Spam messages on PSN are usually no big deal but this is one you might need to pay attention to. Multiple different users have reported that receiving a specific message on PSN forced their console to factory reset itself. Sony has not officially responded but the best way to avoid this glitch is to privatize your messaging and friend request settings on PSN.
This message is being spread by bad actors on PSN. A handful of users have stated that they have received these messages while playing online matches of Rocket League and Rainbow Six Siege. The reported accounts have listed the same symptoms: they receive a message with “Juegas,” a question mark in a box, and a heart emoji before the controller stops working, the game falls silent, and the PS4 resets itself. You don’t even have to read the message to feel its effects.
Booting the console into “Safe Mode” and then rebuilding the database has been listed as a temporary solution. Users can do this by pressing and holding the power button (the top button) on their PS4 until they hear a second beep about seven seconds in. Rebuilding the database is the fifth option on the Safe Mode menu.
Since any random person in Overwatch, Black Ops 4, or any other game can send you this message, PS4 owners could avoid this issue by privatizing their messaging settings. Go to Settings, Account Management, Privacy Settings, Personal Info, and then Messages. From here, you can turn your messaging settings to “No One” or “Friends Only,” depending on how mischievous your PSN friends are. Players can also turn off friend requests for added protection. Changing these settings is also possible on the PlayStation website or the iOS/Android app.
This is not the first time electronics users have experienced a message-only glitch like this. iOS users had something similar happen to them in 2015. By sending a specific Arabic message, users would see their iPhones reset. It wasn’t major but it was still annoying to many users before Apple eventually fixed it a few days later. Hopefully Sony will be as reactive and issue an emergency PSN firmware update in the coming days.
