PS5 Keeps Freezing On Home Screen? (Here’s the Quick Fix!)
We understand the frustration when your PS5 keeps freezing on home screen, leaving you unable to do anything before it bugs out.
Don’t worry–in most cases, that’s a storage-related issue.
This quick guide will walk you through steps such as clearing the PS5 cache, rebuilding the database, and repairing the storage, so let’s fix the freezing!
How to Enter PlayStation 5 Safe Mode?
Considering that the console freezes on the home screen, most of the methods in this guide will be performed through “Safe Mode”.
The “Safe Mode” is an operational state of the PlayStation 5 that boots the operating system with minimal services, which is great for identifying problems.
It’s best to learn how to access “Safe Mode” before you start troubleshooting:
That’s it. Now you know how to enter “Safe Mode”. Let’s now proceed with the troubleshooting!
PS5 Keeps Freezing on Home Screen – 5 Quick & Easy Fixes!
Note: We recommend following the steps in order!
1. Soft-Reset your PlayStation 5
So, the first thing to start with should be a soft reset.
Nothing serious, just a quick system reboot with extra steps like unplugging the console from the outlet for ~60 seconds.
We assume you’ve already tried this, if not multiple times, hence if it doesn’t work out, just continue reading further.
2. Try to Update the PS5 Firmware
We understand that your PlayStation 5 freezes before you can even navigate to the firmware update options, so we’re going to do it through “Safe Mode”.
Follow the instructions we’ve discussed to enter “Safe Mode” and try updating your PlayStation by following the Wi-Fi or USB drive method.
2.1 – Update Over the Internet:
First, let’s try to update the PS5 using the normal Wi-Fi method.
When you enter “Safe Mode”, choose “Update System Software” and select “Update Using Internet”.
If the PS5 system is beyond repair and prompts you to insert a flash drive, go ahead and update the PlayStation 5 using a flash drive.
2.2 – Update via USB Drive:
Updating PS5 through a USB flash drive is easy as long as you have a computer (PC or Mac) connected to the internet and at least a 2 GB flash drive.
How to Prepare a USB Drive:
- On your computer desktop, create a new folder called “PS5”.
- Inside this folder, create another one and name it “UPDATE”.
- Download the “PS5UPDATE.PUP” file from the PS5 Update.
- Put the PS5 update file in the “UPDATE” folder inside “PS5”.
- Acquire a minimum of a 2 GB USB flash drive for the update.
- Connect the flash drive to your PC and format it to “FAT32”.
- Upload the “PS5” folder to the completely empty flash drive.
How to Update Your PS5:
- Connect the USB flash drive to your PlayStation 5 USB port.
- Enter Safe Mode following the instructions we’ve discussed.
- From the menu options, choose “Update System Software”.
- Now, select “Update from USB Drive” to start the upgrade.
- Wait until the progress bar is ready and the console reboots.
If the PlayStation 5 was updated to the latest build of the operating system but still freezes after a few seconds on the home screen, keep reading…
3. Troubleshoot your PS5 Storage
PS5 freezing issues are commonly related to the storage. Whether it’s file corruption, full storage, or missing system data, there is an easy way to fix it.
As you have probably noticed, the “Safe Mode” has a handful of methods that we’re going to review and teach you how to use.
There are essentially three major steps you must undertake:
1️⃣Clearing PS5 Cache Data:
As discussed, enter “Safe Mode” on your PS5, connect your controller over a USB cable, and select the “Clear Cache and Rebuild Database” option.
Choose “Clear System Software Cache”, confirm the process, allow the PlayStation 5 to reboot, and then test for freezing.
⚠️Warning: Clearing the cache will sign you out from your accounts and revert all app/game settings to default, but will not affect any PlayStation 5 data.
2️⃣Rebuilding PS5 Database:
To rebuild the PS5 database, the process is similar; enter “Safe Mode”, select “Clear Cache and Rebuild Database”, but this time choose the “Rebuild Database” option and confirm it.
Wait until the rebuilding procedure finishes replacing missing files on your PS5 system, and move on to the third and final storage troubleshooting step.
3️⃣Repair the Console Storage:
The last thing to do is to repair your console storage in case of file corruption that is making your PS5 constantly freeze.
As you know, enter “Safe Mode” and select “Repair Console Storage”.
Wait until the process repairs the storage issues on your PlayStation 5, and when it’s done, test whether the console will continue freezing.
If yes, keep reading…
4. Free Some PlayStation 5 Storage
Note: Skip this step if you don’t have time to do anything before your PS5 freezes completely!
Sometimes, your PS5 could be freezing because you’ve installed “bad software”, which could be anything from games to apps.
When there is something wrong with such an app or game on the PlayStation 5, the system could be sabotaged by a rogue file/script, so you must remove it.
If the PlayStation 5 provides you with enough time to perform basic operations such as deleting some games, go ahead and try this now.
Here’s how to delete games/apps on PS5:
- From the main screen, navigate to “Settings”.
- Go to “Storage” and choose “Games & Apps”.
- Highlight a game/app you would like to remove.
- Press the “Options” button on your controller.
- Choose “Delete” to remove the selected media.
If your PS5 doesn’t freeze in the middle of the process, try to repeat this so you can free up as much storage as possible.
Also, make sure to remove all games/apps that you installed recently.
5. Reset your PlayStation to Defaults
If nothing works and your PS5 keeps freezing on home screen you might need to perform the ultimate solution–factory reset.
⚠️Warning: This process permanently erases everything from your PlayStation 5.
5.1 Factory Reset from the Settings:
To factory reset your PS5 from the settings, if you have enough time before it freezes, go to “Settings” → “System” → “System Software” → “Reset Options” → “Reset Your Console”.
5.2 Factory Reset from “Safe Mode”
To factory reset your PS5 through “Safe Mode”, just enter and select “Reset PS5”, which will start the procedure without the danger of your console freezing.
So, when the process is done, check whether your PS5 continues to freeze. If yes, then this is a clear sign that something with the Solid State Drive (SSD) is not intact.
It could be anything from a faulty memory sector or a completely degraded storage, which is something you can rarely troubleshoot effectively alone at home.
Quick Tip: We recommend getting in touch with PlayStation®5 Support and reporting your problem before concluding.
Finn Wheatley, a Master’s graduate in Computer Science from UCL, London, honed his skills at small data science consultancies. There, he helped large corporations enhance their data capabilities by deploying cutting-edge machine learning analytics and resolving technical hurdles.
