GTA Online patch causing PS3 to freeze, possible fix offered

Earlier today Rockstar Games issued a patch for Grand Theft Auto Online. While it supposedly addressed a number of issues plaguing the online component's launch, it apparently opened up a whole other can of worms. That is, several PS3 owners have reported that it's causing their console to freeze and, in some cases, their characters to mysteriously disappear.

Not everyone seems to be experiencing the problem, but over on the GTA forums a number of complaints point out that the latest update is causing the console to black screen and freeze. Apparently, the only way to reset it is to unplug the PS3.

Thankfully, there does appear to be a fix for the issue. If you are experiencing the freezing simply follow the directions below:

• Go to the PS3 menu
• Go to Game Data Utility
• Delete the GTA 5 Update file (version 1.01 or 1.02; ~39mb)
• Restart the game and reinstall the update/patches

While I haven't particularly tested the above method (as I have the Xbox 360 version), those were the steps posted to Rockstar's support page and suggested by a few other websites. Let us know if you are experiencing similar problems with the patch and if the tips above helped.

Meanwhile, those of us with the Xbox 360 version are patiently waiting for the update to arrive. Earlier this morning, Rockstar said the title update for Xbox 360 would be coming "as soon as possible." Let's hope it doesn't cause similar problems.