This year, nothing stood in the way of next-gen gaming consoles. In spite of a terrible, ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and global environmental calamities, they released as planned. On November 19, the world was ushered into a new generation of gaming consoles. The Xbox Series X and PS5 bring in high framerates at 4K resolutions across the board. And, they both cut back on load times thanks to their powerful SSDs and powerful GPUs.
However, some technical problems occasionally plague both consoles. More specifically, the Xbox Series X sometimes faces issues running Dirt 5, where the 120 FPS mode causes serious drops in graphical fidelity. This resembles several cross-gen issues on PS5, where new next-gen exclusives like Spiderman Miles Morales run on the old gen version instead. Another common issue on the PS5 comes from the new Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War failing to install properly.
One issue PS5 users sometimes face is games failing to run after installation, or immediate crashes upon launch
Like the aforementioned Cold War bug, the ‘can’t continue using this game or app’ error while launching PS5 games often extends to other titles too. While that game had issues initiating the installation, other titles may not run even after an apparently successful download. Reasons for this error number in the possible dozens including corrupted data, but luckily the PS5 community helps each other out. Several users report workarounds and tips for getting games up and running again.
So, we have taken the liberty of compiling the most reliable fixes PS5 users can use. Note that these are all easy to do, and hopefully won’t require the necessity of returning/exchanging your console.
1) Clean your disc
Often at times, the console itself is running perfectly fine. If you have the top-tier PS5, you’ll have a disc drive. This disc drive allows you to insert the game disc, which is read by the lens. However, sometimes smudges or scratches on the disc face can render it unreadable. When that happens, you may need to wash the disc with cold water. Then, use a soft, non-abrasive cloth to wipe the surface down, and make sure to thoroughly dry.
Place the disc back into the disc drive and retry the installation. Ideally, whatever contaminants were blocking the lens should now be gone. In case this still doesn’t work, you may need a replacement disc.
2) Delete then reinstall the game
Sometimes issues happen from corrupted game files. This means that either the game didn’t download all of the essential components, or a component may not be functional. So, the best fix is often to just start from scratch. Delete your game file from the manager, and try to download it again.
While downloads may take a significant amount of time to complete depending on your internet connection strength and the size of the game, it is often worth it. This method often results in a fresh, clean install of the most up-to-date version of your game. And, hopefully, it can eliminate bugs or improper installations.
3) Check your internet connectivity
Sometimes the most simple fixes escape our attention and remain right under our noses. While many single-player games, like Spiderman, for instance, allow offline play, some titles don’t. That means trying to boot them up without an active internet connection is often impossible. In other instances, the sudden disruption to internet servers leads to the game crashing.
If you suspect this to be the case, don’t fret. All you need to do is reset your WiFi router. Turn it off for 30 seconds, then back on. After a few minutes, your connection should come back. If you use a wired connection, the easiest thing to do is unplug the Ethernet cable from the PS5 and put it back in.
4) Format your PS5 storage
If nothing works, you may need to format your console. What happens in certain cases is that the storage can get damaged. While SSDs are typically more stable than traditional HDD, mishandling, magnetic fields or extreme temperatures can decimate the components. That means the data the PS5 stores on it, including vital system files, games, and memory, is corrupted.
If that becomes the case, your console may become ‘bricked’. That means it will fail to boot up. To rule out that extreme, rare occurrence, a factory reset is important. You can format your console, deleting all the data you stored, to its out-of-the-box state. Of course, that means losing your game installations but may also repair any damage to the SSD.
5) Wait for an official patch from the game’s developers or Sony
Sometimes, it’s simply the fault of the game developers or a bug in the PS5 User Interface (UI). That means that worldwide, numerous users may face the same issue trying to run a particular game or app. Like we mentioned previously, such an incident happened with Activision’s Black Ops Cold War. The game often refuses to install on the PS5, despite both the game and the console being essentially brand-new for most people.
Like we advised gamers with that issue, we’ll repeat it here. If your game doesn’t launch on the PS5, after the repeated fixes listed above, you might need to wait. The official companies behind games often release unstable or buggy builds at launch, that requires patches to sort out. Or, if the issue is related to Sony’s software, a bug-resolving update may come to your console. In either case, it’s best to follow Sony and the game’s official news sources online for routine status updates.
6) Return or avail your PS5’s warranty
We hate to have to bring in the nuclear option, but sometimes all else fails. What else but the console’s hardware can you suspect when you’ve ruled out all the other potential causes. If your console seems to have stable software, free of issues, your disc is brand-new (or all other discs display the same error), your console may be defective or damaged.
Users with the now-iconic PS2 Slim may remember routine hardware issues. That console, due to architectural limitations and flimsy components, often suffered from overheating and lens issues. Now, it’s too early to exactly say if the PS5’s internals are robust because the outer finish is premium and the console doesn’t normally overheat. However, due to shipping and handling irregularities or environmental hazards like dust or water, the components may get damaged.
If that’s the case, you should try to avail the warranty on your unit. Since the console is brand new (less than a few weeks at the time of writing), we’ll assume you didn’t buy it off, scalpers. That means you can contact the retailer, explain your issues, and ask for a repair or replacement unit. Hopefully, given that Sony and the retailer take responsibility, you should be all set afterward.
Stay tuned for more guides and fixes!