The 20 Biggest PlayStation FAILS Of The Century

20 Biggest PlayStation Fails Of The Century

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we are looking at PlayStation's lowest moments. From console releases, to bad customer relations, these are the 20 Biggest PlayStation Fails Of The Century. Lets do it.

The PlayStation Classic

Classic consoles were a proven success, and Nintendos NES and SNES Classic Editions inspired Sony to follow suit, assuming that fans would welcome a compact library of classic PlayStation 1 games. Unfortunately, the effort put into the PlayStation Classic was about the same effort I used this morning on a full bladder p*ss. Even before launch, the system was criticized for its underwhelming game selection. Think of your top 3 PS1 games and youd be lucky if one of them is on the Classic system. But once released, the issues ran deeper: an awkward user interface, poor emulation and image quality, and a steep $100 price tag.

PSP GO

Remember how good the PSP was? Remember the 2009 model? The PSP GO? I bet you havent thought about it once since 2009, especially as it was discontinued in under 2 years. With the PSP nearing the end of its lifecycle, releasing a new model made beyond zero sense. The situation was made worse by the removal of the UMD drive, preventing users from borrowing physical games or buying them at retail. To make matters worse, many previously announced titles were quietly cancelled, leaving the PSP Go with no purpose.

Fumbled Live-Service Initiative

Sonys ambitious live-service push (initially promising 12 titles by April 2026) has largely fallen apart. Naughty Dog scrapped its standalone Last of Us multiplayer game, Sony London shut down along with its fantasy RPG, and then theres Concord, sweet sweet Concord. The only real success so far has been Helldivers 2, and thats thanks more to Arrowhead Game Studios than Sony itself. With Fairgame$ still on the way, its clear Sony isnt ready to give up, even though it probably should.

Giant Enemy Crab

To me, the PS3 was one of the most underappreciated consoles of all time. To others it was the most underwhelming. One of the most infamous reasons the PS3 was initially eye rolled came from E3 2006s presentation of Genji 2. During the demo, producer Bill Ritch described the game as based on famous battles that actually took places in Japan, only for the next scene to feature a now-legendary Giant Enemy Crab. He went on to tout features like attacking weak points for massive damage and weapon changes as groundbreaking, despite them being anything but new. Early meme fodder, early PlaySation fail.

State of Play 2019

In 2019, PlayStation made the decision to not participate in E3 for the first time in its existence. Instead, they started their own showcase presentation called State of Play, which proved to be incredibly underwhelming in its first year. Lackluster content, poor pacing, and underwhelming announcements made for an experience that would have PlayStation regretting their choice to show off at their own dedicated presentation. The presentation lacked major reveals, and its robotic voiceover, uninspired format, and absence of personality made it feel more like a corporate slideshow than a fan-focused event.

PlaySation VR2

While the PlayStation Portal has seen notable success, the same cant be said for PlayStation VR2, which has struggled to generate similar excitement. VR gaming overall hasnt gained the momentum many hoped for, and despite promising titles like Skydances Behemoth and Metro Awakening, the slowing stream of new releases, particularly from Sonys own studios, has been disappointing. Is console VR gaming the future of VR gaming? Probably not. Is PSVR2 the future of VR gaming? Absolutely not.

PS5 Pro Price

Mid-generation console upgrades are nothing new for Sony, so rumors of a PS5 Pro didnt come as much of a shock, even if some developers reportedly felt it was unnecessary. Sonys eventual reveal was rather dull, barely highlighting the consoles more meaningful improvements. Then came the kicker: a $700 price tag, with no disc drive or vertical stand included. While the console itself was solid, the steep price sparked immediate backlash and internet mockery, which is a fate worse than death.

PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution

PSSR is an AI-driven upscaling technology introduced in the PS5 Pro. From a technical standpoint, PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution is impressive. Unfortunately, it's already causing image quality issues in several games. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Alan Wake 2 are still waiting on patches, Silent Hill 2 Remake appears to have dropped it in favor of TSR, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora will include an option to disable it. While the tech performs adequately in some titles, its rocky rollout and inconsistent results make for a less-than-ideal debut. Also, AI will almost always make people a little uneasy, as it should.

Shovelware and AI-Slop on PSN

AI generated games are single handedly going to ruin modern gaming. AI-generated slop and shovelware on the PlayStation Network harm the platforms overall quality and user experience. These low-effort, mass-produced titles flood the store, burying legitimate indie games and making it harder for players to discover worthwhile content. Often created quickly to exploit trophy hunters or monetization loopholes, they clog search results and undermine consumer trust. The lack of curation also reflects poorly on Sony, suggesting quantity over quality. As more of these games appear, they dilute the value of the platform, waste players time, and make the PSN storefront feel cluttered, chaotic, and less like a premium gaming destination. With an online-only version of their console, they couldnt be making it harder to enjoy the experience.

The PlayStation Home

PlayStation Home was an early attempt at a virtual social hub, serving as a precursor to Sonys later push into VR gaming. Imagine a more interactive version of Facebook, where players could meet up and virtually attend PlayStation events. The concept had promise, but Sony jumped the gun by announcing it before it was truly ready. Once released, users quickly criticized the lack of meaningful activities and content. Despite its ambitious goals, PlayStation Home never moved beyond its beta phase and is now remembered as a flawed experiment. It was the METAverse for an audience that always hated the idea of the METAverse.

