For the most part, the official Playstation 5 software is pretty stable. That said, sometimes you may run into situations where simply “turning it off and on again” doesn’t solve the problem. Cell phones, computers, and gaming consoles like the PS5 can all benefit from a fresh start at times, including if you want to sell them.
Luckily, the PS5 has a variety of options for you to modify to get it back into working order. Some are simple, while others require a little more effort on your part to make sure you’re in a good place when it’s all said and done. Below, we’ll show you several ways to reset your PS5.
For more PS5 information, be sure to check out everything we know about the PS5 Pro.
How to reset PS5 from the Settings menu
The easiest and most common way to reset your PS5 is to reset it through the console settings.
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From the Playstation home screen, navigate to Settings menu In the upper right corner.
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choose system.
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choose System software.
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choose Reset options.
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Then, select Confirm Reset your console.
If you don’t have a controller to navigate the PS5’s system UI, you can reset your console this way by connecting peripherals such as a mouse and keyboard. You can even use the Remote Play app for iOS or Android to connect your mobile device to your PS5 to control your console from your phone and reset it that way.
If all else fails, enter PS5 safe mode
Safe Mode gives you a variety of options even before you need to reset your PS5. For example, if you’re experiencing storage issues, you can repair your console’s storage to try to resolve the issue. System user interface glitches or issues? Performance degradation? In safe mode, you can try the “Clear cache and rebuild database” option to rebuild a new database of all console content without starting from scratch. Or at least give it a try. If necessary, you can reset the console
If your PS5 won’t boot completely, you won’t be able to reset it like normal as you won’t be able to get into the settings menu, so you’ll need to boot into safe mode and reset to comfort.
How to boot into PS5 safe mode and reset
Please note that resetting your PS5 from Safe Mode will result in the loss of all data stored on the console, so make sure you back everything up properly before proceeding.
- With the PS5 turned off, press and hold the power button, then release it after you hear two beeps (one beep on the initial press, followed by a second beep 7 seconds later.)
- Connect the controller via USB cable and press the PS button on it. (If this doesn’t boot you into safe mode, close the console and try the above steps again.)
- Select Reset or Reset (reinstall system software) from the Safe Mode menu option
Resetting will delete all user data and restore your PS5 to its original state. A reset (reinstalling the system software) will delete all user data and, you guessed it, reinstall the system software.
How to manually reinstall PS5 system software
If you need to reinstall the PS5 system software and it fails, you can try reinstalling manually using a USB flash drive.
First, you’ll need a USB drive with at least 1.2GB of free space, and you’ll need to use a PC or Mac to format it as EXFAT or FAT32.
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Create a folder on the USB flash drive named PS5 and another folder within that folder named renew.
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Visit the PS5 software download page and download the reinstallation file. (There are two files on the page, so make sure you select the reinstall file and not the update file.)
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After downloading, save the file in renew folder on the USB drive and rename it “PS5 update.PUP“
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Now that your USB flash drive is ready, plug it into your PS5 and follow the steps above to boot the console in safe mode.
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Select Reset (reinstall system software) The console should recognize the USB with the update file and install the software image from there.
If it fails for some reason, try the same procedure using another USB port on the console.
For more information, don’t miss what to expect as the PS5 enters the “final stages of its life cycle.”
