GTA IV bricking Xbox 360 consoles

Following the much-reported problems that PlayStation 3 gamers have experienced with Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV, the latest news is that the game is also causing significant problems for gamers on Xbox 360.

Reports from a number of 360 sites are that the Xbox 360 version of GTA IV has been causing freezing issues and ‘bricking’ some consoles with the dreaded 'Red Ring of Death' problem, the ongoing PR disaster which continues to haunt Microsoft’s Xbox division.

RAM strain

"If you guys actually read and check Rockstar's official GTA IV forums, you'll find out that they are aware of the freezing problems for PS3 and 360. Their current workaround is: "Delete your saved game, and start over."" claimed one forum post on Xbox.com

Others report that, due to the fact that it has been designed to have no loading delays within the game, GTA IV overloads the cache, causing the Xbox 360 to freeze, with calls for Rockstar to release a patch that limits the strain on the Xbox 360’s RAM.

TechRadar has contacted Microsoft and Rockstar today for further clarity on this issue, so stay tuned for updates.