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To start a PS5 in Safe Mode, turn the console fully off, then press and hold its power button again and release it after the second beep. Connect a controller to the console with a USB cable and press the controller’s PS button. Before selecting a reset or reinstall option, back up important data: those choices erase user data.
How to start your PS5 in Safe Mode
- Turn off the console. Hold the PS5 power button for about three seconds. The power indicator blinks briefly and then turns off.
- Start the Safe Mode sequence. With the console off, press and hold the power button again. You will hear one beep when you press it and a second beep about seven seconds later. Release the button after the second beep.
- Connect the controller. Use a USB cable to connect the controller to the console, then press the controller’s PS button. Safe Mode starts with the console’s basic functions active. Sony’s Safe Mode guide lists the startup sequence and available options.
Which Safe Mode option should you choose?
Choose an option that matches the problem you are trying to fix. The menu includes display, storage, software-update, and reset tools; their effects on your data differ.
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- Restart PS5: Exit Safe Mode and start the console normally.
- Change Video Output: Change the resolution or HDCP mode when troubleshooting a display problem.
- Repair Console Storage: Repair console storage issues. Sony says this option does not erase data.
- Update System Software: Install a system software update.
- Restore Default Settings: Restore default settings while preserving content on console storage, including games, apps, captures, clips, and saved data.
- Clear Cache and Rebuild Database: Use the available cache-clearing and database-rebuilding tools for relevant console issues.
- Reset PS5: Reset the console; this deletes user data.
- Reset PS5 (Reinstall System Software): Delete user data and remove the PS5 system software as part of the reinstall process.
Back up important data before selecting either reset option. Sony’s Safe Mode instructions distinguish those destructive choices from options that preserve stored content.
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If the menu does not display, work through Sony’s checks one at a time, trying the Safe Mode startup sequence again after each change:
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- Check that the HDMI cable is securely connected.
- Try a different USB cable, HDMI cable, or power cable, changing one cable at a time.
- If the menu still does not appear, turn the console off by holding the power button until it beeps. Unplug the console for 20 minutes, reconnect it, and try again.
If those steps do not restore access, Sony directs users to PlayStation Repairs. The same support guide covers the cable checks and unplugged power cycle.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When a USB drive is needed
A USB cable for the controller is needed to use the Safe Mode menu; a USB storage drive is not needed just to enter it. A drive is relevant if you need Sony’s separate manual system-software update procedure—for example, when the usual update is unavailable or has failed.
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For that procedure, Sony specifies an internet-connected PC or Mac, a USB drive formatted as FAT32 or exFAT, a PS5/UPDATE folder on the drive, and the update file named PS5UPDATE.PUP. Follow Sony’s manual update instructions for the full process. These drive requirements do not apply to the initial Safe Mode startup.
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