How to factory reset a PS4 | Digital Trends (2024)

As with most tech products, it's sometimes necessary to factory reset your PlayStation 4 console. This can be due to a number of reasons, especially if your PS4 system is acting wonky. Other times, you might simply need to factory reset the machine if you plan of selling it or giving it away. But doing so can be a tricky process, even more so if the PS4 is your first gaming console.

Here's how to factory reset your PlayStation 4 system.

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How to factory reset your PS4

A complete factory reset for the PlayStation 4 is a pretty straightforward process. This is usually done as a last resort to ensure the functionality of the system. Before factory resetting, it’s important to remember to back up all save data you may have before initiating the process. Factory resetting the PlayStation will erase all of your data from your system, and not backing up your save data will result in you having to start your games from scratch.

Things to consider backing up include images, saves, and videos, which can either be uploaded to an external device or to the cloud. In order to back up data using the cloud, you’ll have to have a PlayStation Plus account, which gives you 100GB of storage space. However, you can also use a flash drive to copy saves if you aren’t a PS Plus member.

Before we begin, you should know that a factory reset completely wipes the console’s hard drive and can even remove its system software. It’s a last resort when a software glitch stops your PlayStation 4 dead in its tracks, particularly when booting up or when you want to make sure the console no longer has your data on it.

There are two ways to reset your PS4 — from the console’s dashboard or in Safe Mode if the console is having boot-up issues. We’ll be going over both ways, the first being through your PlayStation 4 dashboard.

Below are step-by-step instructions to complete a factory reset on your PS4, whether you’re rocking an original model, a Slim, or a Pro.

Step 1: Start in the settings menu and find the option for Account Management. You’ll want to deactivate the machine as your primary PlayStation 4. That setting allows you to play downloaded games offline by identifying this particular PS4 as yours. Miss this step, and you’ll encounter a host of other problems when you sign on to your new console and try to play your games.

Step 2: Go to Activate as Your Primary PS4. Your PS4 will probably already be activated. If that’s the case, the Activate option will be grayed out, and Deactivate will be the only choice you can select. Select Deactivate and select Yes on the following screen.

Step 3: Sign back into your account and head back to the settings for the final steps.

Step 4: Scroll all the way to the bottom from within the Settings menu. Click on Initialization and you’ll be presented with a few more options. For the purposes of this guide, you only need to worry about the bottom two options -- we’ll be skipping Clear Learning Dictionary. Below that, you’ll see Restore Default Settings, which will clear your saved settings data and return the PS4 to its factory settings, but it won’t wipe your hard drive.

The other option, Initialize PS4, is the big one that will clear your hard drive of data, including downloaded games, saved game data, and anything else you’ve added to the console since buying it. This will restore your PS4 to the pristine condition it was in when it came out of the box.

Step 5: The Full wipe is the one you’re looking for. Note that it’ll take a long time -- probably a couple of hours or more.

Once you’ve initialized the wipe, the PS4 will give you a progress bar showing how long it’ll take, but expect it to take even longer as the console goes through multiple steps. When it is finished, you’ll be able to set up your PS4 the same way you did the first time you turned it on. If you’re looking to sell it, you’ll be handing it over completely fresh and with no data attached.

Perform a factory reset from Safe Mode

If you’re having trouble with system software or other errors that are preventing you from getting to the Settings menu and re-initializing your PS4, you can access the same options from the console’s Safe Mode.

Step 1: Turn your PS4 fully off. Don’t set it to Rest Mode. You want the power completely off on your console so you can boot into Safe Mode.

Step 2: Hold down the power button until you hear two beeps. You need to physically push the power button on the console, rather than starting it with a controller. Hold it for about eight seconds. It will beep once when you first touch the button, and then again before booting up into Safe Mode. It will be labeled, and you’ll recognize it by its black background.

Step 3: There are three different approaches to resetting your PS4 available in the Safe Mode menu. As in the Settings menu, in Safe Mode, you can choose Restore Default Settings to reset everything in the PS4 to its original software settings but keep your data.

You can also choose Initialize PS4. This will wipe your hard drive and restore you to factory settings, but keep the system software — its operating system, in other words.

The last option is Initialize PS4 (Reinstall System Software), which is an even fuller factory reset that will require you to reinstall the PS4’s operating system.

Step 4: If you’re not having software problems, pick Initialize PS4. This will restore your hard drive and software settings to the factory default but it will leave the operating system software intact. It’s the same as the option above (available in the Settings menu), and you’ll be able to choose between Quick and Full initializations. If that’s all you need, you’re done.

How to reinstall system software on PS4

Reinstalling system software is a harder reset than a full initialization and will completely erase all software off the console. You will need to have another device handy to reinstall system software after this reset. If you’re having software problems with the operating system, you’ll need to pick Initialize PS4 (Reinstall System Software), but there’s another step in the process to do first.

Step 1: On your PC, search for the latest system software from the PlayStation website (version Version 10.01) and download it to your computer. To transfer the update to your PS4, you’ll use a flash drive or an external hard drive that can connect via a USB port. Grab an external hard drive or USB flash drive with about 1.1GB of free space.

Step 2: Create a new folder on your USB device and name it PS4. Inside that folder, create a folder and name it “UPDATE” in all caps. Put the firmware file into that “UPDATE” folder so you’ll be able to access it quickly during the transfer. Make sure the file is named “PS4UPDATE.PUP” when you save it.

Step 3: Boot up your PS4 in Safe Mode. Follow the instructions above to power down your PS4. Hold the power button down until you hear two beeps, which will allow it to boot in Safe Mode.

Step 4: Choose Initialize PS4 (Reinstall System Software) on your PS4. From there, follow all the prompts from your PS4. As you go through, the console will wipe everything, including system software. The next prompts will guide you through plugging in the USB with the update saved and reinstalling the system software. After installing the updated files, your PS4 will be reset to factory settings.

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