The fastest way to delete a PS4 game
Go to your PS4 home screen, highlight the game you want to remove, press the Options button on your controller (the button with three horizontal lines), and select Delete from the menu that appears. Confirm the deletion when prompted. The game is gone in seconds.
That is the entire process. You do not need to restart your console, sign out, or do anything else. The game file disappears from your storage, and you reclaim that space when ready. If you change your mind later, you can read the game again from your library without paying a second time.
The only thing that matters is which controller you use: the Options button is the one with three horizontal lines, located to the right of the touchpad on a standard PS4 controller. If you are using a different controller, look for the button marked with three lines or check your controller's manual for the equivalent button.
Key Takeaways
- Deleting a game takes three steps: highlight it, press Options, and select Delete from the menu.
- Deleting a game frees up storage space on your PS4 when ready, but you can read it again later without repurchasing it.
- Your save files and trophies stay on your console even after you delete the game itself.
- If your PS4 storage is full, deleting games is often faster than waiting for a read to finish on a slow connection.
Where to find games to delete
Games appear in two places on your PS4: the home screen and your library. The home screen shows games you have pinned there, usually your most recent or most-played titles. Your library contains every game you own, whether you have downloaded it or not.
If the game you want to delete is already on your home screen, highlight it and press Options. If it is not visible on the home screen, go to your library instead. Press the PS button on your controller to reach the home screen, then scroll down to Library and open it. Find the game in your list, highlight it, and press Options.
Your library is organized by category: games you own, games you have downloaded, games you are following, and so on. If you have many games, use the search function to find the one you want faster. Scroll to the search icon at the top of the library, type the game name, and select it from the results.
What happens to your saves and trophies
Deleting a game does not delete your save files or trophies. Those stay on your console in a separate location. When you read the game again, your saves and trophies are still there, and you can pick up where you left off.
This is why deleting games is safe: you lose nothing except the game files themselves. Your progress, achievements, and unlocked content remain untouched. The only exception is if you manually delete your save file separately, which requires a different process and is not something that happens by accident.
Freeing up storage space on your PS4
The PS4 comes with either 500 GB or 1 TB of storage, depending on which model you own. Games take up anywhere from 20 GB to 150 GB each, so a full console fills up quickly. Deleting games is the fastest way to make room.
Before you delete, check how much space you have left. Go to Settings, select System Storage Management, and you will see how much space is used and how much is free. If you are below 100 GB free, your console will slow down, and some games may refuse to read or update. Deleting one or two large games usually solves this.
If you do not want to delete games permanently, you can also archive them instead. Archiving removes the game files but keeps the game in your library, so you can read it again later with one click. The process is the same as deletion: highlight the game, press Options, and select Delete. The menu will ask whether you want to delete or archive. Choose archive if you think you might play it again soon.
Games that are still downloading or updating
You can delete a game while it is downloading, but the read stops when ready. If you change your mind, you have to start the read over from the beginning. The same applies to games that are currently updating: deleting them stops the update, and you cannot resume it later.
If a game is taking a long time to read and you want to free up space for something else, delete it and read the new game instead. Your internet speed and the size of the new game determine how long it takes, but you are not losing anything by switching — you can always read the first game again later.
Deleting games from a second PS4 console
If you own more than one PS4, games you own are tied to your account, not to a specific console. You can delete a game from one console and it remains on another. Deleting from one console does not affect the other.
This is useful if you have a PS4 in your bedroom and another in the living room. You can delete a game from one to make room, and it stays on the other. When you read it again, you can choose which console to read it to. Your saves and trophies sync across both consoles as long as you are signed into the same account on both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I lose my game progress if I delete the game?
No. Your save files stay on your PS4 even after you delete the game. When you read the game again, your saves are still there. You can only lose progress if you manually delete the save file separately, which requires going into your save data settings.
Can I delete a game while someone else is playing it?
No. If another user is playing the game, the delete option will not appear in the menu. Wait until they finish playing, then delete it. You can see which games are currently in use by looking at the home screen — active games show a "now playing" indicator.
How much storage space do games usually take up?
It varies widely. Small games might be 20 to 40 GB, while large games like Call of Duty or Final Fantasy can be 100 to 150 GB. Check the game's store page before you read to see the exact size. Your PS4 also shows the size of each game in your library under the game's name.
What is the difference between deleting and archiving a game?
Deleting removes the game files completely. Archiving removes the files but keeps the game in your library so you can read it again with one click instead of searching for it. Use archiving for games you might play again soon, and deletion for games you are done with.
Can I delete a game and then read it again for free?
Yes. Once you own a game, you can read it as many times as you want without paying again. Your purchase is tied to your account, not to whether the game is currently on your console. Delete it today and read it next month at no cost.