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Freedom251 › Blog › Account Linking

How to Watch Crunchyroll on PS5 and Link Your Account

By Freedom251 Team · · 10 min read

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You can watch Crunchyroll on a PS5 by installing the official app, then linking your account with the QR code shown on the console. If QR sign-in is unavailable or inconvenient, use Crunchyroll’s browser-based Activate Device method instead. A free Crunchyroll membership provides access to a selection of episodes; a subscription bought through PlayStation is billed to the PlayStation Wallet and must be managed through PlayStation account settings.

What you need before you begin

Use the PS5 on which you want to watch, connect it to the internet, and have the PlayStation user profile that will open the app available. Keep a phone or computer nearby if you plan to use QR sign-in or manual activation. You will also need the email address and password for the Crunchyroll account you want to connect.

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If you are moving from another device, decide where your subscription is billed before signing in. A membership billed directly by Crunchyroll and one purchased through PlayStation are controlled by different account settings. The console app can be used for viewing either way, but changing the billing location has consequences described below.

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Install Crunchyroll on your PS5

Crunchyroll’s PlayStation setup guide documents two installation routes. Use whichever route is easiest to find on your console.

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Route 1: Search in PlayStation Store

  1. From the PS5 home screen, open PlayStation Store.
  2. Select Search.
  3. Switch the search category to Media.
  4. Search for Crunchyroll.
  5. Open the Crunchyroll result and choose the option to download it.
  6. Wait for the installation to finish, then open the app from the home screen or the installed-apps area.

Choosing the Media category matters because Crunchyroll is a streaming application rather than a game. If a search in the default game category does not show it, change the category and search again.

Route 2: Use Media Home

  1. From the PS5 main screen, open Media Home.
  2. Select All Apps.
  3. Find Crunchyroll in the app list.
  4. Select it and choose the download option.
  5. Open Crunchyroll after installation completes.

These routes install the same official PS5 application. If the app is already installed, skip downloading and open it. If the listing is missing from both locations, check that the console is online and that the PlayStation Store is loading normally before trying again.

Link an existing account with QR sign-in

QR sign-in is the quickest documented way to connect an existing Crunchyroll account. Crunchyroll’s official instructions begin, “On your console, open the Crunchyroll App.” The sign-in screen then displays a QR code; the support guide describes this flow for PS5 app version 02.001.004.

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  1. Open the Crunchyroll app on the PS5.
  2. Choose Sign In if the app presents a choice between signing in and creating an account.
  3. Wait for the sign-in screen. Crunchyroll’s guide says, “A QR Code will appear on the Sign-In screen.”
  4. Open your phone’s camera or QR scanner and scan the code shown on the television.
  5. If the Crunchyroll app is installed on the phone, follow the in-app prompt to confirm the sign-in.
  6. If the phone does not have the Crunchyroll app, the scan opens a web page. Log in there with your Crunchyroll credentials and approve activation of the PS5.
  7. Return to the television. The console app should finish signing in once the web or phone confirmation is complete.

The QR code connects the particular console app session to the account you approve on the phone or browser. Check the account name or email shown during confirmation so you do not link a shared household account by mistake.

If the QR code expires or will not scan

  • Leave the sign-in screen open and generate a new code if the app offers that option.
  • Hold the phone far enough from the television for the entire code to fit in the camera frame, and increase the screen brightness if glare is obscuring it.
  • Try the phone’s camera app if a third-party scanner is failing. If the camera cannot open the link, use the manual activation route below.
  • Confirm that the phone or computer is online. The scan must open either the Crunchyroll app or a Crunchyroll web sign-in page.

QR sign-in support is tied to the PS5 app version noted above. If the interface differs substantially or no QR code appears, update the app from the console before troubleshooting the account itself.

Link the PS5 with manual device activation

Manual activation is the documented alternative when QR scanning is impractical. It uses a short code displayed by the console and the Device Management page in a browser.

  1. Open Crunchyroll on the PS5 and go to its sign-in or device-linking screen.
  2. Choose the option that displays an activation code. Keep that screen visible; the code is what identifies this console.
  3. On a phone or computer, open your Crunchyroll account in a browser.
  4. Go to Device Management.
  5. Choose Activate Device.
  6. Enter the code displayed by the PS5 and submit it.
  7. Return to the console and wait for the app to complete sign-in.

Enter the code exactly as shown. If the console generates a new code after you leave the screen, use the newest code rather than one copied earlier. Manual activation links the browser account you used to the console, so verify that you are signed in to the intended Crunchyroll account before submitting.

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Manage a PS5 used by more than one person

A shared console can retain an account connection after someone finishes watching. Crunchyroll’s device-management instructions allow you to deactivate a listed device. Deactivating that device signs it out while leaving other connected devices signed in.

  1. Open Crunchyroll’s Device Management page in a browser.
  2. Identify the PS5 in the device list.
  3. Choose the deactivation control for that device.
  4. Open Crunchyroll on the PS5 again if you want to connect a different account.

Deactivate the console when you are signing in on a borrowed or public PS5, or when another household member should no longer have access through that app. This is more targeted than signing out every device on the account.

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Watch with free access

Crunchyroll says that a free membership can watch a selection of episodes on PlayStation. After the app is linked, browse the available catalog and open an episode that your membership can play. Free access does not mean every Crunchyroll title or episode is available without a paid plan; availability is determined by the account and the program’s access rules.

You do not need to buy a PlayStation-billed subscription merely to install the app or test whether free viewing works. Sign in first, then decide whether the selection available to the account meets your needs.

