🔧 PS4 Error Fix · 8 Proven Fixes

How to Fix PS4 Error CE-34878-0: An Error Has Occurred in the Following Application

By GameAddaUpdated October 17, 20268 min read

You are deep in your game and — black screen. The popup reads: "An error has occurred in the following application. (CE-34878-0)". The game force-closes, and maybe it keeps happening at the same spot, or with every game you own. Few PS4 errors are as annoying as this one, because the message tells you almost nothing.

In plain English, CE-34878-0 is the PS4's generic "the game crashed" code. The app died unexpectedly, and the console shut it down. The usual suspects: corrupted game data, an outdated game or system version, a messy PS4 database, a failing hard drive, or lost license rights on a digital game. The 8 fixes below run from the quick checks to the deep ones — work through them in order.

What causes PS4 error CE-34878-0?

This error fires when the PS4 has to kill a crashed application. Common triggers include:

Corrupted game files — a bad install or interrupted download leaves broken data that crashes the game at launch or at a specific point.
Outdated game or system software — bugs fixed in later patches, or firmware incompatibilities.
Corrupted PS4 database — the console's index of hard drive data gets tangled, usually after a crash or sudden power cut.
Failing or nearly-full hard drive — bad sectors or no working space can crash games randomly.
License problems on digital games — after PSN outages or account changes, the console can lose track of your purchase rights mid-game.
Overheating — a hot console crashes games, especially demanding ones, long before it shuts itself off.
Faulty disc — a scratched or dirty Blu-ray can crash the game where it reads that part of the disc.

Quick check first: Does the crash happen at the exact same point every time (same loading screen, same cutscene)? That's classic corrupted game data — skip to Fix 5. Does it happen in every game? Then suspect the hard drive or system software — skip to Fix 7.

1Do a full power cycle — not just rest mode

A surprising number of CE-34878-0 crashes are one-off glitches fixed by a proper restart. Don't just put the PS4 in rest mode. Hold the power button until it beeps twice and fully shuts down, then unplug the power cable and wait at least 60 seconds — this drains residual power and clears the memory completely. Plug it back in, start the console, and launch the game. If the error is gone, it was a transient crash and you're done.

2Install the latest PS4 system software

Outdated firmware is one of the most common causes of repeated CE-34878-0 crashes — Sony ships stability patches in system updates. Go to Settings → System Software Update and install anything pending. If your network update fails, download the update from PlayStation's official site onto a USB drive and install it manually. After updating, restart the console and test the game again.

3Update the crashing game

Many CE-34878-0 crashes are the game's bug, not the console's. Highlight the game on the home screen, press Options, and choose Check for Update. Make sure automatic updates are enabled too (Settings → System → Automatic Downloads) so patches apply while you sleep. If the game started crashing after a recent patch, note it — the next patch often fixes it, but try the remaining fixes meanwhile.

Before touching discs: If you play from a Blu-ray, eject it and inspect it under a light. Deep scratches or smudges that line up with where the crash happens can be the whole story. Wipe the disc gently from center to edge with a microfiber cloth — never in circles — and try again.

4Rebuild the PS4 database in Safe Mode

This is the heavyweight fix for CE-34878-0, and it's completely safe — no games, saves, or settings are deleted. It reorganizes the hard drive data and repairs the corrupted index entries behind a huge share of these crashes.

Hold the PS4 power button until it beeps twice and the console shuts off completely.
Hold the power button again — keep holding past the first beep until you hear a second beep (about 7 seconds). The PS4 starts in Safe Mode.
Connect your controller with a USB cable and press the PS button.
Choose option 5: Rebuild Database. On a full drive this can take an hour or more — let it finish.

When the PS4 restarts, launch the crashing game and play past the point where it used to fail. For database-corruption causes, this is the definitive fix.

5Delete and reinstall the affected game

Corrupted game files are the single most common cause of CE-34878-0 on one specific game. The fix: delete the game, but keep the save data.

