What a factory reset does to your PS4

A factory reset wipes your PS4 back to the state it left the factory — no user accounts, no saved games, no installed games, no settings you've changed. Everything goes. The console itself still works; you're just removing every trace of how you've been using it.

This is different from just deleting one game or one user account. A factory reset touches everything at once. It's the nuclear option, and it's permanent — you cannot undo it once it starts. If you're selling the console, giving it away, or handing it to someone else, this is what you do. If you just want to clear space or remove one person's profile, there are faster ways.

Key Takeaways

  • A factory reset erases all user accounts, games, saved data, and settings from your PS4 and cannot be undone once started.
  • You can back up your saved games to a USB drive or PlayStation Network cloud storage before resetting if you want to keep them.
  • The reset process takes 15 to 30 minutes depending on your console model and how much data is stored.
  • After the reset completes, you'll see the initial setup screen as if the console is brand new.

Back up your saved games before you reset

If you want to keep your saved games and restore them later on this console or a different one, copy them to a USB drive or upload them to PlayStation Network cloud storage before you start the reset. Once the reset finishes, those saves are gone from the console itself.

To back up to a USB drive: plug a USB drive into your PS4, go to Settings > System > Back Up and Restore > Back Up, and choose which user's data to save. The console copies everything to the drive. To back up to PlayStation Network cloud storage: go to Settings > System > Online Storage > Upload, sign in with your PlayStation Network account, and choose which saves to upload. You need a PlayStation Plus subscription for cloud storage, but the upload itself is straightforward.

The two types of factory reset on PS4

The PS4 offers two reset options in the Settings menu, and they do different things. Reset This PS4 removes all accounts and data but keeps your console's system software version. Reset This PS4 (Reinstall System Software) wipes everything and reinstalls the operating system from scratch, which takes longer but is more thorough. For most people selling or giving away a console, the first option is enough. Use the second option only if the console is malfunctioning or you want the most complete wipe possible.

Both options ask you to confirm before they start. Once you confirm, the process cannot be stopped or reversed. The console will restart several times during the reset.

How to perform a factory reset step by step

Start with the console powered on. Press the PS button on your controller to open the function area, then go to Settings (the wrench icon). Scroll down to System and select it. Look for Reset Your Console or Restore Default Settings — the exact wording depends on your system software version, but it's in this menu.

Select the reset option you want (the standard Reset This PS4 is fine for most cases). The console will ask you to confirm. Read the warning carefully — it tells you exactly what will be deleted. Select Yes or Confirm. The console restarts and begins the reset process. You'll see a progress bar. Do not unplug the console or turn it off during this time. The reset typically takes 15 to 30 minutes. When it finishes, you'll see the initial setup screen, the same one you saw when the console was new.

What to do if you're selling or giving away the console

After the reset finishes and you see the setup screen, do not create a new account or set up the console further. Leave it at that screen. The person receiving the console can then set it up themselves with their own account and preferences. This way they get a truly fresh start.

If you've already created an account during setup by mistake, you can delete it before handing over the console. Go to Settings > System > Other > Delete User, select the account you created, and confirm. Then the console is back to the blank setup screen.

Why you might reset instead of just deleting one game or account

If you only want to remove one game, go to your Library, find the game, press Options on the controller, and select Delete. If you only want to remove one user account, go to Settings > System > Other > Delete User and select that account. These are much faster than a full reset and leave everything else untouched.

A full reset makes sense when you're removing the console from your hands entirely, or when the console is behaving strangely and you want to rule out corrupted settings or leftover data as the cause. For everyday cleanup, targeted deletion is the right move.

What happens to your PlayStation Network account

A factory reset removes the account from the console, but it does not delete your PlayStation Network account itself. Your account still exists on Sony's servers. If you sign back in on this console or any other PS4, your account and your cloud saves are still there. The reset only removes the account from this specific machine.

If you want to completely delete your PlayStation Network account, that's a separate process you do through the PlayStation website, not through the console. A factory reset is not the same as account deletion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I stop the reset once it starts?

No. Once you confirm the reset, the process runs to completion. Do not unplug the console or turn it off. If the power goes out during the reset, the console may not start properly afterward. Let it finish, even if it takes 30 minutes.

Will the reset remove games I bought digitally?

The reset removes the installed game files from the console's storage. Your purchase history stays tied to your PlayStation Network account on Sony's servers. If you sign back in on any PS4, you can read those games again without repurchasing them.

Do I need an internet connection to factory reset?

No. The reset happens locally on the console. You do not need to be online. However, if you want to back up your saves to PlayStation Network cloud storage beforehand, you'll need internet for that step.

What if I reset the console but forgot to back up my saves?

Once the reset finishes, those saves are gone from the console and cannot be recovered. If you had uploaded them to PlayStation Network cloud storage before the reset, they're still there and you can read them. If you didn't back them up, they're lost.

Is a factory reset the same as clearing the cache?

No. Clearing the cache removes temporary files the console uses to run faster but keeps all your accounts, games, and saves. A factory reset removes everything. If your PS4 is running slowly, try clearing the cache first — it's much faster and often solves the problem.