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Understand subscriptions and PlayStation billing

The place where you purchased the membership determines where it is managed. Crunchyroll’s PlayStation subscription information says the PlayStation Store offers the Mega Fan plan and charges PlayStation purchases to the PlayStation Wallet. The following distinction prevents duplicate subscriptions and failed cancellation attempts.

Where the subscription was purchased How it is charged Where it is managed Important transfer rule
Directly through Crunchyroll or another non-PlayStation billing route That provider’s saved payment method and billing system The account settings of the provider that charged you Do not start a PlayStation subscription until the existing billing period has ended if you intend to move billing to PlayStation.
Through PlayStation Store Your PlayStation Wallet PlayStation account settings The PlayStation purchase is controlled by PlayStation, not by deleting the Crunchyroll app.

Buying through PlayStation

If you choose a plan through the PS5, the purchase is a PlayStation transaction. Make sure the PlayStation account and Wallet are the ones you intend to use, because the resulting subscription follows that account’s billing controls. Crunchyroll identifies Mega Fan as the plan offered through the PlayStation Store in its PlayStation subscription information.

After the transaction, open Crunchyroll and sign in with the account associated with the purchase. If the app still shows free access, check that the console was linked to the same Crunchyroll account used during the subscription flow, then close and reopen the app.

Moving an existing Premium subscription to PlayStation

Crunchyroll says that an existing Premium subscriber billed elsewhere must cancel that plan and wait for the current billing period to end before subscribing through PlayStation. Do not purchase a second plan on the PS5 while the first one is still active if your goal is simply to change billing providers. First identify the current provider, cancel there, continue using the remaining paid period, and only then begin a PlayStation subscription.

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Waiting for the billing period to finish is a provider rule, not a sign-in step. You can still install the PS5 app and link the account while deciding where future billing should occur.

Cancel the subscription through the correct provider

Deleting Crunchyroll from the PS5, signing out of the app, or removing a payment method does not cancel a subscription. Cancellation must be completed with the provider that bills you.

  • PlayStation-billed plan: use the subscription controls in your PlayStation account settings.
  • Direct Crunchyroll plan: use the account and billing controls provided by Crunchyroll.

After cancellation, the account may remain usable through the end of the already-paid period, according to the provider’s terms. Removing the app is optional and affects only the console installation; it is not a billing action.

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Check for Crunchyroll app updates on PS5

Crunchyroll provides an update check inside the console app:

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  1. Open Crunchyroll on the PS5.
  2. Press the Options button on the controller.
  3. Choose Check for Updates.
  4. Install an available update and reopen the app if requested.

Updating is the first step when the menus do not match the documented QR flow, the app does not display a code, or sign-in stops before activation. QR support is documented for app version 02.001.004, while app navigation and compatibility can change over time.

Troubleshoot the most common linking problems

The app is installed but cannot be found

Open the PS5’s media area and look under All Apps. If it is not listed, return to PlayStation Store, choose Search, switch to Media, and search for Crunchyroll again. A failed or paused download must finish before the app appears as ready to open.

No QR code appears

Make sure you selected Sign In rather than an account-creation option, then run Check for Updates from the app’s Options menu. If the updated app still does not present QR sign-in, use manual activation with the code shown by the console.

The scan opens a browser but sign-in does not complete

Log in to the intended Crunchyroll account in that browser and complete the activation prompt. A scan alone does not connect the PS5 if the web page is waiting for credentials or confirmation. If the browser is already signed in to a different account, sign out or use a private window so the approval is made for the correct account.

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The activation code is rejected

Return to the console and generate a fresh code, then enter that newest code on Device Management > Activate Device. Check each character before submitting. Keep the PS5 on the activation screen until the browser confirms the request.

The wrong account is connected

Use Device Management to deactivate the PS5. That signs out the selected console without disconnecting your other devices. Reopen the app and repeat QR sign-in or manual activation after signing in to the intended account.

The app shows free access after a purchase

Check where the purchase was made. A PlayStation transaction belongs to the PlayStation account and Wallet used for that purchase, while a direct Crunchyroll plan is managed separately. Confirm that the PS5 is linked to the matching Crunchyroll account, then restart the app. If the plan was bought through PlayStation, use PlayStation account settings for billing questions rather than deleting and reinstalling the app.

Deleting the app did not stop charges

That behavior is expected: app deletion is not cancellation. Find the provider shown on your billing record and cancel through that provider’s subscription settings. If the charge came from PlayStation, manage it in PlayStation account settings; if Crunchyroll billed you directly, use Crunchyroll’s account controls.

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Quick Recap

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Which linking method should you use?

Situation Best route Why
Your phone is available and can scan the television QR sign-in It is the primary quick flow documented for the PS5 app.
The camera cannot scan, or you prefer a computer Manual device activation It uses Device Management and the code displayed by the console.
You are using a shared or borrowed PS5 Either route, followed by deactivation Deactivating the listed device signs out that console without signing out other devices.
You are changing from direct billing to PlayStation billing Resolve the existing plan first Crunchyroll says to cancel the current plan and wait for its billing period to end before subscribing through PlayStation.

PS5 Crunchyroll setup checklist

  • Install Crunchyroll through PlayStation Store > Search > Media, or Media Home > All Apps.
  • Open the app and choose Sign In.
  • Scan the QR code with the Crunchyroll phone app or a browser, or use Device Management > Activate Device with the console code.
  • Verify that the approved browser account is the one you want on the PS5.
  • Use Device Management to deactivate the console when a shared or borrowed PS5 should no longer stay signed in.
  • Run Options > Check for Updates if the menus or QR flow do not match.
  • Remember that free access covers a selection of episodes, while PlayStation purchases use the PlayStation Wallet.
  • Cancel through the billing provider; uninstalling, signing out, or removing a payment method does not cancel membership.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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