Metal Gear Solid 5 Problems: 5 Things You Need to Know

The Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain release date is finally here for PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. And while the game has received excellent reviews it’s not without problems. Metal Gear Solid 5 problems are starting to emerge for PC and console users and today we want to take a look at what you need to know about these initial issues including a potential game-breaking bug.

Earlier this year, Konami confirmed the Metal Gear Solid 5 release for September 1st. As promised, the company has delivered Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain to console and PC users and gamers around the world are starting to dig in with Big Boss and his epic campaign.

In August, we saw the first round of Metal Gear Solid 5 reviews arrive. Several top sites gave it excellent reviews and it’s clear that Hideo Kojima’s latest installment will go down as another classic. That said, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is far from perfect.

Metal Gear Solid 5 users are starting to chime in with their own feedback about the game. And while many are enjoying the open-world gameplay and the story, others are complaining about a series of Metal Gear Solid 5 problems.

With these Metal Gear Solid 5 problems in mind, we want to take a look at five things you need to know right now as we push away from the game’s release date.

Metal Gear Solid 5 Problems

The first Metal Gear Solid 5 problems struck around Midnight EST last night. This is when Konami, Microsoft, Sony, and others started letting gamers around the world to play Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Since then, we’ve seen a steady stream of complaints about Metal Gear Solid 5 problems.

These issues aren’t limited to one specific platform. We’re seeing complaints from PC users, Xbox One users, PS4 users, Xbox 360 users, and PS3 users. Metal Gear Solid 5 problems are affecting users across the board.

Re: #MGSV we’re seeing connection issues and are taking temporary measures: 1) number of FOB missions displayed decreased Part1/3

— METAL GEAR OFFICIAL (@metalgear_en) September 1, 2015

Those who are playing the game on PC have been complaining about game crashes, random lag and black screens, crashes on Windows 10, issues with loading up the game, various issues using controllers, server errors, and more.

Metal Gear Solid 5 forums are filled with complaints about PC Metal Gear Solid 5 though the majority of problems seem to be related to performance rather than in-game bugs.

PS3 and PS4 Metal Gear Solid 5 problems have been emerging since release as well. We’ve seen users complain about freezing and slow loading times, frame rate drops on the PS3, an 80010514 error on PS3, issues with Day One DLC codes, problems with servers, and more. These are just the tip of the iceberg.

Xbox 360 and Xbox One Metal Gear Solid 5 problems include a black screen issue, an annoying problem with sound,  installation problems, and various connection issues.

Konami also says that server down time is to blame for its companion app for iPhone and Android not functioning correctly. It has also confirmed a game-breaking bug that occurs when using Quiet during specific missions. The company says that it’s working on a fix for the problem but it’s not clear when the fix might be released.

We expect complaints to continue throughout the day and in the weeks and months ahead as more and more people download and play this game.

Metal Gear Solid 5 Updates

Konami has already acknowledged several problems with connection issues and it has already taken some steps to address these problems. We’ve also seen several key Metal Gear Solid 5 updates roll out that should help to stabilize the game on PC and console.

The developer has already rolled out a day one patch for Metal Gear Solid 5. The Version 1.01 patch comes with some general fixes for the game. It comes with additional enhancements for FOB missions and it also comes with overall optimization and stability improvements. The update is massive for PS4 and Xbox One and will require some extra downloading time once you try and install the game.

Some Metal Gear Solid 5 users are already complaining about problems specific to the Version 1.0.1 patch. So while it might solve some problems, it could bring some more to the table as well.

Those who are playing the PC version of the game already have access to a hot fix. This hot fix apparently tackles and issue wherein the PC version of the game wasn’t running properly with Phenom II, Athlon II  and CPUs that don’t feature support for SSE4.1.

Marathon, Not a Sprint

These day one patches and hot fixes are a good start but they are only the beginning.

If you’ve never played an ambitious open-world game like Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, you need to know that growing pains are common.

This is a massive complex game. It features tons of items, characters, quests, zones, enemies, and more. Hiccups are normal right out of the gate. Some get solved with patches right away, others tend to linger for some time before they get fixed. Some may never get fixed.

What we do know is that Konami and its partners will be working hard to iron out as many problems as it can.

As we move forward, Konami will almost certainly release new patches and fixes that are aimed at problems on PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3, and PS4. To make sure that you’re up to date on the latest news, you’ll want to follow Konami’s social media accounts.

You can expect the company to roll out regular performance updates for all versions of the game as it looks to squash bugs and problems. The company hasn’t confirmed what kind of frequency we might see so you’ll need to keep a watchful eye or start digging for fixes from other sources.

How to Report Metal Gear Solid 5 Problems

If you stumble upon a problem in Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, you’ll want to point it out to fellow Metal Gear Solid 5 users (they might be able to help) and Konami itself so that it can fix it in future updates.

To do that, you’ll want to address the company’s official Twitter account or its official Facebook account. Let them know.

We’ve seen those accounts tell people to take up Metal Gear Solid 5 problems on Konami’s official support website.

If Konami can’t help you, you’ll want to reach out to Microsoft, Sony or your CPU part manufacturer directly. The developer has already recommended this several times in the last 24 hours and it’s a good way to bring attention to your issue.

Where to Find Help

If you run into Metal Gear Solid 5 problems on PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, or PS3 and you simply can’t wait for a patch or hot fix, there are a few places to turn.

If you’re running into issues, and Konami won’t or can’t help, we recommend taking a look at the extensive Metal Gear Solid Reddit for help. There are already a number of fixes floating around there and you’ll want to dig in a little bit before posting your own request for help.

You can reach out at one of many Metal Gear Solid forums. There are several including Steam’s, IGN’s, GameSpot’s, GameFAQ’s, GiantBomb’s, and more. You might have some luck there.

Several sites are already offering quick fixes for various PC issues so you’ll also want to dig around for third-party fixes from solid sources as well.

We should see more potential fixes pop up in the hours and days ahead so make sure you look around before sending in a formal complaint to Microsoft, Sony or Konami.

One last thing. When Metal Gear Online launches, it will almost certainly be plagued with issues. Most of this will apply to it and you’ll also want to keep an eye on the Metal Gear Online Twitter account for up to date information.

Metal Gear Solid 5 Deals

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If you still haven't pre-ordered a copy of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and you own an Xbox, know that Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes is available for free for Xbox Live Gold Members. The game is the first part of the Metal Gear Solid 5 series and if you're not sure about a Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain pre-order, it might be worth a download.  There are also a number of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain deals floating around ahead of the game's release date.  Best Buy is offering two deals. One is for My Best Buy members and it nets them $10 in Best Buy Rewards if you pre-order the game. The retailer is also offering the game to those in the Gamers Club Unlocked program. Those in GCU can get the game for $48.  Microsoft's also offering a deal that will give pre-orderers a $10 Xbox gift card digital code within 10 days after the game's release on September 1st.  NVIDIA is also offering a free copy of the PC Metal Gear Solid 5 if you purchase a qualifying graphics card. In order to qualify, you'll need to pick up a a GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 980, 970, or 960 GPU or 980/970M notebook. Those deals are static. We've also seen some other deals floating around (including one recent one at Dell) that knocked the price down. If you're not looking to pay full price, you'll want to keep your eyes peeled for deals as we get closer to the release date.

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