A system not booting properly is one of the scariest problems for any console owner. Unfortunately, since this issue pops up with the PlayStation 5 occasionally, you might eventually have to fix a PS5 that won’t boot to the home screen.
Below are solutions to fix the PS5’s blinking blue light and black screen issue.
Why Does My PS5 Show a Flashing Blue Light?
First, it’s important to explain the problem so you can confirm if it’s happening to you. The PlayStation 5 blinking blue light problem usually occurs when your PS5 has turned back on after a hard shutdown, like a system crash or loss of power.
Normally, when you turn your PS5 on, the lights on top of the system will turn blue, then change to white once the system has booted. If the console light stays flashing blue and won’t turn to white, it’s frozen. On your TV, you’ll see the PS logo for a few seconds, which will then disappear to show a black screen that never loads the home screen.
When this happens, proceed with the below troubleshooting steps.
1. Reboot and Unplug Your Console
You should first fully shut down and reboot your system in case this is a temporary glitch. To power off your PS5, hold the Power button on the front of the system until you hear two beeps, then let go.
If you have the standard PS5, the Power button is closer to the bottom of the system. The PS5 Digital Edition only has one button, since there’s no disc slot.
Once the lights on your PS5 turn off, unplug the power cable and wait at least 60 seconds. Then reconnect the power cable and press the Power button on the system to start it again.
If you still see the blinking blue light after this, try unplugging your console while the lights are blinking. This results in a hard shutdown, but it’s one of Sony’s recommended steps for this issue.
As another preliminary step, wait some time while the blue light is flashing. Some people have reported the system fixing itself after roughly 20 minutes of waiting at the black screen.
2. Update the System Software in Safe Mode
If the above basic troubleshooting didn’t work, you’ll need to access Safe Mode on your PS5. This mode allows you to access advanced utilities to fix problems like the flashing light issue.
To enter Safe Mode, shut down your PS5 as discussed above. Press and hold the Power button on the console until you hear a second beep, then let go. When you see the prompt, connect a controller to the system using a USB cable and press the PS Button to use it.
You’ll then see a basic menu with several options. You may have to try all of them eventually, but you should start with the Update System Software entry. Select this, then choose Update Using Internet to check for and install the latest PS5 update.
If your system isn’t connected to the internet, you’ll need to choose Update from USB Drive and follow our PlayStation 5 update guide to install the file manually.
In our case, this system update fixed the problem, which is a painless solution. If your PS5 still won’t boot properly after an update, continue onto the other Safe Mode options.
3. Clear the Cache and Rebuild the Database
The next step is to perform some system maintenance that doesn’t delete any of your data. Boot back into Safe Mode and connect your controller, then choose the Clear Cache and Rebuild Database option this time. On the resulting menu, select Clear System Software Cache.
As you may know, cache files are temporary pieces of information that computers use to load frequently used assets quickly. Clearing the cache deletes these files, which may cause your system to load some elements more slowly at first. If any cache files are corrupted and causing your PS5 to freeze at boot, this operation should fix them.
Try to boot again after performing this step. If it continues to get stuck, open the Clear Cache and Rebuild Database menu again and choose Rebuild Database. Similar to the operation that can keep your PS4 running at its best, this utility reorganizes the data on your storage drive so the console can access it more efficiently.
This won’t delete any saved games or data, but it will reset your home screen layout to the default, so you’ll have to launch games from your library again. Your PS5 will also check for updates for games you haven’t launched in a while after this process runs.
The system warns this could take a few hours, but thanks to the PS5’s speedy SSD, it shouldn’t take too long. Try to boot up your system normally after the database rebuild completes.
4. Change Video Output Options
Changing your PS5’s visual output is the final step you can take that doesn’t result in you losing personal data. Back in Safe Mode, choose Change Video Output. There are two options here: Change Resolution and Change HDCP Mode.
HDCP is an anti-piracy measure. Try choosing the opposite setting of what is selected in that menu (you’ll likely select HDCP 1.4 Only), then attempt to boot your PS5 again. In case this doesn’t have an effect, choose Change Resolution. If it’s not already on Automatic, try that. Otherwise, choose a lower resolution like 720p and see if that works.
In case one of these toggles fixes the blinking light problem, once back to normal, you should head to Settings > Screen and Video > Video Output > Resolution to make sure you’re enjoying the highest resolution that your TV supports. Changing HDCP shouldn’t have much of an effect, but you might want to set it back to Automatic if you experience any picture issues later.
5. Reset Your PS5
At this point, you’ve tried all the non-invasive troubleshooting methods. Unfortunately, the next potential fix is resetting your PS5 (and potentially reinstalling the system software). This is a factory reset, meaning you’ll lose all your installed games, save data, and captures. To perform this, enter Safe Mode again and choose Reset PS5, which will reset everything to default.
If this doesn’t solve your problem, run Reset PS5 (Reinstall System Software) next. Follow PlayStation Support’s steps to load the latest system software on a USB drive, which is necessary for the process. Doing so will reinstall the OS on your PS5, so it might take some time.
Once either resetting process completes, your PS5 should boot normally and you’ll have to walk through the initial setup steps again.
If reinstalling the system software didn’t fix your PS5’s blinking blue light, you have a hardware issue and will need to send your system to Sony for support. Visit PlayStation Support to set up a repair for your console.
How to Avoid the Blinking Light PS5 Error in the Future
The PS5 blinking blue light and black screen issue seems to happen when the system boots up after a crash. Unfortunately, this can happen when you put your PS5 into Rest Mode. While inconvenient, since your PS5 can do a lot while in Rest Mode, the best way to prevent this issue from happening again is to stop using Rest Mode—at least for a time.
When you’re done using your PS5, hit the PS Button, then to go Power > Turn Off PS5 to shut it down. To avoid your system going into Rest Mode after a period of inactivity, visit Settings > System > Power Saving > Set Time Until PS5 Enters Rest Mode and choose Don’t Put in Rest Mode for both fields.
In addition to this, consider anything else that might have caused your PS5 to shut down improperly. If you suffer from frequent power outages, consider buying a UPS so you have time for a graceful shutdown when the power goes out. Make sure you don’t have the PS5 located where someone can trip over the power cord.
To avoid losing saved progress, be sure you’re backing up your PS5 save data by going to Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings. Choose PS5 or PS4 game data, hit Console Storage, then select a game and choose Upload to Cloud Storage.
Fix the Blinking Light and Enjoy Your PS5
With one of these fixes, you’ve hopefully been able to correct the blinking blue light on your console and get back to playing games. This issue is frightening, but in most cases it won’t brick your PS5.
Now that you’re back into your system, you should make sure you know the best tips for the PlayStation 5.
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