How To Fix Error Code 4b538e50 In NBA 2K23

Don’t get us wrong, NBA 2K23 is pretty optimized and runs like a dream; even on next-gen consoles, it looks visually breathtaking, and the photorealism is marvelous. But there is no question that the game has been underwhelming with its polishing as of late. It is apparent from issues such as the 727e66ac error code, which is a recurring issue from past titles in the series, such as NBA 2K22 from last year.

We have prepared together a detailed guide that will allow you to fix this problem as quickly as possible. It isn’t a major issue that will prove to be a headache, but before we get to the solutions to it, we first need to look at what the error code means in the game, which we have entailed in-depth for you.

• Before We Begin: NBA 2K23 Companion App Not Working

What Is The Error Code 4b538e50

Multiplayer games have constantly evolved over the past few years to the point where they need to be regularly maintained so that their online gameplay is smooth and without any inconsistencies. But it is hard to imagine any online video game which has 0 bugs and glitches in the form of error codes that inevitably occur in some way.

As stated previously, The error code 4b538e50 in NBA 2K23 has been a returning issue that was predominantly present in the previous entries and proved to be an annoying occurrence for players. The error code in question is mostly caused due to an unstable network connection with the back-end servers of the game and 2K.

The message in error states that “There is a problem with your connection to our services.” This obviously means there are two potential culprits behind the cause of the error code 4b538e50, after discussing with a few players on the Discord communities of the game and going through the forums. The most evident reason behind it is mostly due to network-related issues from your end or in the internal servers of the game.

The only real drawback is that the only real indication of help that the developers provide is to check with the servers of the game, which of course, is true, for the most part. But keep in mind that this error has the tendency to occur due to flaws in your network or machine. So in order to counteract that cause, we have prepared a list of fixes that should help you relieve yourself of the error code, so let’s go over it briefly.

10 Ways To Fix Error Code 4b538e50

Thankfully, the player base of the NBA games community across Reddit and the support forums have detailed various workarounds that you can implement in order to alleviate the issue potentially. They are all mostly network-related, and some may seem bizarre to understand firsthand, but we assure you that they all have a high chance of working, which will undoubtedly eliminate the error code 4b53e50 from occurring in NBA 2K23.

We recommend carefully following each of the instructions listed in our guide as there is a possibility that any one of them will help you cure the problem. As long as you closely stick to what we have mentioned, we hope it will help you achieve the best results against the issue.

Restart The Game Or Console

Now, although it may sound so painfully obvious, we strongly suggest at least restarting the game once. Preferably twice to see if that helps you out. It will allow you to refresh the core state of the game and remove any instances where it may have randomly issued an error code to the player. It irons out any sort of strange encounters where a bug or glitch might have frozen the game completely or made it inaccessible.

Additionally, if restarting the game doesn’t fix the file discrepancies of the game, then we advise you to reboot whichever console you are using or the PC. It is essentially one of the oldest tricks in the book if players want to kickstart a stuck title or, in fact, any game which might be causing continuous issues. You should be able to easily reboot any console from the main interface, while PC users can simply restart from their Windows or Linux OS.

Furthermore, there is also another useful method that players can opt to try, which is by simply power cycling their console or system. It is a pretty straightforward process, one that should take only a few minutes to complete and will benefit you in the long run to reinvigorate the ecosystem of the machine:

• First of all, you should obviously make sure that the console or PC is completely powered off.
• Now, remove or unplug the power cable from the system, and just to be sure, you should also switch off the extension or power socket where they’re connected.
• PC users of NBA 2K23 can also turn off the Power Supply button located on the back of their system’s casing.
• Give it at least 5 minutes so that there is no excess power running through the devices and their components.
• Once enough time has passed, plug everything back into place and boot up your appliance.
• Launch the game again and verify if the error still persists or not so we can move on to the other solutions.

Update The Game To The Latest Version

Believe it or not, firmware updates to games play a huge role in maintaining their ecosystem so they can perform at optimal performance rates. These updates or patches also introduce a plethora of useful changes to the system capabilities of the application in order to smoothen its functionality. In layman’s terms, keeping your games like NBA 2K23 up-to-date on the latest version is the key to running them in the best state possible.

So with the passage of time, developers will often release new updates to their titles and will mostly make their player base aware of the changes via the patch notes. These also mention any sort of detected bug or glitch that needs fixing or otherwise may cause problems with the future versions of the game. Fortunately, issues like this are tackled and resolved sooner than you’d expect, but in the case of the NBA games, it is a little weird.

