Share. The "red line of death" isn't quite as intense as it sounds. The "red line of death" isn't quite as intense as it sounds.

Some IGN users and a few other folks online are reporting problems with their PlayStation 4 -- a mysterious, blinking red light atop the hardware. Many feared ahead of the console's launch that this "red line of death" indicated PS4's fail state, meaning the next-gen console was dead. This is not the case. Here's the deal.

If you boot your PlayStation 4 and find yourself staring at an ominous red line, it means your PS4 is overheating. But don't fret -- it's not bricked, it hasn't melted, and it won't explode. The machine just needs time to cool down, so step away and try again later. If you have persistent issues or if your PS4 breaks for other reasons, check IGN's PS4 problems wiki page or call Sony's customer service support line at 1-800-345-SONY (1-800-345-7669).

For the full breakdown of how PS4's hardware works, you can read the PlayStation 4 instruction manual online.

IGN's content team ordered 16 PlayStation 4 systems in total. Watch us unbox all of them at once.

Exit Theatre Mode

Mitch Dyer is an associate editor at IGN. He's currently reading Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut. Talk to him on Twitter at @MitchyD.