Some PS5 games get stuck during download requiring a factory reset

[Matrix]

Adoption rates are liable to plummet if Sony does not patch this bug quickly

Facepalm: I have a policy when it comes to electronics: Never be the first to own. It seems there are always a few bugs that need ironing out after a few million people have tested the device. Sony is in a terrible pickle with a severe launch day bug that has users factory resetting their consoles and wiping their drives.

Less than a day after launch, PlayStation 5 owners are already reporting a console-breaking bug. Glitches and quirks are not uncommon problems for early adopters, but this one is incredibly annoying and troublesome because a factory reset seems to be the only fix for it.

 

The problem occurs when a user tries to download certain games or apps. Instead of starting the download as normal, the PS5 will do one of two things. Either it will present a "Queued for download" message without starting the download process, or it will show an error message.

 

In both instances, it will prompt the user to check the Downloads queue, but nothing will be there. Since the download menu is where you go to cancel a download, the bug essentially puts the game in a state of limbo. Users cannot select it to be downloaded because the PS5 thinks it's already in the queue, and they cannot cancel the download because it does not appear in the queue.

 

Another weird quirk about the bug is that the game or app in question becomes both purchased and unpurchased simultaneously. Looking into the PS5 library will show the game as owned, but in the PlayStation Store, it's listed as unowned.

 

IGN notes that a large number of reports, including some of its staff, have discovered the bug when trying to download the PS5 version of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (PS4 version downloads fine). Other software users have reported the bug showing up for Demon's Souls, Spider-Man: Remastered, Sackboy: A Big Adventure, and the Disney+ app.

 

As for CoD, Activision support suggests performing a factory reset on the console, and this seems to work. So it may work on other titles as well. The one caveat (and it is a major one) is that a factory reset wipes all settings and any games stored on the drive. Obviously, it's not an ideal solution by any stretch of the imagination. However, for now, it is the only known workaround.

 

Sony has not responded to requests for comment.

 

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