Sony gives the all-clear over PS3 clock bug

Sony has apologised for the bug that crippled a significant number of PlayStation 3 units yesterday, including retail SKUs, test and development kits.

According to the company, a bug related to the internal clock has now corrected itself as the date has changed, and users are now able to play on their consoles after previous warnings not to switch machines on.

"We are aware that the internal clock functionality in the PS3 units other than the slim model, recognised the year 2010 as a leap year. Having the internal clock date change from February 29 to March 1 (both GMT), we have verified that the symptoms are now resolved and that users are able to use their PS3 normally," said the company in a statement.

If users are still seeing incorrect times on the cross media bar, they should adjust the settings manually, said Sony.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused."

The twenty four hour problem came just as the format holder released one of its most critically acclaimed titles to date, Heavy Rain, which also shot to number one in the UK all-formats charts.