PS4 continuous crashing

[rochsu1]

Ladies and Gents,
This post is not aimed to criticize Frontier, they have been very responsive. My goal is simply to gather information if anybody is/has been in the same impossible situation as I find myself today and, of course, hoping for a solution. I think you will find most of the information below from the ticket, any and all suggestions getting me back in the game will be highly appreciated. Sorry for the long post and Frontier CMDRs names removed.

Subject: PS4 continuous crashing
22/11/2017 5:27 pm Playstation User
The game crashes continuously on PS4. I bought a new Pro after thinking it was the PS4 Slim I used before, obviously not the case.
Main menu works fine but after that the game freezes anywhere from the loading screen (the one with the rotating ship) to 5min into the game. Usually though within 10 sec of the game starting. After 10-15s of total freeze (nothing works) the PS4 returns to blue-screen displaying the CE-34878-0 error code. Sometimes the freeze is total and a hard reboot the only option.
I have updated both PS4 system and reinstalled the game several times and updated it as well of course. I have tried both quality/performance in the game menu and boost/non-boost in the PS4 system menu. Nothing makes any difference. I usually play with Hotas 4 but the same problem occurs with the PS4 controller as well.
I'm out of ideas, currently not able to play at all.

23/11/2017 11:26 am
Hey there CMDR,

Thanks for getting in touch, I'm sorry to hear about your Elite Dangerous crashing.

Thank you for also getting to us with the list of items you have already tried, it should prevent us from suggesting any duplicate actions. I'm just wondering a few questions.

Do you receive this error code with any other games or just Elite Dangerous?

Have you installed a new Hard Drive in your system ever? This is sometimes the cause behind this error code.

If there's anything else we can do please let us know.

Kind regards,
xxx

24/11/2017 8:12 am Playstation User
Thank you CMDR for your fast reply. No, I have not had any problems with other games, unfortunately only ED which is on the top of my list. I have not changed the HD on my old Slim and the Pro is brand new. I did however copy the old eh... "files and settings" from the Slim to the new Pro using the recommended Ethernet cable but let's remember, I had these problems with the Slim already. I have now also tried to switch from my standard ADSL connection to a 4G wireless but no difference. Yeah, I know I'm grasping but as said, I'm running out of ideas.
I was hoping you could take a look at the details of the error reports you must be getting from Sony as I have reported every one beside from those leaving the PS4 totally unresponsive requiring a hard reset. Perhaps you have visibility into something stored on your servers?
What else can I think of... I'm currently stuck at Patterson orbital but the game has crashed in space, at planetary landings and just about everywhere I've tried to go to, from being absolutely still to jumping through hyperspace. At the moment I don't get more than max. 30sec from loading to freeze-up. The original ED Horizons is on disc.
I'm open to any suggestions aside from deleting my current profile and starting from the beginning.

Please help,
Chris


24/11/2017 5:00 pm
Hi there CMDR,

Thanks for getting in touch.

Could you please follow the instructions here to delete your locally stored save data? I realize it's a new PS4 but if you transferred the files/settings, you may have transferred the problem.

Open the Settings menu at the top of the dashboard.
Select Storage, then select System Storage.
Select Saved Data.
Choose a game to access the game’s saved data.
Press the Options button and select Delete.
Choose the saved data files to delete, then select Delete.
Please note, this process will not effect your CMDR data.

In addition, is your PS4 well ventilated? Overheating can cause a game crash to avoid any system damage.

Please let us know how this goes and if the problem persists, we'll be happy to provide further assistance.

Kind regards,
xxx

24/11/2017 8:19 pm Playstation User
Thank you CMDR xxx, valid suggestions. I have deleted the saved data and gone as far as thoroughly initializing the new PS4 Pro for the second time today (takes a few hours) so I think we can rule out anything stored at my end.
The game crashes a few seconds after start, just sitting at the starport, after I've let the PS cool down for a long time without the power cord also wiping the volatile memory or cache.

Please don't give up on me and keep the suggestions coming. It's incomprehensible to me how a game I've played so much on PS4, suddenly after some updates becomes completely unplayable....

Regards,
Chris

24/11/2017 8:37 pm Playstation User
Some more info. Basic/all training also crashes in the same manner as the game itself.

Regards,
Chris

 

[YoBuck]

I had the same error code it was the gal map causing the crashes. Done everything like you including initialisation.

 

[MickyG1982]

I hate to say it, but this seems to be a very common problem amongst a wide range of games and developers, not just Elite Dangerous and seems to have persisted across PS4 variants. A thread here :http://community.eu.playstation.com...-code-CE-34878-0/td-p/20287161#thread-replies (This is just one of the many threads both on sonys official support site & from all over the web) stretches from December 2013 all the way to last Sunday. Suggestions range from all of the above right down to cleaning the installation disc, some methods have been successful, others not.