Closing Sony Japan Studio

Gravity Rush, Bloodborne, Patapon, Siren, Tokyo Jungle, Demons Souls, Astros Playroom - Japan Studio was behind some of Sonys most creative and beloved titles. When the studio was shut down in 2021, it triggered widespread disappointment and raised serious questions about Sonys dedication to first-party innovation. While Team Asobi emerged from the closure and delivered Astro Bot, the vast number of high-quality IPs now left dormant is disheartening. For many fans, it feels like a failing shop firing their best staff member.

The PlayStation Vita

The PS Vita is the first console that comes to my mind when I think of failed consoles. And its not even that bad! It was just unfortunate that Sonys handhelds were always in Nintendos shadow. From its launch, sales were sluggish and never gained real momentum. A lack of must-have exclusives and competition from increasingly capable smartphones undercut its appeal. Over time, support dwindled, with most of its key titles eventually ported to the PS4. Game development slowed to a halt by the mid-2010s, and Sony quietly discontinued the system in March 2019. Unlike the Wii U, which paved the way for the Switch, the Vita seems to have no successor on the horizon. Leaving it as a stain, rather than a step in the right direction.

Mandatory PSN Linking for Single Player PC Games

Helldivers 2 was soaring in popularity when a controversy emerged: PC players were informed theyd need to link a PSN account on Steam. Helldivers 2s Steam rating plummeted to Mostly Negative, and the game was even pulled from sale in dozens of regions. Sony eventually reversed the decision, seemingly learning its lesson. But that hope was short-lived. Despite Ghost of Tsushima: Directors Cut only requiring PSN for its online mode, Sony imposed mandatory account linking for single-player titles like God of War Ragnarok and the Until Dawn remake, recycling the same unconvincing security excuse. We understand failing and learning, but failing and almost learning and then failing again? Not ideal.

Lack of PS5 Upgrades

Whether or not Sony ever releases a Bloodborne remake, remaster, or sequel, is neither here nor there, the fact that it still lacks a proper PS5 upgrade is genuinely baffling. While many games, both first-party titles like Gran Turismo Sport and DriveClub, and third-party hits like Red Dead Redemption 2 and the Batman: Arkham trilogy, have yet to receive upgrades, Bloodborne stands out due to its immense fan demand. Even a simple 60 FPS patch would be welcomed. Sorry, I hate to harp on about Bloodborne in particular, but if I take the lid off this entry Ill never stop talking.

The PS5 Pre-Order Debacle

Who could forget the PS5 pre-order fiasco? Sony launched a sign-up page to notify customers ahead of time, promising not to drop pre-orders without warning, only to do exactly that right after a showcase. The sudden release caused chaos among retailers and sparked a wave of scalping. While Sony assured fans that more stock was coming, the global chip shortage and pandemic-related delays made getting a PS5 nearly impossible for months. Things eventually improved, but the way Sony handled the pre-order rollout was a mess. Confusing, poorly communicated, and deeply frustrating for fans, this was a nightmare for gamers whod been looking forward to their PlayStation upgrade from the day it was announced.

PlayStation Move

The Wii had countless standout games, but how many memorable PS Move titles can you name? Zero? Would Zero be an accurate answer? Sonys misstep was trying to ride the motion-control trend without fully embracing what made it engaging. Unlike Nintendo, which designed games around motion, Sony treated PS Move as an afterthought, resulting in games that also felt like an afterthought. While Microsofts Kinect had its ups and downs, PS Move struggled even more due to its clunky implementation and lack of compelling software. As a watered down Wii alternative it works. As anything beyond that it doesnt.

The Sixaxis Design

In an attempt to make a bold change, Sony initially scrapped the DualShock in favor of the Sixaxis controller. Unfortunately, its prototypes boomerang design drew heavy criticism, but the real misstep was the absence of rumble feedback. Sony dismissed the feature as last generation, insisting the Sixaxis didnt need it, much to the frustration of players, particularly FPS fans who valued vibration for immersion. The backlash was swift, and the controller was widely panned. Thankfully, Sony reversed course with the release of the DualShock 3, but the Sixaxis remains a memorable sleep paralysis demon for many players.

PS3s Botched Launch

Nothing sets you up for failure more than having the competition beat you to the market by a full year, and by the time the PS3 launched, gamers had already experienced what a seventh-generation HD console could offer with the Xbox 360. This head start gave Microsoft a major sales advantage. Sonys decision to abandon the familiar PS2 branding in favor of a new identity, complete with a Spider-Man 3-style logo, failed to resonate and quickly faded. However, the biggest misstep was the steep $600 price tag. With few compelling exclusives at launch and many key titles also available on the more affordable Xbox 360, it was a rough start for the PS3. Also, the baby commercial.

Concord

In a staggering financial blunder, Sony sunk $400 million into their project Concord: $200 million to acquire Firewalk Studios, and another $200 million to push out a generic PvP hero shooter. Interest was so low that the game was pulled from sale and its servers shut down less than two weeks after launch. TWO WEEKS! Firewalk Studios was closed by October 2024. Shockingly, Sony had internally hyped Concord as the next Star Wars, a claim that now seems crazy out of touch. Sony might as well have told Warner Bros. to step aside, because Concord has become one of the most infamous gaming flops since Ataris E.T.

PS Network Hack

While Microsoft and Nintendo have had their share of major missteps, few are as infamous as Sonys 2011 PSN hack. Although the breach occurred between April 17 and 19, the network went down on April 20, and Sony didnt publicly confirm the severity until April 26. Thats when the company revealed that personal data from up to 77 million users may had been compromised. The delayed disclosure sparked widespread outrage, with many criticizing Sony for withholding critical information for nearly a week. The fallout was severe, and the PSN remained offline for a staggering 23 days. And as far as failures go, this one was huge.