Why Is My PS5 Not Loading Anything? (Here’s What To Do!)

We’ve all been there at least once, asking ourselves, “Why is my PS5 not loading anything?”

It’s one of these issues that makes you want to throw the controller, but before you do, there are a few steps that helped me get the PS5 loading everything.

It’s only important to identify whether you’re dealing with network issues (not loading anything online) or you’re facing a performance issue (not loading anything at all).

According to what you’re experiencing exactly, navigate yourself across the guide below and follow the right steps.

Why is My PS5 Not Loading Anything – Ultimate Fix Guide!

Note: If your PS5 is not even loading the system, check PS5 is working but not showing on TV.

1. Check the PS™ Network Status

If your PlayStation 5 is not loading anything, including online games, account settings, or the PlayStation Store, the PS services may be down.

Luckily, you can check the PS™ Network Status!

Note: PlayStation Network issues are typically resolved within the same day as they occur!

2. Sign Out & In Your PS5 Account

If you can’t load anything on your PlayStation 5, another quick step you should try is to sign out and in to your PlayStation account.

As simple as this step may sound, it may solve your problem in case of a PS account connection problem, considering that accessing apps/games requires it.

Here’s how to sign out and in to your PS account:

1. From the main screen, go to “Settings”.
2. Then, choose “Users and Accounts”.
3. Select “Other” and finally “Sign Out”.

At this point, we recommend power cycling your PlayStation 5. 

Then, try to access an online service that will bring up the sign-in screen or go to “Settings” → “Users and Accounts” → “Account” → “Sign in” and insert your PS account login credentials.

3. Restore PlayStation 5 Licenses

Another potential reason why your PS5 is not loading anything is a sync problem between your content licenses and account.

Luckily, PlayStation 5 has an option allowing you to restore your PlayStation license, which won’t erase any data.

To restore your PlayStation digital content licenses, go to “Settings” → “Users and Accounts” → “Other” → “Restore Licenses”.

4. Clear Cache & Rebuild Database

If your PS5 is not loading anything, we need to start considering a storage-related problem, and we’re about to unwrap some big gun troubleshooting methods.

We’ll start by clearing the cache and rebuilding the database, which will identify corrupt data and faulty sectors across the drive, resolving issues along the way.

⚠️Alert: Clearing the cache on your PS5 will sign you out of your application accounts and revert all app settings to default (nothing will be deleted).

Here’s how to clear the cache and rebuild the database on PS5:

1. Hold the power button until your PS5 power off.
2. Hold the power button again until the 2x beeps.
3. Your PlayStation 5 will now enter “Safe Mode”.
4. Plug your DualSense controller via USB cable.
5. Select “Clear Cache and Rebuild Database”.
6. Now, choose “Clear System Software Cache”.
7. Confirm and allow your PlayStation 5 to restart.
8. Power your console off using the Power button.
9. Hold the power button again until the 2x beeps.
10. Choose “Clear Cache and Rebuild Database”.
11. This time, select the “Rebuild Database” option.
12. Confirm and allow your PlayStation 5 to restart.

When you console restarts, you’ll notice that you’re signed out. So, sign in and test whether the PS5 will now load applications and games normally.

5. Repair the PlayStation 5 Storage

Sometimes, the PlayStation 5 may not be able to load anything because the storage is full, and your console is struggling to keep up, or there is corrupt data.

So, if your console allows it at its current state, delete some games to free up space, and if this doesn’t work, repair the storage.

To repair the storage, you’ll need to access “Safe Mode” as we explained in the previous step (e.g, turning off the console and holding the Power button until the 2 beeps).

Then you simply need to choose the “Repair Console Storage”.

When you confirm the process, you’ll see a progress bar that gradually increases, so be patient and allow the process to complete.

As the on-screen message says, don’t turn off your console.

6. Update the PS5 System Firmware

It may be discouraging to still wonder, “How do I fix my PS5 not loading anything?” after trying a few steps to no avail.

Don’t worry–the same thing happened to me.  Then it occurred to me–the entire issue could be due to an outdated firmware on your console.

Well, there are 2 ways to update, based on whether the PS5 system allows you to perform the update automatically or not.

Try Updating Automatically:

First, try to update automatically through the settings. Go to “Settings” → “System” → “System Software” → “System Software Update and Settings” → “Update System Software”.