My thoughts for your issue would be something to do with your save file both on your PS4 & in the cloud, a real chicken & egg situation. To test this you could add another account to your PS4 & setting up another CMDR (the advantage of consoles is you can do this without having to buy more accounts from Frontier) then start playing it's a bit like restarting without messing about with your current CMDR. If it works & you can play normally from there it indicates that the game itself is working ok. It can also indicate that there might be an issue with your current CMDR's profile (support should be able to help with that, or that the problem is localised to your current system, again you'll need support to get them to move you from that system.

Of course it could also be that you have managed to obtain 2 faulty systems, in which case you may want to contact sony & arrange for an RMA.

 

[Cmdr Nemo]

Though it may not be an issue for you, having the ps4 hooked up to the internet via wifi can cause problems with not only this game but others. Exspecially when ones internet connection is not nearly the top of the line in regards to up or download speeds.

I originally had problems like yours until I hard wired the connection directly to my router. Prior to that, when my wifes's smart phone which was also utilizing the wifi when she was home was a big problem when I wanted to play. Wiring it directly caused her connection to be secondary rather than primerary. It took a couple of months to figure this out, and have sense had no problem.

 

[rochsu1]

Thank you, this is in line with what Frontier suggested, except for the link from MickyG1982. This is the 3rd PS4 in our family and we've never had problems before, knocking on wood.
I'm going to post below some questions regarding my ticket and my latest reply, to save some time typing. Again want to highlight that I'm getting responses to my ticket even on Saturdays which speaks volumes in my opinion.

"Hi there CMDR,

Thanks for getting back to us, don't worry we're certainly not going to give up on you! This is interesting, especially the fact that the training missions aren't working, that's particularly interesting as it rules out the problem being associated with your CMDR data...."

"Yes, the training missions freeze up in the same manner as the game, just checked. No, I do not have any peripherals connected to the PS4, have even tried different HDMI cables and flatscreens. Had an unusually long non-crash period which lured me to set course to xxx where i was going in the first place to upgrade my yyy but as soon as I got out of zzz gates the game crashed so now I'm stuck in space.
I have two ways to connect the PS4 to internet. One through a standard ADSL router and one through a 4G wireless router. I have tried both using Wi-Fi and a Ethernet cables, no difference

This game was running great with perhaps one crash a week before I until a couple of weeks ago was travelling. Coming back there were some updates (sorry can't remember what) but that's when the trouble started.
Thank you for the responses and suggestion in order to get to the root of this. Love the game and wish to get back into it soon.

Regards,
Chris"

 

[rochsu1]

Oh btw, I have created a new PS4 and ED account. If anything, the game freezes even faster using this one...

 

[MickyG1982]

Does this happen with any other game?

As I said it's been quite a common downfall of the PS4 and seems to plague quite a few games & developers & has doen all the way from the Gen1 PS4.

Is there any corrupt data in the Elite Dangerous folder?

 

[CMDR Lukas Vance]

I’ve had lots of problems with ED crashing itself and also causing my PS4 to completely crash and power off. I did have an incident where ED crashed constantly and I couldn’t even play so I tweeted @Frontier_Help and they cleared out some mission data in my gave save file and also moved me to another system. This rectified the problem straight away and although I had lots of crashes after they were relatively far apart and didn’t stop me playin.g. Might be worth contacting them.

 

[Old Duck]

As I said it's been quite a common downfall of the PS4 and seems to plague quite a few games & developers & has doen all the way from the Gen1 PS4.

I didn't even know the PS4 had a "blue screen of death" until I started playing Elite on it. None of my other games crash like that, not on my PS4 or my PS3 back in the day. The only console plague I've heard of is the old "red ring of death" on the XBox (long since fixed).

 

[Mano d'Oro]

I didn't even know the PS4 had a "blue screen of death" until I started playing Elite on it. None of my other games crash like that, not on my PS4 or my PS3 back in the day. The only console plague I've heard of is the old "red ring of death" on the XBox (long since fixed).

First-gen PS3's had the YLOD (Yellow Light Of Death) which was resolved after a while, but I've had quite a few blue-screen crashouts on both PS3 and PS4 (usually with Bethesda games, the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series).

 

[SH4RK-B1TE]

What’s your internet like in your area? Is it wired or WiFi? Does your PS4 have enough space for ventilation?

These are some reasons for your problems. Probably nothing to do with the game at all.

 

[rochsu1]

Well guys, I don't know what to say anymore. I borrowed a friends PS4 Slim and using this, absolutely no freezes, crashes or hiccups. I've been playing now for hours.
At the same time I asked him and his kids to try to get my PS4 Pro to crash as they have games we don't. After a few hours playing latest GTA and Hitman etc. they have not been able to find any problems with the Pro, leading me to believe this is ED related. Why it varies between boxes running the same game with the same SW is beyond my comprehension. If I ever get more details I will certainly let you know.

