How To Reset Your PS5 To Factory Settings (And Why You Might Need To)
Sony’s PlayStation 5 and its variants, like the recently released PlayStation 5 Slim and thenew, upgraded PlayStation 5 Pro, are remarkable pieces of hardware. While you might not think of your sleek, powerful console as a computer, it is. Like any other computer, it can occasionally run into serious issues that require you to do a full factory reset. On the other hand, you might simply want to get rid of your PS5, which means getting rid of your personal data before it leaves your possession. So, when should you factory reset your PS5, and how?
Broadly speaking, there are two main scenarios in which factory resetting your PS5 makes sense. The first is if you run into a problem with the console that cannot be resolved by any other means. The second is if you want to erase all your personal data before selling, trading, or otherwise getting rid of your console, or perhaps if you just want to start over from scratch with the device. In this article, we’ll explain how to safely back up and factory reset your PS5.
Determine if your PlayStation 5 needs a factory reset
If you’re looking to perform a factory reset of your PS5 due to a software problem, your first step should be determining if it’s the best solution. For example, if the issue is that your PS5 isn’t responding to inputs from your DualSense controller, you should first check that the controller iscorrectly paired with the console. If it won’t connect or if it’s connected but unresponsive, tryresetting your DualSenseand repairing it to the PS5.
If your PS5 is totally unresponsive and not displaying an image to your TV, you should also check that your PS5 is receiving power and that the HDMI cable connecting it to the TV is securely plugged in at both ends.
If the issue remains unresolved, or if the PS5 shows an image on the TV but the system is unresponsive or glitchy, try a soft reset by holding down the PS5’s power button until it shuts down. Then, unplug the console from the wall and wait about 30 seconds before plugging it back in and switching it on.
If the problem still persists,boot your PS5 into Safe Modewith these steps:
In Safe Mode, you can change video output to troubleshoot screen issues, repair console storage, update the software, restore default settings, clear the cache, or rebuild the console database, all without deleting data.
Back up your games and media
A factory reset will delete all of the games, apps, media, and settings stored on your PlayStation 5, so you should back up that data first. Unfortunately, you will only be able to perform the backup if your PS5 is functional enough to do so. If your system is too glitchy or completely unresponsive, you won’t be able to back anything up.
First, make sure you know yourPlayStation Network logininformation. You’ll need it to recover your data later. Next, make sure all games and apps you want backed up are stored on the console itself and not anexternal PS5 storage device. You’ll also need a USB drive with enough available storage for your games.
Once you’re ready, here’s how to back up your PS5:
If you have a PlayStation Plus membership, you can also use the PS5’s cloud backup by going to Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data > Console Storage. Select the checkbox next to each of the games you wish to back up, then select Upload to Cloud Storage.
How to perform a PlayStation 5 factory reset
With your data backed up, you are now ready to perform a factory reset on your PlayStation 5 and restore it to its out-of-the-box configuration. There are a few ways to do this, depending on how functional the console is. If the console is working normally or you’re resetting it to trade, sell, or donate, you can perform the reset through Settings.
To factory reset your PS5 from Settings:
At this point, if you were resetting it to troubleshoot a problem with the console, you should check if your issue is resolved. If it’s not, the problem may unfortunately be related to the PS5’s hardware or potentially a controller or other peripheral.
How to factory reset a PlayStation 5 from Safe Mode
For extreme issues that prevent regular use of the PlayStation 5, you may need to factory reset the console from Safe Mode, which will involve manually reinstalling your system software. Before you begin, you’ll need aUSB drive formatted as FAT32or exFAT, along with a Mac or PC that has internet access.
To factory reset your PS5 with Safe Mode:
You should be able to test your PS5 in Safe Mode now. Similar to resetting outside of Safe Mode, if the system is still unresponsive or the problem persists, this could be indicative of a hardware issue.
Restore a PS5 backup
If factory resetting your PlayStation 5 resolved your issue, you may now wish to restore all your games, apps, media, and settings from the backup you made. To restore your backup, follow these steps:
If you use Console Sharing and Offline Play, restoring your PS5 disables that feature in Settings. You can turn it back on by going to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play, then enable the setting.
Once it has finished restoring, your PS5 should have restored all the games, apps, media, and settings that you backed up. Hopefully, any issues it may have had are resolved.
