Common Problems of PS3

The Sony PlayStation 3 or PS3 in short, is the most advanced gaming console of its generation. It has a much lower failure rate compare to the Xbox360 but as with any technology, it has its quirks. This article will focus on the general technical aspect of problems commonly faced by many PS3 owners.

We will begin with the color light indicator on the PS3, the blinking red, yellow and green error light, also known as "light of death". The flashing red light usually indicates a general internal hardware failure. This could be anything from a failed processor, to a loose cable connection between the motherboard and the hard drive. This is a more general error indicator which can either be fixed by a simple reboot or checking the cables and connection of the console.

The more common Yellow Light of Death (YLOD) is most likely caused by overheating in the internal components of the PS3. Due to the powerful seven cores processor Cell and an advanced graphics processing unit in the PS3, the console is more susceptible to heat problems than any other console of its generations. It is vital that the ventilation systems of the PS3 are free of any dust clogging and be placed in a less stuffy and cooler environment in order to minimize the likelihood of overheating in the PS3. One good indicator of impending heat trouble is when the PS3's internal fan gets noisier in its operation. That's a sign of bad air flow internally. Green error light happens less frequently and could indicate a problem with the graphics subsystem as well as other general hardware error or failure. It must be noted that all 3 colors of error light can be caused by overheating alone.

Another issue of PS3 is the disc read error. The Blue-ray lens can be prone to occasional error while reading the high density data in a Blue-ray disc. The issue can be solved most of the time by ensuring a clean and scratch less disc or by simply restarting the console. In rarer cases where the lens is faulty, it will be too technically complicated to repair without professional help.
 
Red screen of death may occur in certain cases and it is related to obsolete firmware version, or incomplete firmware installation. Data corruption in the hard drive can be another cause of this issue. Black screen of death indicates an issue which is much harder to pinpoint because it's associated with many things that can fail in a console. Experienced users will advise checking for loose wires and cables to ensure secure connections in the system. Many have reported that removing and installing back the hard drive might solves the issue.