Until then, happy hunting CMDR's!

 

[Old Duck]

I've had quite a few blue-screen crashouts on both PS3 and PS4 (usually with Bethesda games, the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series).

Maybe you've got noisy power where you live? I ran both the PS3 and PS4 from a UPS (with active power conditioning) and never had any problems like you describe. I should also say that I never buy first generation - both my Playstations were Slims, not originals.

 

[MickyG1982]

Well guys, I don't know what to say anymore. I borrowed a friends PS4 Slim and using this, absolutely no freezes, crashes or hiccups. I've been playing now for hours.
At the same time I asked him and his kids to try to get my PS4 Pro to crash as they have games we don't. After a few hours playing latest GTA and Hitman etc. they have not been able to find any problems with the Pro, leading me to believe this is ED related. Why it varies between boxes running the same game with the same SW is beyond my comprehension. If I ever get more details I will certainly let you know.

Until then, happy hunting CMDR's!

The question is, of course, did they try to play Elite Dangerous in their house? Did it work fine? Did they attempt to play on your account in their house on your Pro was the result the same (if you don't feel comfortable doing this invite yourself around for a beer & try it). Did you do something different with this installation of ED than what you did on your own pro?

The fact that ED works on this slim but not your old one kind've hints towards either the units that you own or a condition where they are located causing issues. This could be power, electromagnetic interference from other sources. Where it's located in your house - i.e. when your ps4 is in your house is it located in a cabinet with other electronics or is it located just to the side of the TV like the PS4 slim you are currently borrowing (probably) is.

It's a weird one to be sure but as ED works on this system & points to something unique with your system that isn't present on the one you are borrowing.

 

[MickyG1982]

There is, as far as I can see, only one other recent thread on a similar subject, most of the rest date back from June/July time.

A possible fix from this thread: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...4-menu-every-time-error-code-ce-34878-0/page2

from Velios "

Spoiler

I believe I may have a fix for this issue, and it is network related. I first ran into a similar problem while playing StreetFighter V, the game would not update using Capcom's internal game update feature, and having now experienced this error with Elite, it felt similar and I have once again used the following advice given to me by CapCom tech support in order to regain stability and avoid the crashing within Elite. So far this fix is working for me as I was encountering the CE-34878-0 error every few minutes.

Please see below, particularly pay attention to the DNS settings of your PS4:

Below info from Capcom:

Another possibility is to change the DNS servers used by your PS4 to those provided by Google, by following these instructions (we recommend taking careful note of the settings as they are just now, before changing - this way, you can reset them later):

Please go to the Playstation 4's Main menu.
Select Settings.
Select Network Settings.
Select Set Up Internet Connection.
Choose Custom.
Depending on your connection setup, you can either choose automatic or the appropriate settings until you get to the DNS setting.
Choose manual for the DNS setting.
Enter 8.8.8.8 for the primary DNS.
Enter 8.8.4.4 for the secondary DNS.
The rest of the settings can be set as automatic or whatever they are set to by default.

 

[rochsu1]

There is, as far as I can see, only one other recent thread on a similar subject, most of the rest date back from June/July time.

A possible fix from this thread: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...4-menu-every-time-error-code-ce-34878-0/page2

from Velios "

Spoiler

I believe I may have a fix for this issue, and it is network related. I first ran into a similar problem while playing StreetFighter V, the game would not update using Capcom's internal game update feature, and having now experienced this error with Elite, it felt similar and I have once again used the following advice given to me by CapCom tech support in order to regain stability and avoid the crashing within Elite. So far this fix is working for me as I was encountering the CE-34878-0 error every few minutes.

Please see below, particularly pay attention to the DNS settings of your PS4:

Below info from Capcom:

Another possibility is to change the DNS servers used by your PS4 to those provided by Google, by following these instructions (we recommend taking careful note of the settings as they are just now, before changing - this way, you can reset them later):

Please go to the Playstation 4's Main menu.
Select Settings.
Select Network Settings.
Select Set Up Internet Connection.
Choose Custom.
Depending on your connection setup, you can either choose automatic or the appropriate settings until you get to the DNS setting.
Choose manual for the DNS setting.
Enter 8.8.8.8 for the primary DNS.
Enter 8.8.4.4 for the secondary DNS.
The rest of the settings can be set as automatic or whatever they are set to by default.

Thank you for the link, seems to describe my problems. Unfortunately none of the proposed solutions made any difference. I think I have now done as much as possible with the info I have. Even took the PS4 Pro to a different location where everything is different except the box itself. Same freeze/crash issue exactly with ED like before. No problems with any other game where I live or at any other location.
I'm convinced this is a ED issue somehow but no idea what it relates to. Frontier is investigating and I will post if I get a working solution.