Sony’s last-generation console is reportedly unable to play physical or digital games offline if anything happens to its internal CMOS battery. This is according to various PlayStation 4 owners who have experimented with their systems and discovered that the PS4 does, in fact, fail to play games if the battery is removed from the console. In the event of a missing or dead CMOS battery, users will simply be greeted with a vague warning screen that includes an error code (CE-30391-6). Further reports suggest that the quirk relates to the PlayStation’s trophy system.
@DoesItPlay1 @Food4Dogs @Fondle_Saurus just as @HikikomoriMedia mentioned in his video with the CMOS battery. I took out the battery to see if I could replicate the issue and well, It does not play any physical or digital games without connecting online. error CE-30391-6 appears pic.twitter.com/KzWPF9a2Nq
— Forest (@Forest_Reviews) April 12, 2021
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
No, it impacts all games on PS4. With PS3, it only impacts digital games (not discs). The only solution on PS4 right now, without the server, is to use homebrew.
— John Linneman (@dark1x) April 12, 2021
According to modder Lance McDonald, who’s known for releasing an unofficial Bloodborne patch that makes the game run at 60 frames per second on PS4, the error occurs because Trophies on PS4 require the internal system clock to be correct so users can’t change their system’s date/time to make it look like they earned Trophies earlier than was actually the case. Does It Play reports that PS3 and Vita also “appear to rely on the accuracy of an internal clock to verify access to digital content”, but not to disc-based titles, a point noted by Digital Foundry’s John Linneman too.
Sources: Forest_Reviews, Lance McDonald, Does It Play, John Linneman, VGC