Destiny's expansion is blocking some PS4 players from starting the game

Destiny players on PS4 have reported a frustrating PSN error preventing them from logging in after they purchase The Dark Below.

Buying The Dark Below on its own, rather than the Expansion Pass, can prevent players from accessing Destiny on PS4 - and possibly PlayStation 3.

When the player tries to fire the game up, they'll be confronted with a countdown timer saying the content will become available when The Dark Below launches, as when you pre-order a game on the PSN.

Obviously it's not ideal, and common work arounds for PSN errors of this kind, such as disabling network connections and restarting the console, have not been effective.

According to a couple of Reddit threads, some users have fixed the problem by deleting all application data and reinstalling. The issue seems to affect digital copies only, so that means re-downloading the whole game. Groan.

A small number of people have had luck restoring their licenses (to try this out, look for the relevant option in the PSN section of the Settings menu). Others have been referred to Activision Support by Sony.

If you've been affected by this issue, it might be worth hanging up your hat and waiting for launch day rather than going through the rigmarole of reinstalling, because the PSN is currently experiencing issues.

The Dark Below launches on December 9.