Updates are crucial for keeping the PS4 and the PS5 in shape. They bring bug fixes, patches, features, security updates, and other benefits.

Moreover, if your system suffers from a random bug, an update is the easiest way to fix it. Problems like being unable to download games or the ejecting button not working can stop with an update.

You should ensure the console is always working on its latest build. Updates are automatic but might fail if your internet is unreliable or due to bugs and glitches.

On either the PS4 or the PS5, here’re the possible problems you may be dealing with:

Overall, damage may be internal hardware, random errors, or full storage. You may already know what to do if you pin down the problem. 

Various signs indicate your PS4 or PS5 is having issues installing an update. The indications are errors or message codes popping up. They may appear when you’re updating or otherwise.

If you’re experiencing any of these situations, your console is having issues with its updates. 

We’ll review the solutions, one by one, for both the PS4 and the PS5. All solutions are equal, but these consoles have different interfaces, so we’ll list the specific steps for each.

The first step is to power cycle your router and your console. It will help refresh their caches to erase random bugs and errors.

After the power cycle, try updating the console again. 

Perhaps you haven’t tried updating the console manually via the interface.

On the PS4, you can do this: 

The steps are like so on the PS5: 

If you still can’t update the console, let’s tackle a solution to a possible bug. 

Before jumping into the Safe Mode troubleshooter, let’s try factory resetting the console. We’ll do it via the user interface, and the process won’t erase your data. Instead, it will reset the system’s settings, potentially erasing bugs. 

First, you need to deactivate your PSN account:

The PS4 will reboot automatically, so the next step is the factory reset: 

The process will take a while. Afterward, it will take you back to the initial tutorial screen. Complete it, and try updating the console manually again.

Factory resetting the PS5 is easier via the interface. Here’re the instructions.

The process may take a few minutes to restore the system firmware to default. Afterward, try updating the software manually. 

Updating your PlayStation via a USB drive will bypass the bugs or glitches. You need an empty flash drive and a download from Sony’s official sites. 

Before that, make sure you make a backup on an external HDD because the process will erase all of your data and games. 

Then, the first part is formatting the USB drive or the external HDD. It should have 5GB of empty space and FAT32 or exFAT format.

You can format the drive on Windows like so: 

The next step is downloading the system update file and placing it on the USB drive. There’re specific steps to follow, though, so be careful. Here they are: 

The last step is installing the update file via the PlayStation’s Safe Mode troubleshooter:

The process may take a while, but it will probably work. You may need to reinstall the system software if it doesn’t. 

Your last ditch effort is reinstalling the software. The process is similar to updating the system, so we’re delivering simplified instructions.

After this process, you can try updating the console with a USB drive, as I explained above. If it still doesn’t work, the console has hardware damage.

I'm a content creator happy to write, film, edit, and share original content. I used to work as a journalist, yet I'm constantly pursuing other creative and fun endeavors On the side, I manage an entertainment YouTube channel. On my downtime, I'm an avid casual gamer -if such a thing exists. See, I'd rather play Mass Effect for the 100th time than try my luck on Warzone again. . Oh, I'm also a father, which is my best job.

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