You can confirm if there is a new version of NBA 2K23 on different platforms using the following way:

PS4 and PS5:

• Head to the main title icon of NBA 2K23 on your home screen of either console.
• On your controller, press the options button to open up a menu.
• You should be able to spot the option titled “Check for Updates,” which, when selected, will allow you to check new versions of the game.
• If there is a new version of the game available, then the system will notify you of them being added to your current downloads list.

Xbox Consoles:

• On the main Xbox home screen, scroll over to the My Games & Apps section.
• There should be a setting that will allow you to manage your apps and their updates.
• If you do not want to scroll through each game, you can select the ‘Update All’ feature which will allow the console to scan for any new versions of every installed game, including NBA 2K23.

Nintendo Switch:

• Locate the NBA 2K23 title in your library or the home screen.
• Press the ‘+’ button on your joy-con controller while hovering over it.
• Here just select the Software Update option.
• It will ask for confirmation if you want to check for updates via the internet, after which it will notify you of the downloading process or if it is up-to-date.

PC (Steam):

• Open up the Steam launcher by searching for it in the Windows search bar or just by opening it from the taskbar if you have the game pinned there for easy access.
• At the bottom of the screen in Steam, click on your Downloads list.
• Here, the launcher should’ve automatically put NBA 2K23 in the list for pending game updates. You can also scroll a little bit more down and check if it’s moved to the ‘Scheduled’ list to download at a later time.

Clean Up Storage Space & Profile IDs

Now it may seem bizarre that we listed this but trust me when I say that NBA 2K23 goes a bit steeper when it comes to its storage management. Players of the game are able to create multiple profile accounts in-game, which allows them to access multiple save data profiles freely.

However, the only catch is that you should preferably only create a total of five profiles in total. Exceeding past that amount may lead to the first five IDs created on the system being unable to access the 2K game servers. It will end up causing issues that you won’t even know about until the error code pops up. Whether you have the game installed on HDD or SSD, it is best to make only a couple of Player profiles to play within the game.

Keep in mind that you will also need extra storage space to download and install the various updates that will release over the course of time. There will also be in-game patches that will periodically improve the stability and network aspects of the game so be mindful of that if you want to avoid error codes such as the 4b538e50 error code during your playtime in NBA 2K23.

Evaluate The Server Status

The servers play a pivotal role in the regular functioning of a video game, especially for Multiplayer titles like NBA 2K23; they are the vital backbones so that players can play it smoothly. It is worth stating that the game uses quite a chunk of your network connection to keep you hooked to the back-end servers.

Developers will perform maintenance procedures on their games in order to fine-tune their performance and improve their general ecosystem across the board. But worry not; most of the time, MMO games and hardcore multiplayer titles such as the NBA series will often remind players of instances where the game may be taken offline for a brief time period.

So in moments like those, it is always best to just let the game take its time as these maintenance cycles may also heavily dial down and eliminate the minor bugs and glitches. It, of course, includes the error codes, which may cease to exist since they are permanent additions to the game after all. But make no mistake, you will have a much lesser time dealing with them since the game will strive to reduce these problems via the server updates.

It is worth mentioning that players can easily hop on over to the Official site to check the NBA 2K Server Status for every title, including NBA 2K23. It is a great tool that will allow you to go through each of the modes and if their multiplayer systems are up and running, such as MyCareer and MyPark, with the latter being an essential mode where you can hang out with different players around the world and compete with them.

Verify Your MyPlayer Account

According to the NBA 2K support site, they have stated that the error may generate due to your account not being linked with the in-game 2K online services. Most presumably, users might have logged in for the first time and made their account upon launching the game for the first time. But in case you might’ve forgotten, you will probably need to verify your account credentials for your My Player account.

This will also mean that you will be able to remove any unknown causes through which the issue may stem. So in order to verify your NBA 2K MyPlayer account, you can follow the short steps we have listed to do it with ease:

• Open up the Web Browser on your computer or smartphone device.
• Head to the Official 2K site to register or log on to your account
• There should be an option to sign in at the top right of the screen.
• If you made your account in-game, then log in with the credentials that you chose; otherwise, just make a new account from scratch.
• Unless you need to verify your Email, you should be able to successfully log into the site without it notifying you of the verification process hence why this is another minor element that you should remember to do before jumping into the game.

