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How to Update PS5 System Software Manually from a USB Drive

Prepare a FAT32 or exFAT USB drive with Sony’s official PS5 update file, then install it through Safe Mode without choosing the data-erasing reinstallation option.
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You can manually update a PS5 by putting Sony’s official update file on a FAT32- or exFAT-formatted USB drive, then installing it through Safe Mode. The required folder path is PS5/UPDATE, and the file must be named PS5UPDATE.PUP. Use the update file—not the reinstallation file—unless you intend to erase the console and reinstall its system software.

What you need

  • A PC or Mac with an internet connection.
  • A USB drive formatted as FAT32 or exFAT, with approximately 1.1 GB of free space for the update file, according to Sony’s PS5 system software instructions.
  • A DualSense or DUALSHOCK 4 controller and a USB cable for navigating Safe Mode.

Sony changes the downloadable update over time, so download the current file from its official PS5 system software page rather than relying on a saved copy or a version number in an older guide.

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Prepare the USB drive

  1. Format the drive as FAT32 or exFAT. Formatting erases its contents, so copy anything you want to keep elsewhere first.
  2. On the USB drive, create a folder named PS5. Inside it, create another folder named UPDATE.
  3. Download the PS5 update file from Sony’s system software page and save it in the UPDATE folder.
  4. Confirm the full path is PS5/UPDATE/PS5UPDATE.PUP. Use uppercase letters for the folder and filename; Sony’s Safe Mode instructions specify single-byte characters for names.

Do not substitute the larger reinstallation file. It is intended for reinstalling system software, not an ordinary manual update.

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Install the update from Safe Mode

  1. Turn off the PS5 completely. Connect the prepared USB drive to the console.
  2. Press and hold the console’s power button. Release it after the second beep to start Safe Mode.
  3. Connect the controller to the console with a USB cable. Press the PS button if prompted.
  4. Select Update System Software, then Update from USB Storage Device > OK.
  5. Wait for the installation to finish. Do not turn off the console during installation: Sony warns that interrupting it can damage the console.

Sony also advises against installing an update immediately before or after a power outage. The Safe Mode guide covers starting Safe Mode and the available options.

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If the PS5 cannot find the update file

  • Check that the drive is formatted as FAT32 or exFAT.
  • Make sure the folders are nested in this order: PS5, then UPDATE.
  • Check that the filename is exactly PS5UPDATE.PUP, in uppercase, and that the file is inside UPDATE.
  • Download the update again from Sony if the file may be incomplete or came from another source.

Sony’s manual update instructions recommend the USB procedure for users who have had multiple failed update downloads.

Update versus reinstall: choose carefully

For a standard USB update, choose Update System Software and then Update from USB Storage Device. Do not choose Reset PS5 (Reinstall System Software) as a routine update: Sony says reinstallation removes the system software and deletes all user data. Its Safe Mode guide warns that some options cause data loss. Use the reinstallation procedure only as a last troubleshooting step when you understand and accept that consequence.

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Use only Sony’s official update file and documented process. Sony warns that other update data or methods, or installation on an altered or modified console, can affect proper operation and warranty or repair-service eligibility.

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