Fix Any Problem on Your PS5 Using “safe Mode”
Despite the best intentions of manufacturers and the best efforts of consumers, technology still breaks down quite regularly, and the PlayStation 5 is no exception to this rule. Sony has actually included a useful troubleshooting tool in its console: safe mode.
In safe mode, the PS5 runs with a minimal set of functions. The idea is that you turn to it whenever you have problems – and, at least in theory, anything that turns out to be problematic won’t be enabled when Safe Mode is active. This means you can at least enter the limited interface to change key settings or even reset your console.
Some actions in Safe Mode can destroy data stored on your console, so it’s always a good idea to have a backup before something goes wrong – Sony has a complete guide to backing up your PS5 that you can refer to if you’re concerned you’re not doing it yet.
Entering Safe Mode
To launch Safe Mode on PS5, first make sure it’s turned off (if it’s on, hold the front power button for three seconds to turn it off). Turn it on again by holding the power button on the front panel for seven seconds. As soon as you hear the second beep, release the Power button.
Before you enter Safe Mode, you’ll be asked to connect your DualSense controller to your PS5 using a USB cable (one should have been included with the console, but any will do). Wireless is one of the features disabled in Safe Mode, so you’ll need a cable.
Once the cable and controller are connected, press the PS button on the controller and you will be taken to the main Safe Mode screen. You should see eight different options on the screen, and you can move between them using the D-pad on the controller – use the cross button to make selections and the circle button to go back.
Safe Mode Options
All the options available in Safe Mode are useful if your PS5 regularly crashes, behaves strangely, or refuses to start at all. It might be worth trying them one by one to try to find a solution, or there might be a specific option that suits the specific problem you’re facing.
Reboot your PS5: This simply restarts your PS5 normally, although if you’re having problems you’ve already tried this.
Change video output: Select Change Resolution or Change HDCP Mode (DRM protocol used to connect to a large screen). Both of these options can be useful if there is something wrong with the PS5 output display.
Restore Console Storage: This will not erase the data on the drive inside your PS5, but it will attempt to perform some resets and fixes to get the internal storage working again. Try this if you have storage issues or your PS5 won’t start.
Update system software: Try this if you can’t apply updates the normal way. The latest system software can be downloaded from the Internet or installed from a USB flash drive . Sony has details on how to set up a USB drive here .
Restore Default Settings: Returns the PS5 to its factory state without deleting any games, apps, screenshots, video clips or saved data – so it’s essentially just resetting the console.
Clear cache and rebuild database. There are two options here. Use system software cache clearer if certain system features are not working properly or you notice slow performance. Alternatively, select Repair Database to run a disk scan and repair your PS5 content database, which is also useful for troubleshooting feature or performance issues.
Reset PS5. Now we get to the serious stuff – this will completely restore your PS5 to factory condition, erasing everything from the system so you can start over. You will need to restore all your games, settings and saves.
Reset PS5 (reinstall system software). Same as the above option, only the system software is also wiped and reinstalled – as mentioned above, this can be done by downloading the latest version from the Internet or via a USB drive .
Hopefully, one of these options will solve your PS5 problems—perhaps without even having to reinstall any games or save data.
Other troubleshooting options
If you’ve completed all the steps in Safe Mode and your PlayStation 5 is still having problems, there’s nothing else you can try: some hardware component may be damaged and needs to be replaced or repaired.
Keep in mind that the reset options available in Safe Mode return your console to its factory state. If things are still going wrong at this point, it’s likely to be a fairly fundamental problem, although hopefully not insurmountable.
If troubleshooting in Safe Mode does not help, Sony recommends requesting a repair . In the meantime, if you can’t get into Safe Mode at all, you can try experimenting with different HDMI and USB cables to see if it makes any difference.