Disable The Background Applications

The following method is more geared toward the PC players as it involves shutting down some of the background running applications and software on your Operating System. More often than not, these apps will drain CPU usage, making it difficult for the component to focus all of its valuable resources solely on the game. It will end up causing annoying disruptions to your ongoing gameplay.

In order to have your hardware supply most of the performance to NBA 2K23, you will need to disable notorious background running software such as Discord, Spotify, and OBS recording.

But out of most of these, be extra careful to close any tabs in your web browser, such as Opera and Google. It will help you to free up valuable data for the RAM, which is also an integral part of your PC and to run tasks efficiently on the system.

You should have no trouble being able to quit Spotify and OBS, but it is imperative that you learn how to properly turn off the Discord Overlay and other apps via the following step-by-step method:

• Simply open up the Discord application by launching it from your pinned applications in the taskbar or by searching for it in the Windows search bar.
• Once booted up, look to the bottom-right; next to your profile avatar should be the gear symbol which allows you to view the main settings of Discord.
• There is a wide variety of options here to choose from, but we are looking for the Game Overlay settings, which should be right under the “Activity Settings” tab.
• Once you have found it, click on it to open up a new menu on the right-hand side, which should now display options to modify the overlay; for now, just toggle it off.

• Lastly, to further full-proof the error code 4b538e50 from occurring in the future during NBA 2K23, make sure to turn off the Auto-startup functionality in Discord.
• You should face no trouble locating it as it can be found on the Window Settings under the ‘App Settings’ tab. Just toggle off the ‘Start Minimized’ setting so that Discord doesn’t boot up with the Desktop launch.

• Furthermore, you can opt to clear up any other launcher apps or web browser tabs running in the background, too, with the help of the old reliable Task Manager.
• It can be opened by right-clicking on your taskbar, which is located at the bottom of the desktop screen.
• You will now be displayed with a menu and a list of currently running applications and software that you can close up by clicking o them and selecting the End Task option. You can also view and manage your CPU and RAM usage from here, too, and what apps are consuming the most data out of them.

Modify Your DNS Settings

Another intuitive way of strengthening your connection to the NBA 2K23 servers is by customizing the DNS settings, which is basically the Domain Name System. By default, most Internet Service Providers (ISP) will administer standard DNS protocol addresses, which can cause some issues in Multiplayer video games.

However, in order to counteract this, you can instead modify these settings to your preference on both the console and PC platforms. We are looking to implement the Google DNS combinations, which are known to be one of the most popular DNS addresses out there, which we are going to enter on the PS5.

It is worth stating the same method can be applied to the PS4 console, too, since the interface relatively remains the same:

• First things first, boot up your console and head to the main settings menu.
• From the list, select the Network Options and then proceed to go straight into Set Up A New Connection. Unless you are already using a pre-existing connection, we do not have to add a new one here. You are only going to customize some of the peripherals of the current one.

• Now instead of choosing a new one, just scroll down until you see the option to Set Up Manually.
• Once selected, just pick your network connection from the list to customize its values.

• The Network Options should now be shown to you through which you can adjust different settings such as the IP Address and the MAC Address.
• There are two simplistic choices of keeping either one of them automatic or changing them up manually.
• Scroll down and select to modify your Primary and Secondary DNS settings.
• In the Primary DNS, type in 8.8.8.8, and for the secondary slot, use 8.8.4.4 and make sure to save them by hitting the Enter icon on the on-screen number pad of the PS5 or PS4.
• Lastly, there is also the optional task of adjusting your MTU settings which doesn’t add too much of a noticeable difference but it changing it to 1478 from the default 1500 is worth trying out. It essentially reduces the packet data transfer size as your bandwidth passes to and fro the servers.

Allow Windows Firewall Permission

For the PC players, in case you haven’t done it already, then we highly suggest granting your NBA 2K23 executable file access to the Public and Private network parts of your connection.

It is imperative that you do this as it will grant the core game file permission to freely perform data transmissions from the back-end servers. Thankfully the process isn’t too hard to achieve as it can be done in just a few short and easy steps:

• First of all, you will need to open up the Windows Defender Firewall menu by either looking it up in the Windows Search bar or from the main settings of your desktop.

• Look to the left-hand side of the menu, where you should be able to pick the Allow an App or feature through the Windows Firewall setting to continue.
• You will now be displayed with a list of applications and software that, by default, will have been granted access to either one or both your Private and Public domains.

