Sony's troubles with PSN just will not go away. Earlier today, reports surfaced that a PSN password reset exploit had been identified, once again throwing the security of the service into question. Now, word is beginning to spread that the PlayStation 3 hardware itself is in some cases being affected by the ongoing PSN debacle.
As previously reported, PlayStation 3 systems must first be updated with firmware 3.61 before going back on the PlayStation Network. However, the update may be causing as many problems as it is solving, at least for owners of older PS3s.
Though many players no doubt greeted the long awaited release of Rockstar's LA Noire this week with open arms, some PlayStation 3 owners may find the title hard to play. Why? Because their systems are shutting down mid-game, and the Rockstar Games support page suggests that firmware 3.61 may be to blame.
The original post appears to have been removed from the Rockstar Support website, but the text has been preserved by Eurogamer.
"We have received some reports of PS3s overheating while playing L.A. Noire or beeping three times before shutting down/turning themselves off, mostly on older 60GB and 80GB fat models."
"Primary reports seem to be that updating to firmware 3.61 will cause PlayStations to overheat. There have been various reports of this on a few different games now, all reporting their PS3s turning off or 'Red Lighting' after having installed 3.61."
"This can range from games randomly freezing to PS3s turning off anywhere between 30 mins use to two hours. We have confirmed locally that multiple games (Rockstar and non-Rockstar) overheat or freeze only when 3.61 is installed."
"At this time we are recommending contacting Sony directly to report the overheating issue. However, this is not the end of our support; we are continuing to test L.A. Noire on all firmware versions and hardware models to isolate the issues and see what can be done. As always, we will update this article as soon as we have updates."
The reason for removing the original post from the Rockstar Support forums is unclear, though Rockstar does not appear to be shying away from the assertion that firmware 3.61 is causing problems for players. A post under the topic "What to do if you are Crashing or Freezing in LA Noire" reads:
"The issues of PS3s overheating appears to be due to the latest Sony firmware update. We recommend contacting Sony if your console is shutting off during play."
LA Noire fans should take heart, though. The Support rep goes on to state that the first LA Noire patch is on the way, and that it "addresses a large variety of general game stability issues as well as specific problems." Still, if Rockstar is right and firmware 3.61 is responsible for overheating problems on older PS3 models, LA Noire may only be the first of several games affected.
Have any of you experienced overheating problems since updating to firmware 3.61? Have you encountered any troubles playing LA Noire on PlayStation 3? Let us know in the comments below.
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Source: Eurogamer, Rockstar Support