How to Fix NBA 2K23 Error Code 4b538e50

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A growing number of NBA 2K23 players reported that they keep receiving a 4b538e50 error code; which apparently happens because the game failed to download the latest update data. If that occurs, you won’t be able to play again until the most recent update has been downloaded. Here are some ways you can do to fix the 4b538e50 error code for NBA 2K23 on all gaming platforms.

1. Restart the NBA 2K23 Game

Okay, this one sounds too obvious and silly; but it never hurt to try the most basic steps first to see if they work before you start troubleshooting further. Closing off your game might fix any file discrepancies while restarting the game might force it to look for new update files you might’ve missed the first time.

2. Update and Sync NBA 2K23 Data

Make sure that your NBA 2K23 has the most recent update downloaded and installed. If you can’t find any updates to download, then that means your game is already up-to-date and you should try syncing data through the Play Now option. According to 2K’s help page, playing a couple of games in Play Now mode should be enough to trigger the download and an update prompt will appear in the corner. But if you want to try manually updating the game, here’s how you can do it for each platform:

Xbox Series X and Xbox One:

Open the My Games & Apps menu.
Look for the Manage option.
Go to Updates.
Pick Update All.
Check any updates by going to the Manage > Queue option.

PS5 and PS4:

Select NBA 2K23 from the Home screen.
Press the ‘Options’ button on your controller.
Scroll down and select the ‘Check for Update’ option.
Any available updates will automatically start downloading and will be installed.

Nintendo Switch:

Open NBA 2K23 from the Home screen.
Press the + button and pick the Software Update option.
Choose Via the Internet.
Any available updates will be downloaded.

PC:

Click the Downloads text at the bottom of your Steam window.
Pick NBA 2K23.
The update will be downloaded.

3. Verify Your Email Address

The official NBA 2K support said that you might need to verify your MyPLAYER account’s email address again. To do this, perform the following steps:

Start your computer.
Open nba2k.com.
Click Sign In at the top-right of the screen
Enter your MyPLAYER account name AND password
If you log in successfully, that means your account has been automatically verified via the login process.

4. Your System Might be Holding Too Many NBA 2K Accounts

The number of NBA 2K accounts on your console may be the cause of the 4b538e50 error code. On a single console, only a maximum of five NBA 2K accounts can be made. If you’ve created more than five accounts, all accounts other than the first five ever created on that particular console won’t be able to access the server.

5. Your SSD or HDD Might be Full

NBA 2K23 (and the WWE 2K series) has “reserved space” allowed for updates and patches. If it is deleted or you run out of storage space, then there’s a chance you will run into issues. Including 4b538e50 as well as the efeab30C error code.

6. Fixing NBA 2K23 Error Code 4b538e50 on Nintendo Switch

2K help page mentioned NBA 2K23 owners on Switch might need to follow these steps to fix the 4b538350 error code:

Hold down the power button that’s next to the volume controls on the Switch.
Once you’ve pressed that, a menu should appear. Select Power Options.
Select Power Off to shut it down completely.
Hold down the power button to turn it back on, and boot up NBA 2K23.

If you’ve done all the steps above and now receive a “MyPLAYER Account is expired” message, continue by following these additional methods:

Start your computer.
Open nba2k.com.
Click Sign In at the top-right of the screen.
Choose which online service you’re playing on (either Xbox Live, PSN, Nintendo, or Steam).
Input the email address or username and password you would use for those services.

7. Check NBA 2K23 and Consoles’ Servers’ Availability

Then check out NBA 2K23‘s server status. It could be your problem is caused by a server outage or maintenance. If the server is up but you’re having issues, then it might be a random issue that strikes random players.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on NBA 2k23‘s Twitter or 2K Support account to see if 2K and Visual Concepts might’ve stumbled upon and patched any server issues.

8. Restart Your Modem or Router

A modem or router is still a (tiny) computer — only made to handle a specific task, managing your internet connections. And like your console or PC, things can go wrong from time to time. Turning off the device, waiting for 10-30 seconds, and turning it on again might’ve freed it from any crashes, IP conflict between connecting devices, or even overheating. The most basic tech advice usually works best for that reason.

9. Make Sure Your PC Antivirus or Firewall is Not Blocking the Game

Add the NBA 2K23 executable to your antivirus’s whitelist so your antivirus won’t interfere with the game’s connection. And to make sure your firewall isn’t blocking the game:

Open the Windows Start menu, search for Firewall or Windows Defender Firewall
Pick the Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall
Look for NBA 2K23 and check both boxes. Click OK
If you can’t find it, click the Allow another app button, go to your NBA 2K23 installation directory, and click on the nba2k23.exe. Check both boxes again.

10. Change Your DNS Address

Usually, your internet service providers (ISP) will assign you to default DNS addresses that don’t need to be changed. However, DNS servers can go down or unknowingly filter/block connections to specific servers, causing connection problems to NBA 2K23‘s server. Try changing your DNS server to more common ones like Google’s (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare (1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1), for example.

11. Turn On/Off Your VPN or Use a Different Connection

Just like your DNS, your default connection might be having trouble connecting to the NBA 2K23 server. In that case, you can try using a VPN to connect to a different server location. But if you already use a VPN, try switching it off.

You can also try using different connections altogether. First, to make sure, you could ask friends or family members that are using different ISPs if they’re having problems with the game or not. Then, try to get into the game by turning on the hotspot feature on your mobile phone and connecting to it. Compared to streaming movies through Netflix, just playing an online game shouldn’t eat too much of your monthly data limit (if you have it) since you’re not streaming the whole game assets back and forth and just downloading-and-uploading packets of small player data.

12. Restart Your Gaming System or Console

Just like restarting your modem or router, turning off your preferred gaming device — console or PC — could also help fix the NBA 2K23 Error Code 4b538e50. There might be obstructive applications or in-game errors running in the background, and restarting your system should refresh the whole thing.

13. Uninstall and Redownload NBA 2K23

Reinstalling the game might solve any issue that could’ve happened due to corrupted files or incorrectly installed files. Obviously, redownloading 95GB on Xbox One or PS4, 50GB on Switch, or a whopping 142GB on Xbox Series X or PS5 is a huge hassle, so save this method for last.