PS4 has a built in battery that will kill your games if it dies

[Deleted User]

https://in.ign.com/ps4/156581/news/...h-will-kill-your-ability-to-play-games-report

Some stupid security Sony put in that trophies have to have the correct clock time with them. The battery can be replaced but then you have to reauth all your games (digital or disc) with the PSN store. So bad news for those not wanting to update.


If your PS4 clock battery dies, you will lose your ability to play games on it. Regardless of them being digital files or disc, your PS4 won’t be able to run them. This is according to trusted hacker Lance McDonald this is because trophies on the PS4 need the console’s internal clock to work correctly so as to prevent users to change date and time values and exploit the PS4’s trophy system.

His tweet regarding this was in response to Does It Play — an account dedicated to video game preservation. The account stated that when “ the PS4 CMOS battery dies (and it will) it renders all PS4 digital files unusable without a server reconnection and in PS4 it also kills disc playback.”

This error is because Trophies on PS4 require the internal system clock (the one you can’t see / alter) to be correct, so people cant change their PS4 date/time to make it look like they got trophies earlier than they really did. If your PS4 clock battery dies, all your games die https://t.co/8y9aZzL9vC

— Lance McDonald (@manfightdragon) March 23, 2021

 

[Deleted User]

Also the PSN store has to be there for you to reauth, not that it's going away anytime soon but they just announced they are killing PS3 store and Vita store thus you wouldn't be able to reauth your games once that happened with PS4 and your PS4 would be useless.

Of course that's a long time from now we could very well have a PS5 hack where PS4 games are also playable who knows.

 

[Ashtot]

Could someone possibly develop a workaround for this? Theoretically shouldn't the system clock be accessible via something? It seems weird that there would be an internal clock that is inaccessible through its own hardware.

 

[Deleted User]

Could someone possibly develop a workaround for this? Theoretically shouldn't the system clock be accessible via something? It seems weird that there would be an internal clock that is inaccessible through its own hardware.

What do you mean? it's a battery than can die. Easy to replace but if one day there's no PS store you can't reauth your games and thus your PS4 is useless.

 

[Ashtot]

What do you mean? it's a battery than can die. Easy to replace but if one day there's no PS store you can't reauth your games and thus your PS4 is useless.

I guess what I mean is how is it possible that games can only be re authenticated via the store? I don't know much about the PS4 though, so that's why I'm asking. Are PS4 games playable out of the box without connecting to the store originally?

 

[Deleted User]

I guess what I mean is how is it possible that games can only be re authenticated via the store? I don't know much about the PS4 though, so that's why I'm asking. Are PS4 games playable out of the box without connecting to the store originally?

You can play games out of the box without connecting to the store originally yes, but when the battery dies the system loses it's ability to read discs OR play digital games thanks to a dumb Sony security measure. So they need to be reauthed by connecting to the store or some hack. So maybe a workaround will happen eventually by hackers since they are now aware but I hear it's something the hack scene has already known about.

 

[phreaksho]

Goddamnit sony...

 

[fvig2001]

Ooh. I hope those in CFW can have a fix for this.

 

[Ashtot]

You can play games out of the box without connecting to the store originally yes, but when the battery dies the system loses it's ability to read discs OR play digital games thanks to a dumb Sony security measure. So they need to be reauthed by connecting to the store or some hack. So maybe a workaround will happen eventually by hackers since they are now aware but I hear it's something the hack scene has already known about.

Ah okay, I misunderstood exactly what happens when the CMOS battery dies. Theoretically then just as a safety measure it would be wise to replace the battery shortly before the store goes down to give your ps4 maximum lifetime, assuming there is no fix.

 

[Deleted User]

Ah okay, I misunderstood exactly what happens when the CMOS battery dies. Theoretically then just as a safety measure it would be wise to replace the battery shortly before the store goes down to give your ps4 maximum lifetime, assuming there is no fix.

And what about after the store goes down your battery dies? People who buy their games legit will be completely fucked may as well throw it in the garbage, and the hack community we have to hope for a hack fix.

It won't be anytime soon I mean PS3 store is just dying this year and there hasn't been games for it for 5-6 years, but it's just something to keep in mind. Hopefully there'll be a PS5 hack by then.

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This was just posted in the exploit guide page (I also posted this info there) so apparently there already is a workaround. So you would just have to replace the battery. So it's better to have a PS4 with an exploit than a retail PS4 good job Sony.

I made a post about how to change RTC battery and prevent this from happening. Also last week kernel clock payload was ported to 7.55 and 7.02 so you can set kernel clock again without connecting to psn.

 

[Ashtot]

And what about after the store goes down your battery dies? People who buy their games legit will be completely fucked may as well throw it in the garbage, and the hack community we have to hope for a hack fix.

It won't be anytime soon I mean PS3 store is just dying this year and there hasn't been games for it for 5-6 years, but it's just something to keep in mind. Hopefully there'll be a PS5 hack by then.

Oh for sure, I totally agree that Sony really did something stupid. Nobody makes things that last anymore, and most of the time it's on purpose, which is ridiculous.

 

[Deleted User]

Oh for sure, I totally agree that Sony really did something stupid. Nobody makes things that last anymore, and most of the time it's on purpose, which is ridiculous.

I think they did it on purpose, because at least half of the people that buy these consoles will not even bother to replace a battery. They'll just say "oh well my PS4 is dead time to buy a PS5" so they get more sales.

 

[Silent_Gunner]

Bravo. Talk about a dick move. Just imagine buying a PS4 system, but because it won't sync up with a feature that has nothing to do with playing the games themselves, it bricks the system.

And some wonder why I sleep when I hear talk about PS5 shortages...

 

[DinohScene]

TIme to upgrade the CMOS batteries in me PS4s then...

 

[Deleted User]

I'm thinking Sony will wait a very long time before killing the store because they know if someone's battery dies it's game over without the store to reauth. I won't say they won't ever close it though, because it's Sony and they clearly do not give a shit about people preserving their games.

 

[Deleted User]

wouldn't replacing the battery before it dies fix this issue?

 

[Deleted User]

wouldn't replacing the battery before it dies fix this issue?

Yes, but you will still have to sign into PSN after replacing the battery to be able to play games again. To sign into PSN you have to be on latest firmware.

I remember Sega Saturn having a cmos battery and mine died, and I had to replace it to prevent it asking you to set the time every time you turned on the system. I would assume the one in the PS4 is better than the one that was in the Saturn. It may last 10-20 years before it dies.

 

[godreborn]

I'm pretty sure this is true of the ps3 as well. you'll get an error when trying to play a game if the cmos battery is dead.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

Reminds me of the old Capcom arcade boards that had a self destructing ROM where the encryption keys were held in volatile RAM, so people couldn't clone them, but once the battery died so did your game. Except this doesn't seem like it was intentional, but it may as well have been.

 

[FAST6191]

Aw I was hoping it was a big boy suicide battery a la the arcade boards of old.


Anyway usual "but downloadable games are the future"