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How to Factory Reset a PlayStation 4 (PS4)
- You can factory reset your PS4 to fix performance issues and eliminate potential software conflicts or corrupted data causing problems. It wipes all user data and restores the console back to its original settings.
- You should also reset your PS4 before selling it to ensure that personal data, such as saved games and payment information, is erased. Similarly, if you buy a used PS4, you can reset it to remove all traces of the previous owner's data.
Factory resetting your PS4 wipes everything you've stored on your console and resets all of your settings back to the factory defaults. This can be helpful if you're experiencing issues with your console or plan to sell it or give it away. Here's how to factory reset your PS4.
Why Factory Reset Your PS4?
A PS4 factory reset, also known as initializing the system, is a process that restores the console to its original factory settings. This effectively erases all user data, meaning that all accounts, game saves, settings, and downloaded content will be wiped from the console, leaving it as if it were fresh out of the box.
There are various reasons why you'd want to factory reset your PS4. If you find your PS4 glitching or running slower than usual, a factory reset can often be the solution. By wiping the slate clean and restoring your PS4 to its factory settings, you eliminate any potential software conflicts or corrupted data that may be causing the problem.
If you plan to factory reset your PS4 to fix performance issues, remember that this is the last resort. It takes a lot of time and wipes everything clean. You'll have to set up your console from scratch, reinstalling all your games and apps. Only go for it when you’ve tried everything else!
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It's also a good idea to factory reset your PS4 before you sell it. This ensures that your personal data (including saved games, login credentials, and any sensitive information like payment information) is erased.
On the flip side, if you’ve got a used PS4 and the previous owner hasn’t factory reset it, you can reset it to remove any traces of their data.
How to Factory Reset Your PS4
If you don't have a boot issue with your PS4 and your console turns on just fine, you can reset your console using one of the options in the settings. However, you should deactivate your account on your PS4 before resetting it to avoid any complications when signing in later.
If you have important data that's going to be lost or difficult to download after the reset, you can safely back up your PS4 data before proceeding with the steps below.
1. How to Deactivate Your Account on Your PS4
The first thing you should do is deactivate your account on your console. Doing this removes the ability to play your downloaded games on this console and helps avoid sign-in issues at other places where you use your account.
Here's how to deactivate your account on your PS4:
- Open the Settings menu on your PS4.
- Select Account Management on the resulting screen.
- Find Activate as Your Primary PS4 and select it.
- Select Deactivate followed by Yes to deactivate your account on this console.
The Activate button will be grayed out because your account is already active on this PS4.
2. How to Factory Reset Your PlayStation 4
Now that you have deactivated your account, it's time to erase and reset your console to the factory defaults.
Remember that a factory reset is not the first-line solution to software issues. If you're facing sign-in issues, you can delete your PS4 user accounts. If this helps, you won't need to reset your PS4.
You can also use the Restore Default Settings option to only revert your saved settings to their default. This option won't wipe your PS4's hard drive and is much quicker than a factory reset.
Once you're certain that a factory reset is the way to go, follow the steps below to reset your console to the factory settings:
- Open the Settings menu on your console.
- Scroll all the way down until you see Initialization and then select it.
- Select Initialize PS4. This removes everything that you've stored on your PS4.
- Select Full on the following screen to reset your console completely.
It'll take a while before your PS4 is fully reset. You can track the reset progress using the progress indicator on your screen.
Once the reset is complete, your PS4 will boot to display the first-time setup guide. You have now successfully wiped all the data from your PS4.
How to Factory Reset Your PS4 in Safe Mode
If your PS4 is having trouble booting up, and you can't access the settings menu, there's still a way to reset your console.
In safe mode, the PS4 boots up with only essential system software and drivers, bypassing any potentially problematic settings or applications that may be causing issues.
To factory reset your PS4 in safe mode, follow the steps below:
- Turn your PS4 off completely.
- Once you have turned your PS4 off, boot it into safe mode. To do this, press and hold down the Power button for about eight seconds until you hear a beep.
- Let go of the Power button after the second beep sound.
- Connect your controller to your PS4 using a USB cable. The wireless mode doesn't work in safe mode, so you need to use a cable to connect.
- Select the Initialize PS4 option using your controller.
- Choose Full to initialize your console completely.
Your PS4 will now perform a factory reset.
How to Reinstall the PS4's Software
One way to reset your PS4 is by reinstalling the system firmware. In most cases, you don't need to do this, as the methods above should fully reset your console.
Reinstalling the PS4 system software is only necessary if the issues you're facing aren't due to any settings or corrupt games, but the PS4 software system itself is corrupt.
A corrupt software system can occur if the factory reset process is interrupted or if system updates are not installed correctly. In these cases, the issues won't go away despite resetting the console. But you can try installing the latest firmware version.
To reinstall the system firmware, you will need a computer and a USB flash drive. You need to move the firmware software from your computer to a USB flash drive, which you will then connect to your PS4 to install the software.
1. Preparing a USB Drive for a PS4 Software Reinstall
Your flash drive should have at least 2GB of space to store the PS4 firmware file. You might have to format the USB drive, so make sure to back up your USB drive first. Once you're ready, follow the steps below:
- Head over to the PS4 firmware site.
- Download the firmware file from the Reinstall PS4 system software section. This will be the full version of the software for your PlayStation 4.
- Format your USB flash drive in FAT32.
- Create a folder named PS4 on your flash drive.
- Create another folder inside the PS4 folder and name it UPDATE.
- Move the PS4 firmware you downloaded over to this UPDATE folder.
- Make sure the downloaded file uses PS4UPDATE.PUP as its name. If not, change the name to this one.
2. Reinstalling the Firmware on Your PS4
After you've got the USB drive ready, it's time to connect it to your PS4 and reinstall the software. Follow these steps:
- Connect your flash drive to your PS4 console.
- Boot your PS4 into safe mode by pressing the Power button until it beeps twice.
- Select Initialize PS4 (Reinstall System Software).
- Choose Update from USB Storage Device followed by OK.
- Wait for your console to reinstall the system software.
When done, your PS4 should return to the factory settings with the stock firmware. If your PS4 doesn't recognize the software file, ensure you've used the proper folder names as advised above. If the software file is corrupt, you'll need to re-download it from the PlayStation website.
Although PlayStation 4 issues are rare, if you ever come across one, resetting your PS4 should help fix the issue in most cases. You might also want to reset your PS4 when you're giving away your console. That way, you're sure that the next owner of your PS4 won't have access to your personal information.
