If your PS5 keeps crashing, you must be annoyed by it. Nobody likes interruption in between gaming sessions. The issue with PS5 crashing or freezing isn’t new and often occurs due to hardware or system errors. Some prominent cases involved enabled rest mode, outdated firmware, a faulty game, a damaged power cord, or an overheated console.
Games that are particularly affected include Spider-Man Remastered, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, CoD: Vanguard, and Returnal. The following article talks about the causes of PS5 freezing and the methods to troubleshoot the issue.
Why Do My PS5 Keep Crashing/Freezing?
If you are wondering why your PS5 keeps crashing, it might be due to one of the following reasons:
Outdated system software: when PS5 consoles are running on outdated system firmware, it often causes the games to crash and ruins your experience.
Rest Mode: lately, many users have reported that rest mode is causing their console to freeze and resulting in errors.
Faulty game: If you have a problem with a particular game, it probably means you have corrupted or damaged games files that need to be replaced/removed. Also, there might be some random bug causing the console to freeze or crash momentarily.
Damaged power cord: check your power cord; any signs of wear and tear in the cable or adapter show the console is compromised, and as a result, games are not running seamlessly.
Overheating console: air vents in the PS often get clogged by dust that reduces the airflow and causes the console to overheat, resulting in frequent crashes. Do not keep your console in cabinets with poor ventilation; it decreases the fans cooling efficiency.
How to Fix PS5 Crashing or Freezing (2022)
The best way to get rid of PS5 freezing issues is by identifying the cause and eliminating it. If you can’t spot the reason, follow the methods given. You may have to try one or more of these, so go through them one by one until the issue is resolved.
Restart Your PlayStation 5
You may have already tried restarting your console. If not, do it now. What it does is, wipes away any misbehaving code that might be causing the system to crash. Troubleshooting PS5 errors aren’t always complicated; sometimes, it is just a matter of restarting the console.
Update the PlayStation 5
Keeping the system software updated is crucial. PS5 does it automatically, but it may occasionally miss some updates, so you must do it manually. Below is how to install the latest version for your PS5 console:
- Go to the console’s Settings menu and select System.
- Click on System Software and choose System Software Update and Settings.
- Tap on Update System Software and if you find any updates available, get them to install.
Depending on the size of the update and your internet speed, it may take you some time. Once the downloading and installation process is completed, the console will restart. Launch the game you were experiencing crashes with, and see if the issue is resolved.
Turn Off Rest Mode
In PlayStation, Rest mode allows you to put games into a suspended state. So when you come back, you can resume it from where you have left it. There is no need to wait for the loading time; the game will be ready to go. This feature is supposed to make gamer’s life easy. However, lately, many users have encountered crashes upon waking up the console from rest mode.
PS5 consoles are designed to automatically go into the rest mode when left idle to save power. Therefore, by disabling the Rest mode, you can eliminate a potential culprit that might be causing your games to crash or freeze.
- First, go to Settings and select System.
- On the left panel, click on Power Saving and choose Set Time Until PS5 Enters Rest Mode.
- Using the drop-down menu, select Don’t Put in Rest Mode for both options – ‘During Media Playback’ and ‘While Playing Games.’
- Now, go back to the home screen and reboot your console.
Turning off the Rest Mode feature has helped many users fix the crashing issues. Hopefully, it does the same for you.
Rebuild PS5 Database
PS5 rebuilding database feature scans the hard drive and creates a new database for the content stored on the system. Doing so fixes the broken keys and reorganizes the drive data, making it easier and quicker for the console to access files. Thus, improving the overall performance of the system.
To rebuild your PS5 database, follow the steps given:
- Turn off your console by pressing the power button.
- Now, we have to boot it in safe mode. Press and hold the power button until you hear the second beep. It usually takes around 7 seconds.
- Next, plug-in your DualSense controller and press the PlayStation button on it.
- Select the number 5 option that says ‘Rebuild Database.’
Depending on how much data your system has and how often you install or delete games, rebuilding the database may take a few minutes to a couple of hours.
