Sony PlayStation 5 and PS4 software update "broke" many games: Final Fantasy, Elden Ring, Wukong and others were affected

Users of the Sony PlayStation 5 and PS4 are reporting graphical glitches and other game failures following a software update. Affected titles include Final Fantasy, Elden Ring, Wukong, and others.

This week, complaints about the malfunctioning of many games on the PS5 and PS4 began appearing on Reddit and other social media platforms. Users attribute the issues to the most recent console firmware update. This experience has disappointed many gamers, as the fundamental principle of console gaming can be summed up as "just turn it on and play."

Sudden bugs leave players bewildered pic.twitter.com/G05UMwXsMY

— ぎっちFF16→14紅蓮（忘らるる都出張帰り） (@gicchi_ak) September 16, 2024

The update has affected flagship series like PlayStation's Final Fantasy, as well as several hit games: Elden Ring, Wukong, Death Stranding, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor, Star Wars Outlaws, No Man's Sky, and others. Fortunately, not all PS5 owners are encountering this issue. The website Tom's Hardware advises to delay the update if it hasn't been received yet or to wait for a resolution from Sony.

There has been no official response from Sony regarding the issue yet, but Square Enix, the developer of Final Fantasy, has acknowledged the situation:

Following the recent release of the PlayStation 5 system update, there have been reports of the game crashing and graphical issues.

We are currently working with SIE to investigate, and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Please await our further updates. #FF16

— FINAL FANTASY XVI (@finalfantasyxvi) September 17, 2024

“Following the recent release of the PlayStation 5 system update, there have been reports of game crashes and graphical issues. We are currently collaborating with SIE to investigate the matter and sincerely apologize for any inconveniences caused. Please await our further updates.”

Christopher Harper from Tom's Hardware humorously remarked that at least for this week, PC gaming is the best alternative for PlayStation titles. While some ports may take years to become available, players gain fine-tuned graphics settings, support for multiple scaling modes, better resolutions and FPS, as well as useful mods for game files. Additionally, resolving a bad driver or game update on PC is typically easier, often managed not only by official support but also by experienced modders.