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On the PS5 Home screen, select the gear icon in the upper-right corner to open Settings. If you’re playing a game, press the PS button, go to Home, then select the gear. The gear is a system-navigation icon, not a tile in your games row.
Open PS5 Settings from the Home screen
- From the Home screen, look in the upper-right area for the gear or cog icon labeled Settings.
- Select it, then choose the category you need.
The icons around Settings can vary with software updates and your account state, so look for the gear itself. If you’re already on the Home screen, you can skip the controller steps below.
Open Settings while playing a game
- Press the PS button on the DualSense controller. This opens the Control Center over your game.
- Select Home, or press the PS button again to return to the Home screen.
- Select the gear icon labeled Settings.
You normally don’t need to close your game; returning to Home suspends it. Sony’s PS5 quick-start guide describes the PS button’s Control Center shortcuts.
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Settings and Control Center are different
The Control Center is the overlay opened by pressing the PS button. It offers quick controls and cards—such as microphone, sound, accessories, downloads, and power—without leaving a game. The full Settings menu is reached from the gear icon on the Home screen. Some individual controls are available in the Control Center, but it does not contain every Settings category.
#1 Best Overall
- Model Number CFI-2000
- Includes DualSense Wireless Controller, 1TB SSD, 2 Horizontal Stand Feet, HDMI Cable, AC power cord, USB cable, printed materials, ASTRO’s PLAYROOM (Pre-installed game)
- Vertical Stand sold seperately
Find common PS5 options
These are useful starting points. Menu labels can change in future software updates, and some display or audio choices depend on your PS5 model and connected equipment.
| To… | Go to… |
|---|---|
| Connect to Wi-Fi or choose a network | Settings > Network > Settings > Set Up Internet Connection |
| Test the internet connection | Settings > Network > Connection Status > Test Internet Connection |
| Change audio output | Settings > Sound > Audio Output |
| Adjust microphone controls | Press PS and open Mic in the Control Center, or check the relevant Sound options in Settings. |
| Set accessibility options | Settings > Accessibility |
| Update PS5 system software | Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings |
| Update a DualSense controller manually | Settings > Accessories > Controller (General) > DualSense Wireless Controller Device Software |
| Enable Remote Play | Settings > System > Remote Play |
| Allow Remote Play in Rest Mode | Settings > System > Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode |
| Open the built-in user guide | Settings > Guide & Tips, Health & Safety, and Other Information > Guide and Tips > User’s Guide |
Other categories include Screen and Video for resolution and display features, Users and Accounts for account and privacy controls, Family and Parental Controls, Storage, Accessories, and Saved Data and Game/App Settings. The System category includes console-level options such as language, date and time, power saving, and Remote Play. Available options can vary by region, equipment, and software.
Rank #2
- CPU: x86-64-AMD Ryzen Zen 8 Cores / 16 Threads at 3.5GHz.GPU: AMD Radeon RDNA 2-based graphics engine.
- 16GB GDDR6/256-bit Memory; 825GB SSD Storage Capacity
- Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T), IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1
- HDR technology, 8K output, 4K TV gaming, Up to 120 fps with 120Hz output, Tempest 3D AudioTech
- What's Included: Sony PlayStation 5 Disc Version; Wireless controller; USB cable, HDMI cable, AC power cord. Nogtox PVT HDMI_cable
Sony documents current paths for internet setup, system software updates, accessibility, and the built-in guide.
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If the Settings icon is missing
- Press the PS button and select Home.
- Make sure you’re on the PS5 Home screen, not looking through the game or media row.
- Check the upper-right area for the gear icon; don’t look for Settings among the game tiles.
- If the display is zoomed or otherwise difficult to navigate, check accessibility options if available, or restart the console.
- If the PS5 is frozen, hold its power button until it shuts down, then turn it on again.
If the console cannot reach Home, Safe Mode is a troubleshooting environment—not an alternate way to browse ordinary Settings. Sony’s PS5 troubleshooting guidance explains its startup procedure and options.
Rank #3
- 🚀 CPU: 3.5GHz, 8-core AMD Zen 2
- 🚀 Storage: Custom 825GB SSD
- 🚀 RAM: 16GB GDDR6
- 🚀 GPU: 10.3 teraflop RDNA 2 GPU
Safe Mode is for troubleshooting, not everyday settings
To start Safe Mode, turn off the PS5 by holding the power button for about three seconds. Once it is off, press and hold the power button again and release it after the second beep, roughly seven seconds after the first. Connect the controller using a USB cable, then press the PS button.
Safe Mode includes options for video output, storage repair, system software, and resets. Do not choose Reset PS5 or a system-software reinstall casually: those options can delete user data. If a display change leaves you without a usable picture, Change Video Output in Safe Mode may help. For a failed update that blocks access to Home, Safe Mode includes an update option; Sony also documents manual USB updating.
Rank #4
- Enjoy smooth and fluid high frame rate gameplay at up to 120 fps for compatible games, with support for 120Hz output on 4K displays.
- PS5 consoles support an 8K output, so you can play games on your 4320p resolution display.
- Maximize your play sessions with near-instant load times for installed PS5 games.
- 825GB SSD allows ultra-fast load times, while 3-D audio output produces crisp acoustics.
- Explore uncharted virtual territories and slay dragons with this sleek Sony PlayStation 5 gaming console.
Restore settings without deleting games or saves
If you want to undo console configuration changes while keeping your content, use Restore Default Settings, not Reset PS5. The path is Settings > System > System Software > Reset Options > Restore Default Settings. Sony says restoring default settings does not delete user or game data. By contrast, Reset PS5 deletes user data, and Reset PS5 (Reinstall System Software) also removes the system software as part of the reinstall. See Sony’s restore-default-settings guidance before choosing a reset option.
If you mean PS Portal settings
PS Portal has its own quick menu, opened on the Portal interface, for Portal controls. It is separate from the PS5 console’s Settings menu. To change console settings during Remote Play, use the PS5 interface and its Home-screen gear. Remote Play also requires enabling Settings > System > Remote Play > Enable Remote Play on the PS5; starting the console from Rest Mode requires the relevant Power Saving options. Sony’s accessories and Remote Play support has further details.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Slim Design, players get powerful gaming technology packed inside a sleek and compact console design.
- 825GB of storage, keep your favorite games raeady and waiting for you to jump in and play
- Ultra-High Speed SSD, maximize yoru play sessions with near instant load times for installed PS5 games
- Integrated I/O, the custom integration of the PS5 console's systems lets creators pull datat from the SSD so quickly that they can design games in ways never before possible
- Ray Tracing, immerse yourself in owrlds with a new level of realism as rays of light are individually simulated, creating true-to-life shadows and reflections in supported PS5 games
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