Starting PS5 safe mode: every option explained

PS5 safe mode is your rescue menu when the console does not start properly, gives no picture, freezes or no longer loads games. You start it with a button on the console and get a simple menu with a few options. Some are harmless, others erase all your data. This article explains how to start safe mode, what each option does and which order works best.

Blue Apple repairs PlayStation consoles in Amsterdam. If you cannot get into safe mode, read the section at the end.

Starting safe mode

1. Switch the PS5 off completely. Hold the power button until it beeps, or choose Turn Off in the menu. The light must be fully off, not orange.
2. Hold the power button again. You hear a beep, and after about seven seconds a second beep. Then let go.
3. Connect the controller with a USB cable. Wireless does not work in safe mode.
4. Press the PS button on the controller. The menu appears.

The options, from harmless to drastic

• Restart PS5: a plain restart.
• Change Video Output: change the resolution or HDCP mode. Handy with no picture, a black screen or flickering on a certain TV.
• Update System Software: over the internet, a USB stick or a disc. Your data stays.
• Clear Cache and Rebuild Database: the PS5 tidies temporary files and puts its list of games and data back in order. Fixes many problems with slow loading, freezing and games that will not start. Your games stay.
• Restore Default Settings: settings back to factory. Your games and data stay.
• Reset PS5: erases everything and returns the console to factory settings.
• Reinstall System Software: erases everything and installs the software again. You need the software on a USB stick.

The exact names may differ slightly per software version.

In which order?

1. Start with a restart.
2. No picture? Choose Change Video Output.
3. Freezing or slow? Update the software, then rebuild the database.
4. If that does not help, restore the default settings.
5. Only as a last step choose reset or reinstall. Make sure your saves are safe first, for example in the cloud with PlayStation Plus or on a USB stick.

Putting the software on a USB stick

To reinstall or update without internet you need a USB stick formatted as FAT32 or exFAT. Create a folder PS5, inside it a folder UPDATE, and put the file from the official PlayStation website in it. Use the right version: there is a file for updating and a larger file for reinstalling.

You cannot get into safe mode

• You only hear one beep: hold longer until the second beep.
• The controller does not respond: try another USB cable; some cables only charge and do not carry data.
• There is no picture, even in safe mode: then it is often the cable, the TV or the HDMI port. Read PS5 no picture on the TV.
• The PS5 does not turn on at all: read PS5 will not turn on.

What we do at Blue Apple in Amsterdam

If your PS5 keeps falling back into safe mode, reinstalling fails or it shows a storage error, the internal SSD or the motherboard may have a problem. We test the console and tell you what is needed before we do anything. See PS5 diagnosis, PlayStation motherboard repair or PlayStation repair in Amsterdam.

Frequently asked questions

Does safe mode erase my games?

Only the reset and reinstall options erase everything. The other options do not.

Does this work on the PS5 Slim and Digital Edition?

Yes, safe mode works the same way on all PS5 models.

How often can I rebuild the database?

As often as you like. It does no harm and usually takes only a short while.