Why would any PS4s at all be malfunctioning like this? I mean, they use the same hardware and firmware on every PS4, they obviously must have done quality control during manufacturing tests. Even if more people posts negative reviews than positive on the internet, the idea that even a few hundred PS4s are totally fucked makes no sense to me. How can you fuck up manufacturing that bad? The variance between consoles is too big.
Well then your sense has taken a hike somewhere.
They can only approximate failure rates after true production has occurred. These failure rates are probably derived based on prototypes, and even then I think industry only goes to a 95% CI.
QA doesn't test everything, just basic stuff; at the very least whether it will turn on and won't blow up. Unless you really think that after manufacturing they get a gorilla to plug in and test to make sure every PS4 works perfectly.
Sony also did a bad job on their retail box, 2 thin pieces of cardboard to protect PS4 from shock is terrible, they can't afford styrofoam?
I think styrofoam is going out of vogue nowadays with these kinds of electronics. It takes up a fair bit of space and it's not the most environmentally friendly option. Well designed cardboard packaging is usually enough to suffice.