If your PS5 can’t even load the settings, do it manually through “Safe Mode”.

Update your PS5 Manually:

To update your PS5 manually, enter “Safe Mode” and choose “Update System Software.”

You’ll have two options to choose from:

We recommend first trying to update over the internet, and if it fails, follow the guide below to update using a USB Drive.

Here’s how to update PS5 via USB drive:

1. First, on a PC or Mac, create a folder and name it “PS5”.
2. Now, create another folder inside and name it “UPDATE”.
3. Then, download the PS5 console update file on your PC.
4. Put the “PS5UPDATE.PUP” file in the “UPDATE” folder.
5. Insert a at least 2 GB USB flash drive into your computer.
6. Next, you need to format your USB flash drive to “FAT32”
7. Put the “PS5” folder into the now-empty USB flash drive.
8. Plug the USB flash drive into your PlayStation 5 console.
9. Now, power on the PlayStation 5 and enter “Safe Mode”.
10. In the “Safe Mode”, choose “Update System Software.”
11. Select “Update from USB Drive” and follow the prompts.

Once your PS5 is updated, it should start loading apps and games without potential problems!

7. Reinstall PS5 Operating System

One of the most powerful solutions you could attempt is reinstalling the operating system, also known as a factory reset.

This operation will completely remove everything from your PS5 and provide you with a fresh start, hopefully resolving all issues.

⚠️Warning: The data loss after the factory reset is irreversible.

You have two ways to factory reset your PS5:

When your PlayStation 5 operating system is cleanly reinstalled, the problem shouldn’t exist.

PS5 Not Loading Anything Online – [Networking Problem]

Well, if your PlayStation 5 is loading the system, opening apps and games, but can’t access online content, this is a network problem.

The troubleshooting in this case would be slightly different, so here’s everything you must try!

1. Inspect your Wi-Fi Network

The first thing is to check if your Wi-Fi is accessible. You can either use your smartphone or just use the built-in PlayStation 5 option to test the connectivity.

How to Test Wi-Fi on PS5:

To test the connectivity of your Wi-Fi through your PS5, go to “Settings” → “Network” → “Test Internet Connection”.

If the process gets stuck on “Checking…” for over 5 minutes, this shows that the Wi-Fi may not be accessible on your PlayStation 5.

Alternatively, anything below 5 Mbps is considered very slow, and most of the online apps and games may not work properly on this internet speed.

Quick Tip: Power cycle your Wi-Fi router.

Switch Frequency Bands:

If you have a dual-band router, then you probably have 2 distinct Wi-Fi networks (e.g, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz).

While your PlayStation 5 supports both, we recommend connecting to the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, even if it’s slower when compared to the 5 GHz band.

Why? Because the 5 GHz is not that reliable regarding consistency, and when your PS5 drops the network connection, online content won’t work.

So, go to “Settings” → “Network” → “Set Up Internet Connection” and choose the Wi-Fi that has a “2.4” in its SSID (typically named by your ISP).

2. Change PS5’s DNS Settings

Sometimes, online content on your PS5 may not be accessible entirely because of a DNS issue, responsible for global connectivity and domain resolution.

To configure your PS5 DNS settings, follow the steps below:

1. Head to “Settings” → “Network” → “Set Up Internet Connection”.
2. Choose “Advanced settings” and set “DNS Settings” to “Manual”.
3. Input Google’s DNS or Cloudflare’s DNS (it does not really matter).

Google’s DNS:

Cloudflare’s DNS:

Don’t forget to select “OK” and confirm the changes. When you’re ready, reboot the PlayStation 5 and test whether you can now access online content.

3. Switch to a Wired Connection

At last, if your PS5 is still unable to load online content, your last resort is switching to a wired (Ethernet) connection, which is the most reliable way of connecting to the internet.

You need to connect your router’s yellow “LAN” port to the PS5’s “Ethernet” port using an Ethernet cable.

When you’re connected, go to “Settings” → “Network” → “Set Up Internet Connection” and choose “Use a LAN Cable”.

Then follow the on-screen instructions to connect to the internet.

Note: If you can’t diagnose and resolve the problem on your own, don’t hesitate to get in touch with PlayStation®5 Support.