Message with strange characters will cause PlayStation 4 to crash
PlayStation 4 users warn each other for a message with strange characters, causing the game console to crash completely and then restart each time.
The message appears to be on PlayStation Network since this weekend, users are reporting to the Reddit forum. Users say they get a message that uses characters that the PlayStation 4 does not recognize. If such a message is opened on the game computer, the system will hang up and restart afterwards.
Users who have received a strange message can better access it via the PlayStation Messages app on their smartphone, according to Reddit users. There the message can be deleted, so that the PlayStation 4 will not load the message.
Possible full reset required
To prevent the message from being received, PS4 users can restrict the Messages function to only friends. This can be done via the privacy settings in the PlayStation 4's Account Management. You can also choose not to receive any messages at all. Players who have already opened the message may have to reset their game computer completely to the factory settings. Other users have enough to boot the system into safe mode and then choose 'Database reconstructing'. With this option, the hard disk is not erased.
Senior Member
Posts: 6074
Joined: 2011-01-02
$$_420_B00+y_kILL3R_420_$$
Edit: I remember there was similar issue in steam chat.
Senior Member
Posts: 552
Joined: 2006-11-18
Issue is not that big and doesn't brick consoles, PS4 can be easily recover in a couple of minutes by rebuilding database. This will be fixed in upcoming FW update but in the meantime to prevent the possibility of this happening you can block receiving messages from anyone in privacy settings.
More info here: https://www.reddit.com/r/PS4/comments/9o5efg/message-bricking-console-megathread/
Senior Member
Posts: 3350
Joined: 2014-10-20
Probably some kids nickname in style of "xXxK1ll3RxXx" is so cringy that even console can't take it any longer.