Resetting your PS4 console to factory settings can be useful for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you are looking to sell or give away your console and want to wipe all personal data. Or maybe your PS4 is having technical issues and you want to start fresh. Resetting to factory settings will restore your PS4 to its out-of-the-box state, deleting all user accounts, saved games, settings, and downloaded apps and media.
While resetting your console is usually pretty straightforward, there are a few things you need to keep in mind to avoid data loss and ensure the process goes smoothly. In this article, we’ll walk through the steps to factory reset a PS4, as well as cover some key facts about the process.
When Should You Reset Your PS4?
Here are some of the most common reasons to perform a factory reset on your PS4:
- You are selling or giving away your PS4 – Wiping it restores it to a blank slate for the new owner.
- Fixing technical issues – If your PS4 is freezing, glitching, or having other problems, a reset may resolve software issues.
- Clearing out old data – Resetting erases all saved games, accounts, settings, downloads and media.
- Removing personal content – Factory reset eliminates all your private data from the device when selling or disposing of it.
- Preparing for a system update – Sony sometimes suggests resetting before a major system update or upgrade.
In general, a factory reset is the best troubleshooting step to take if your PS4 is malfunctioning or lagging in performance. Resetting often fixes software errors and clears out old data that may be slowing the system down.
What Gets Deleted During a Factory Reset?
Resetting your PS4 to factory default settings erases all of the following data and content from the console:
- User accounts and profiles
- Downloaded games, apps, themes, and avatars
- Game save files and progress
- Installed game discs and Blu-ray/DVD data
- Screenshots and video clips
- System settings and preferences
- Downloaded media like music, photos, and videos
- Internet browser history and cookies
- Parental controls and restrictions
- Controllers and accessories sync data
Basically, everything added after the initial system setup will be permanently erased. However, any physical game discs, memory cards, and external drives connected to your PS4 will NOT be wiped.
Backing Up Your PS4 Data
Because a factory reset so thoroughly erases all accounts, games, settings, and media, you should back up your important PS4 data before resetting. This preserves your game progress, profile information, downloads, and other personal content.
Here are the best ways to back up PS4 data:
- PlayStation Plus cloud storage – PS+ members can upload save files to cloud servers.
- External HDD or USB drive – Directly copy data to any external USB storage device.
- PlayStation app – Sync data like screenshots, trophies, and saves to the PS app on mobile.
- Game saves – Manually copy your game save files to a USB or to online game server.
Backing up is the best way to avoid losing any personal, important, or hard-to-replace data and keeps you from having to start PS4 games completely over after the reset.
Step-by-Step Guide to Resetting Your PS4
Factory resetting a PS4 only takes a few minutes. Just follow these steps:
- Sign out of your PSN account – Go to Settings > Account Management > Sign Out. This logs you out of all accounts on the PS4.
- Back up data – Use the backup methods outlined above to preserve any data.
- Power off the PS4 – Hold down the power button on the front of the console for at least 7 seconds.
- Boot in Safe Mode – Hold down the power button again until you hear a second beep. This starts the console in Safe Mode.
- Connect a controller – Sync a controller to your PS4 using a USB cable.
- Select Reset PS4 – Use the controller to scroll to option 6: Reset PS4 and hit X to confirm.
- Choose Reset All Settings – This will initiate the factory reset process.
- Confirm reset – Select Yes when asked to confirm the reset to wipe the PS4.
- Wait for reset – The system will now erase everything and restart. The reset takes 2-3 minutes.
Once completed, your PS4 will boot up like new, ready to have a user account created. You can then begin redownloading games, apps, and other content. Just be sure to sign into your old PSN account to regain access to your purchases.
Other Reset Options
The PS4 technically offers two factory reset options:
Reset PS4
This resets all system settings to default but keeps users, games, and downloaded content intact.
Reset All Settings
As outlined above, this completely erases and restores a PS4 system to a brand new state. Always use Reset All Settings when you need to fully wipe a PS4.
Tips and Warnings
Here are some final tips to keep in mind when performing a factory reset on your PS4:
- Sign out of PlayStation Network – This prevents your account data from being deleted.
- Remove external storage – Eject any connected drives to avoid accidentally wiping them.
- Restore licenses afterwards – Media apps may need a license restore after the reset.
- Reactivate your PS4 – Using your PSN sign-in, activate the PS4 as your primary system again.
- Download latest system software – Make sure to download the newest system update after resetting.
- Reset keeps firmware – The reset does not downgrade or upgrade the PS4 firmware version.
Factory resetting your PS4 deletes all accounts, games, saves, settings, and media from the console. Make sure to fully back up your data before the reset. Following the step-by-step guide above allows you to smoothly restore your PS4 to factory settings, fixing issues or wiping your personal data in preparation for selling or disposing of the device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about resetting your PS4 to factory settings:
Is my PS4 data really gone forever after a factory reset?
Yes, all data on the PS4 internal drive is permanently erased during the reset process. However, data backed up to external storage, PS+ cloud saves, or drives will remain intact.
Will resetting delete my PS+ cloud saves?
No, any saves backed up to PlayStation Plus cloud storage will remain safely stored after you factory reset your console.
Can I reset without deleting games or saves?
You can reset system settings only by selecting “Reset PS4” instead of “Reset All Settings”. However, to fully wipe the console you must do a complete reset.
Will I lose my trophies or trophy progress if I reset?
Unfortunately all trophy data stored locally on your PS4 will be deleted after a factory reset. However, trophies synced to your PlayStation Network account will remain.
What if I accidentally deleted something important before resetting?
There is no way to recover data deleted directly from your PS4 before a reset. This is why backups are so important before wiping the system.
Can I reset if I forget my PS4 password?
Yes, using Safe Mode to factory reset bypasses the need to enter your normal PS4 sign-in password. Resetting will wipe all accounts on the system.
Will resetting improve PS4 performance and speed?
Often yes, clearing out old software issues, cached data, and removing accounts and downloads can optimize your PS4’s performance after a reset.
Conclusion
Factory resetting your PS4 completely restores the console back to original factory settings and wipes all user data in the process. Before performing a reset, sign out of your accounts, back up important saves and data, and then use Safe Mode to initiate the reset. The process deletes all accounts, games, settings, and downloads from the system, fixing issues and clearing old data. Just be sure to back up anything you want to keep prior to the wipe.