Fix PlayStation Error CE-34878-0 (The Blue Screen Crash)

Updated: 11/29/2025

It is the PlayStation equivalent of the Blue Screen of Death. You are playing Cyberpunk, FIFA, or Call of Duty, and the game abruptly closes, throwing you back to the dashboard with the message: 'An error has occurred in the following application. (CE-34878-0)'. This generic code basically means 'The application crashed,' but the cause can range from a simple software glitch to a dying hard drive.

Table of Contents

Is Your Save Data Corrupted?

The most common trigger for CE-34878-0 is a bad save file. If the game tries to autosave and fails, it crashes.

Critical Step: Before doing anything, upload your Save Data to the PS Plus Cloud or copy it to a USB stick. We need to ensure your progress is safe.

Method 1: Rebuild the Database (Safe Mode)

This is the 'Defrag' for consoles. It scans the hard drive and reorganizes files for better access speed. It fixes crashes without deleting any games.

Step 1: Turn Off Completely

Hold the power button on the console front until it beeps twice to shut down fully (not Rest Mode).

Step 2: Enter Safe Mode

Hold the power button again for about 7 seconds until you hear a second beep. Connect your controller via USB cable.

Step 3: Select Option 5

Choose '5. Rebuild Database' (On PS5, it might be 'Clear Cache and Rebuild Database'). This can take anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour depending on how full your drive is.

Method 2: Disable Face Recognition (Camera Users)

It sounds bizarre, but thousands of users have reported that the PlayStation Camera's face recognition software conflicts with certain games (especially Ubisoft titles).

Step 1: Go to Settings

Navigate to Settings > User > Login Settings.

Step 2: Uncheck the Box

Find 'Enable Face Recognition' and uncheck it. Restart the console and try playing.

Method 3: Reinstall with a Hard Reset

If the game still crashes, the installation itself is rot. Delete the game, restart the console, and download it again. Do not launch it until the download is 100% complete (playing while downloading 'Ready to Play' often causes this crash).