• At the bottom of the menu, there should be the option to Allow another app which we are going to do in order to add the game to the list.
• Simply select the executable file of NBA 2K23 and make sure to tick both the Private and Public boxes, and click on apply settings to save your changes.
• Now head back into the game and evaluate if these modifications fixed the 4b538e50 error code.

Use a VPN

You can make further adjustments to how your network connection works in NBA 2K23 by enabling a VPN or Virtual Private Network. It is software designed to help you roam and access the internet privately without any extra data throttling or restrictions to hinder your experience.

Most ISPs tend to accommodate users with IP addresses that have limitations, such as region-blocked websites and even games too on specific launchers.

Fortunately, in this modern era of gaming and technology, there are multiple VPNs that you can opt to use, which will undoubtedly help you launch the game effectively. Using a VPN to log into the game will help you test out if the error code is due to a weak or, otherwise, lackluster connection.

There are various paid and free VPN services that you find all over the internet to purchase and or use, but these ultimately factor into their performance too.

Premium services such as NordVPN will likely provide the highest quality in terms of connectivity, but you can also use subscriptions like ProtonVPN, which is an excellent free-to-use VPN that has a variety of regional servers and boasts a streamlined connection across the world.

We recommend trying to use regions other than where you live to verify if the issue pertains to your IP address and if that is the cause behind the error code.

Simply connect to any country like Canada or France to see if they can let you play the game without any hitches. If you do not get booted out of the game, then you are good to go, but of course, if you do, then we have one more trick so that you can get back to the grind of NBA 2K23.

Improve Your Network Connection

One of the last resort actions that you can perform is to look into improving your internet connection and check if anything can be done to boost your speed and overall properties. We suggest contacting your ISP and verifying if there is an option that you can avail yourself of to upgrade your connection speed package. The preferred bandwidth data for online multiplayer is at least 4MB, but we suggest having a bit more than that.

Speaking of which, bandwidth plays an integral role in maintaining a steady connection of your online games. If there is any sort of major ups and downs in the transmission, it will cause annoying issues. It can lead you to problems such as high latency and lag while playing matches in NBA 2K23 against other players. Moreover, you will obviously run into the occasional error codes, such as the 4b538e50 error code.

Lastly, we advise switching from a wireless to an ethernet connection instead to boost the speed. It will not only improve your internet connection status but make it stable enough so that you don’t face dips in the bandwidth. Wi-Fi connections are notorious for causing unwanted traffic and network outages, but with a wired one, you will rarely run into these instances and, overall, will have a much more streamlined gameplay session.

You will face a much better experience as compared to before, so if you can then immediately look into equipping an ethernet cable and routing it to your console or PC from the router or modem. The ethernet wires come in all sorts of lengths and sizes, so do not worry about the cable reaching your device in your household.

The Wrap-Up

NBA 2K23 is one of the few sports games that just feels like another entry to an otherwise stale franchise, as indicated by our in-depth Review of NBA 2K23. But without the criticism, the game holds dearly for the hardcore fanbase as it does a lot to improve on its upfronts, such as the game modes and adding QoL changes too.

The game boasts the highest photorealistic graphics yet and aims to please even the most casual players by offering a wide array of major league teams to play in the game.

There are multiple all-star athletes who are easily the Best Players of NBA 2K23, such as Stephen Curry and the late-great Kobe Bryant are all present. They all have their individual stats and attributes that you will need to be mindful of as you play the game.

As you jump into MyCareer or any other competitive multiplayer mode, knowing about the Best Builds will let you nab an easy winning streak in no time flat. You can combine that information with the Best Teams in the game who have the highest-rated players in them, such as the all-time legend Michael Jordan. There are a variety of options to enhance your playstyles and techniques, from the Best Power Forward Builds and Dribble Moves.

However, it goes without any question that 2K themselves have garnered massive disapproval from fans over their lack of communication and customer support. You can submit a ticket at 2K Games Support, after which you can expect an email from the customer support team, who will reach out to you for any further assistance they can provide regarding the error code or issues plaguing the game.

The game has some rough corners that desperately need a fair bit of polishing to be done on them, but thankfully, as time goes on, the developers will deliver more updates to iron out these pesky bugs and glitches. Hopefully, the methods we have listed will help you implement a fix to the error code. If there is anything we missed or if it needs attention, let us know about it in the comments below, and as always, eXputer wishes you luck!

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