Highlight the game on the home screen, press Options, and choose Delete. When asked about save data, choose to keep it — saves live separately from the game files.
Restart the PS4.
Reinstall the game from the disc or your Library (digital). For digital copies, a fresh full download replaces every broken file.
Let all updates finish before launching.

If you have PS Plus, double-check your saves are in the cloud backup before you start — cheap insurance.

6Restore your PlayStation licenses

If the crashing game is digital, CE-34878-0 can be a license hiccup — the console loses proof you own the game after a PSN outage, password change, or network blip. Go to Settings → Account Management → Restore Licences and confirm. Then sign out of PSN and sign back in. This takes two minutes and fixes a surprising number of digital-game crashes.

7Check the hard drive and free up space

When CE-34878-0 hits many games, suspect the storage. First, free up room: delete games you don't play, old captures, and themes — a nearly-full drive has no working space and crashes apps. Then run Rebuild Database again (Fix 4), which scans for bad sectors. Listen to the console: clicking or grinding noises point to a failing drive. Back up your saves to PS Plus cloud or a USB drive, and if crashes continue, replace the HDD — a 2.5-inch drive swap on PS4 is straightforward, and an SSD makes everything faster too.

8Initialize the PS4 as a last resort

If every fix above has failed and CE-34878-0 still crashes all your games, the system software itself is deeply corrupted. This is the nuclear option, so back up first:

Upload all saves to PS Plus cloud, or copy them to a USB drive (Settings → Application Saved Data Management).
Boot into Safe Mode (second beep, as in Fix 4).
Choose Initialize PS4 (not Reinstall System Software unless initialization doesn't help — that's an even deeper wipe).
After setup, restore your saves and reinstall games.

If even a full initialization doesn't stop the crashes, the hardware is likely at fault — contact PlayStation Support about a repair. Mention everything you tried; it gets you past the script and straight to service options.

Quick checklist to keep CE-34878-0 away

Keep the PS4 system software and your games fully updated — enable automatic updates.
Run Rebuild Database every few months, or after any hard crash or power cut.
Keep at least 10–15% of the hard drive free — don't run the drive full.
Give the console clear airflow: no closed cabinets, dust the vents regularly.
Handle Blu-rays by the edges and wipe them center-to-edge, never in circles.
Back up saves to PS Plus cloud or USB regularly — five minutes of insurance.

Frequently asked questions

What does PS4 error CE-34878-0 mean?

It means a game crashed and the PS4 shut it down — the message is "An error has occurred in the following application." It's a generic application-crash code, most often caused by corrupted game data, outdated software, a corrupted PS4 database, hard drive problems, or license issues on digital games.

Is CE-34878-0 a sign my hard drive is dying?

Sometimes. If the error hits many different games — or the console makes clicking or grinding noises — the hard drive is the prime suspect. Try a database rebuild first; if crashes continue across games, back up your saves and test or replace the drive.

Will deleting the game delete my saves?

No. Deleting a game removes its files but keeps the save data, which lives separately. You can safely delete and reinstall the crashing game without losing progress, as long as you keep the saved data when asked.

Does rebuilding the database delete my games?

No. Rebuilding the database in Safe Mode only reorganizes the data on the hard drive and repairs corrupted index entries. Your games, saves, screenshots, and settings are all kept — it's one of the safest fixes on this list.

What if CE-34878-0 keeps happening in every game?

If the error strikes across all games even after updates, a database rebuild, and reinstalls, the problem is likely the system itself — a failing hard drive or deeply corrupted system software. Back up your saves, try initializing the PS4, and if that fails, contact PlayStation Support about a repair.

Can overheating cause CE-34878-0?

Yes. A hot PS4 can crash games with CE-34878-0, especially graphically demanding ones. Make sure the console has clear airflow on all sides, dust the vents, and don't stack it in a closed cabinet.

For most players, CE-34878-0 is gone by Fix 4 or Fix 5 — the database rebuild and the clean reinstall handle the corrupted-data cases that cause the vast majority of crashes. Work through the list in order and you'll be back in the game fast. And while the PS4 rebuilds its database, the free browser games here on GameAdda run on anything with a screen — no console required. 🎮