Players are reporting a concerning new PS4 UI update that makes it look like they have downloaded games that they haven’t purchased. After booting up the console over the last week, some players were met with a new game tile, prompting them to panic, thinking that their PSN account had been hacked. Not quite.

Is Sony testing a new system for ads with PS4 UI update?

I have come across quite a few complaints about the issue. As seen in the screenshot below, the tile appears as a full game download, complete with a “Start” button.

But here’s the catch. This isn’t an actual game, and PSN accounts are not being hacked. This is an ad disguised as a game. Clicking the Start button leads players to the game’s page on the PS Store, where they are prompted to make a purchase. Clever.

Do note that this isn’t happening to all PS4 players, but we’ve seen enough reports to deduce that this isn’t an isolated issue.

Sony testing ads on PlayStation consoles is nothing new. Last year, there was quite a bit of hoopla when the PS5 started displaying unsolicited ads when connected to the internet, prompting a rare statement from Sony. The company called it a “bug,” but I’m personally having a hard time believing that.

Not only did the “bug” briefly reappear on the PS5 earlier this year, but the PS4 is now randomly displaying intrusive ads, which makes me think that Sony is testing a new system for displaying ads, possibly starting with the PS6.

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