What To Do if Your PS5 is Glitching

Like with any new product, the PlayStation 5 is seeing its fair share of issues following its launch last week. From complete bricking to endless download errors, many users have reported bugs with their new consoles. Patches from Sony are sure to be frantically in the works right now, but until then here are some of the known PS5 bugs and how you can try and avoid them.

Rest Mode

Some users have reported that booting the PS5 from its rest mode setting is causing issues. Like most bugs, this is varying from console to console but some have claimed the error happens when putting the PS5 into rest mode directly from within a game. Others say it has happened from simply awakening the console from rest mode in general. The error has caused the PS5 to crash, sometimes multiple times, and has sometimes come up with a note that the system needs to repair your hard drive.

Others have reported that the system has problems coming out of rest mode while an external hard drive is plugged in. If this seems to be the case for you, then the best solution is to just avoid using an external storage device for the time being.

Most users report that doing a hard restart of the PS5 has solved the issue. In the case that it doesn’t work, game developers are being made aware of the issue and will likely have a patch soon. There has been no official word on the best solution in the meantime, but it is possible to avoid putting the PS5 in rest mode entirely. Just go to settings -> system -> power saving, and select ‘don’t put in rest mode’. You can also manually turn off your PS5 each time by selecting ‘turn off’ in the power option of the control centre.

Charging the PS5’s DualSense Controller in Rest Mode

There are some notes going around of users having issues with charging the DualSense controller while the PS5 is in rest mode. For starters, make sure that your PS5 has enabled the option to charge controllers while in rest mode (accessed via the power saving settings tab). If this doesn’t work you can try to plug the supplied USB-A power cord into one of the back ports of the PS5. Users have also reported using a USB-C to USB-C cord in the front of the console which seems to do the trick.

If none of this works it’s likely you may have to wait for a patch from Sony. In the meantime, you can try and charge your DualSense controller while the PS5 is powered on. Or you can plug it in to charge via a wall socket or with the DualSense charging station that is sold separately by Sony.

Transferring Data

Some users who are attempting to transfer data between their PS4 and PS5 consoles have reported issues with the process. Some reports are saying to avoid connecting your PS4 and PS5 via a USB or LAN cable during the transfer process, and instead, do it over wifi.

PS5 Download Queue Error

After connecting the PS5 to the internet and signing in with a PSN account, it’s likely your PS5 will have some game updates to download. Unfortunately, a bug seems to be occurring where updates are being hit with error messages or queued for download indefinitely, with no explanation as to why. This has been an issue for a lot of players, myself included. The good news is that there is said to be a fix, but you probably won’t like it.

Users are reporting that a full factory reset of the PS5 fixes the download queue error. A factory reset will completely wipe your PS5 and return it to factory settings, so this is a last resort fix. But it’s not a bad idea to do it now if you can, while your PS5 is relatively empty of content. Just make sure all your saved data is backed up before you do it.

To do a factory reset on your PS5 you need to go to settings -> system -> system software -> reset options -> reset your console -> reset. If you’d prefer not to do this, Sony is apparently aware of the bug and will likely be working on a fix, so you can always wait until a new firmware update is made available.

If you’re experiencing a consistent glitch with any of the issues in this list or any that we haven’t covered, a factory reset is always worth a try before giving up on your console.

UPDATE: PlayStation has announced a workaround for this download queue error. An announcement by the Ask PlayStation account on Twitter explains that players should update the system software to the latest version and then start the PS5 in safe mode and rebuild the database. This can be done by holding the PS5’s power button on the front of the console until a second beep is heard, plug in the DualSense controller via the USB-C cord and then selecting 5. Rebuild Database in the menu.

Nothing is working

If for some reason an error you’ve experienced has completely screwed your console there are still options. You can contact Sony to see if your console is eligible for a repair or if the support team has any fixes for your issue.

Also, it’s worth consulting the internet to see if anyone else has had the same issue. Many groups on Reddit, Twitter and PS5 Facebook groups have reported common glitches and fixes. Monitoring the PlayStation blog and social media accounts is often where Sony issues announcements so keep an eye on those too.

We’ll continue to update this list as more bugs and fixes come through. Just hang in there for those patches, team!

This article has been updated with additional information.