Reinstall the Faulty Game
If your PS5 is only crashing during certain games, it indicates that the game itself has got some issues. It can be a random bug or corrupted system files that is causing it to freeze. Reinstalling the particular game you are facing issues with is the most effective way to fix the stated problem.
- Open the Settings in your PS5.
- Select Storage and go to Game and Apps.
- Tap on the game you want to reinstall, and hit the Delete button.
- You will be asked to confirm your decision, so click on OK.
- Now, go back to the home screen and launch Game Library.
- Search and locate the game you deleted, and Reinstall it.
When you reinstall a game, it replaces the registry entries, program files, and shortcuts, thus potentially eliminating any broken or corrupted files. Upon reinstallation, you get the latest version of the game. It helps rule out any possibility of an outdated version causing your PS5 to crash.
Check If Your PS5 device is Overheating
There are a number of factors that can cause a console to overheat. It mainly includes prolonged gaming, dust buildup in the vents, and poor ventilation.
Most of the time, when your gaming console is overheated, you will be prompted with an error message on the screen stating ‘PS5 is too hot.’ Alternatively, you can place your hand over the device, and if you feel the warmth to be considerably high, you must give your PlayStation some break. You will see the fans speed has increased, and it has abruptly started making noise.
Overheating not only produces frequent crashes but also causes frame drops and glitches in games. When overheating issues are overlooked, it may hinder the device’s performance in the long term.
- If your PlayStation is heating too much, simply turn it off for a few hours, and the temperature will settle down.
- When a console is placed in small closed areas or cabinets, it heats up quickly due to poor ventilation. So, always put it somewhere open, or preferably, in a cooler space.
- Regularly clean the air vents using a brush or a low-powered vacuum cleaner.
Factory Reset your PS5
If you have tried every method and still nothing works in your favor. As a last resort, we advise you to factory reset your PlayStation. When you can’t identify the cause behind your PS5 crashing or freezing, performing the full reset is perhaps the only viable option to troubleshoot the problem that remains unknown.
Before doing the factory reset, make sure to back up the system data in an external HD so you won’t lose it. Below are the steps to backup your PS5:
- Open the Settings menu and select System.
- Go to System Software and tap on Back Up and Restore.
- Select Back Up Your PS5 and choose the drive to which you want to backup data.
Once you are done with it, follow the given steps to factory reset your PS5:
- Firstly, turn off your console.
- Press and hold the power button until you hear the second beep to boot in safe mode.
- Plug the controller into the console using a USB cable and press the PS button to pair it.
- And lastly, select the “Reset PS5 (Reinstall System Software).”
The resetting process may take some time, so be patient. Once it’s completed, you will be asked to do the initial PS5 setup. Simply follow the onscreen instructions, and you’ll be able to get it done.
You may also want to restore your data. Here are the steps for it:
- Go to Settings and open System.
- Click on System Software and select Back Up and Restore.
- Tap on Restore PS5 and select the USB drive you have a backup in.
- Select the data, and click on Restore.
Contact PlayStation Support
After doing everything you could do to fix the PS5 crashing, contact PlayStation Support for help if the issue persists. Or you can take your console to the service center and seek professional help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Does PlayStation provide any official troubleshooting facility?
If multiple games are crashing or freezing on your PS5, you can try PlayStation Repairs. In this case, the issue is often with the console.
Q. Does resetting the PS5 delete everything?
Yes, resetting your console will wipe away everything from your PlayStation and enable the factory presets. This allows you to start everything from scratch. If you don’t want to lose your files, always take a backup which you can restore later.
Q. Can I put PS5 in Rest mode?
Lately, many users have experienced crashing issues with Rest mode. It was due to a bug that has been patched now, and the problem is completely resolved. So yes, if you want to use the Rest mode feature, feel free to do that.
Conclusion
Games crashing on PS5 is a common issue and is relatively easy to get rid of. Many new users who haven’t experienced it before may get alarmed initially. However, once you apply the different ways shared above, you will be able to eliminate the problem quite efficiently.
Let us know which method came to your rescue and helped you fix the PS5 freezing nuisance. Also, if you know any working techniques besides the ones we have listed in this article, feel free to share them with us.
