupt, it can often “rebuild” the data, allowing the console to boot again.
Note: Using a NOR Validator is an advanced repair. It requires opening the console and using a hardware programmer (like a CH341A) to read the chip. If you aren’t comfortable with soldering or micro-electronics, this is the specific service you should ask for when contacting a professional repair shop.
Contact Sony support
If nothing above works, then you may unfortunately need to contact Sony support, as your console may be defective. Be sure to explain that you’re experiencing the Blue Light of Death issue and make sure to tell Sony you’ve already tried all of the troubleshooting options above.
| Region | Phone Number | Online Chat Support |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 1-800-345-7669 | Available at PlayStation support website |
| United Kingdom | 0203 538 2665 | Available at PlayStation support website |
| Australia | 1-300 365-911 | Available at PlayStation support website |
| Canada | 1-800-345-7669 | Available at PlayStation support website |
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