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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallTo update a PS5 without doing it manually, enable the two system-software switches, choose an automatic-update mode for games and apps, and keep the console connected to the internet in Rest Mode. Use Auto-Download if you need to preserve a suspended game; use Auto-Install in Rest Mode if you want updates finished before your next session and are willing to let the console close suspended games.
The complete setup is: Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings for console software; Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Automatic Updates for games and apps; and Settings > System > Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode to keep the internet connection active.
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The settings that make unattended updates work
PS5 updates are controlled in two separate places. System-software updates use their own download and installation switches. Game and app updates use a different pair of controls. Neither group can work in Rest Mode unless the console is allowed to stay online.
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- Games and apps: turn on Auto-Download or Auto-Install in Rest Mode.
- Rest Mode connection: turn on Stay Connected to the Internet.
- Power state: select Rest Mode when you finish using the PS5; a complete shutdown does not provide the same unattended-update state.
These controls do not promise a particular download time, energy use, failure rate or storage requirement. Sony’s support guidance describes the behavior and prerequisites, but does not publish those figures.
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System software and game updates are different
System software updates
System software is the software that runs the PS5 itself. Its automatic controls are separate, and both can be enabled so the console downloads and installs system updates while it is in Rest Mode. When you use this configuration, Sony says the console can be current the next time you use it.
Game and app updates
Installed games and applications have their own automatic-update settings. You can allow only the download, or allow installation in Rest Mode as well. Starting a game or app also triggers an update check and automatically updates it to the newest available version when an update is available.
Auto-Download versus Auto-Install in Rest Mode
The important choice for games and apps is not speed. It is whether the PS5 may close a suspended game to complete installation while you are away.
| Setting | What happens in Rest Mode | Choose it when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto-Download | The update file downloads automatically. Installation is deferred until you resume the game and decide whether to install it. | You want to preserve a suspended game or app. | The title may not be fully updated before your next session. |
| Auto-Install in Rest Mode | The PS5 can download and install the update while in Rest Mode. | You want the title ready to play when you return. | A suspended game can be closed when installation requires it. |
Sony describes the suspended-game behavior this way: “When you don’t want to close your suspended game, only turn on Auto-Download. Only the download is automatic in rest mode. When you resume your game, you can choose whether or not to install the update.”
There is no universally better option. Auto-Download favors continuity of a suspended session. Auto-Install favors a console that is fully prepared for the next play session.
Enable automatic PS5 system-software updates
- From the PS5 home screen, open Settings.
- Select System.
- Open System Software.
- Choose System Software Update and Settings.
- Turn on Download Update Files Automatically.
- Turn on Install Update Files Automatically.
Both switches matter. Downloading without automatic installation leaves the final installation step for later. Enabling installation without permitting downloads cannot produce a completed unattended update. The settings apply while the console is in Rest Mode, so leave the PS5 in that mode after you finish using it.
Enable automatic updates for games and apps
- Open Settings from the PS5 home screen.
- Select Saved Data and Game/App Settings.
- Choose Automatic Updates.
- Turn on Auto-Download if preserving suspended games is more important than completing installation while you are away.
- Turn on Auto-Install in Rest Mode if you want supported game and app updates installed before you return.
These are alternatives for the practical decision described above. If you choose only Auto-Download, expect to make the installation decision when you resume the title.
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Automatic downloads and updates need an internet connection while the console is in Rest Mode. Configure that connection separately:
- Open Settings.
- Select System.
- Choose Power Saving.
- Open Features Available in Rest Mode.
- Turn on Stay Connected to the Internet.
- When you finish playing, choose Rest Mode instead of turning the PS5 off completely.
If Stay Connected to the Internet is disabled, the PS5 cannot perform the Rest-Mode download or update behavior described by Sony. The console may still update when you start a game or app and it checks for a newer version, but that is no longer an unattended overnight process.
How to check an update manually
Use a manual check when an update is available but did not appear to complete automatically, or when you want to force a check before launching a title.
- Highlight the game or app on the PS5 home screen or in your library.
- Press the controller’s Options button.
- Select Check for Update.
- Follow the on-screen instruction if the PS5 finds a newer version.
Starting the game or app also causes it to update to the newest available version when one is available. The manual command is useful because it lets you verify the title directly rather than relying on what happened during Rest Mode.
Recommended settings for common priorities
| Priority | System software | Games and apps | Rest Mode connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fully unattended updates | Download Update Files Automatically: on; Install Update Files Automatically: on | Auto-Download: on; Auto-Install in Rest Mode: on | Stay Connected to the Internet: on |
| Preserve a suspended game | Download Update Files Automatically: on; Install Update Files Automatically: on | Auto-Download: on; Auto-Install in Rest Mode: off | Stay Connected to the Internet: on |
| Download now, decide later | Download Update Files Automatically: on; Install Update Files Automatically: off | Auto-Download: on; Auto-Install in Rest Mode: off | Stay Connected to the Internet: on |
| No unattended activity | Automatic switches may remain off | Automatic switches may remain off | Stay Connected to the Internet may remain off |
The first profile is the closest match to “ready when I return.” The second is the safer choice when an in-progress suspended game must remain available. The third separates downloading from your installation decision for both kinds of software.
Why a PS5 update did not happen overnight
The console was fully powered off
Automatic Rest-Mode work requires the PS5 to be in Rest Mode. If you selected the power-off option, it was not available to perform the unattended operation. Put the console in Rest Mode after checking the other settings.
Internet access was disabled in Rest Mode
Open Settings > System > Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode and verify that Stay Connected to the Internet is on. This is the first setting to check when neither downloads nor updates occurred.
The game downloaded but did not install
This is expected when Auto-Download is enabled without Auto-Install in Rest Mode. Resume the game and choose whether to install the downloaded update, or change the setting if you prefer installation during Rest Mode.
The update needs approval
Sony notes that some updates may still require user approval. If the automatic settings and Rest-Mode connection are correct but the update continues to require action, follow the on-screen prompt. Continuing problems should be directed to PlayStation Repairs, as Sony’s official guidance does not provide a universal automatic workaround for every update.
The title still reports an update
Highlight the title, press Options, and select Check for Update. This confirms the status for that specific game or app and can reveal an update that was not completed during the previous Rest-Mode period.
What Rest Mode does for updates
Rest Mode is the PS5’s power-saving state. Sony describes it as a mode that can update system software and keep a game or app suspended. That combination explains why it is required for unattended behavior: the console remains capable of network and update tasks while preserving the option to resume a suspended title.
Rest Mode is not the same as guaranteeing that every update will install without interaction. Your selected game-update mode still controls whether installation can close a suspended game, and some updates may require approval. Treat the settings as permission for the PS5 to perform the available work, not as a promise that every update will be invisible.
Menu labels may change
The paths and labels above match Sony’s official PS5 support guidance checked on October 20, 2026. Later system-software releases can rename or reorganize menu items. If a label has moved, use the Settings search or look for the same three areas: System Software Update and Settings, Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Automatic Updates, and Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode.
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