PS5: “Can’t Start The Game Or App” Error | Fixed by Experts

The PlayStation 5 is an amazing and very powerful game console, but when it first launched in November 2020, unfortunately, it was not totally error-free, and many users did suffer from several errors with their PS5. Various bugs and crashes blighted the experience of those lucky enough to have secured a PS5 restock. One of these most annoying errors on PS5 is that comes with a message saying: “Can’t Start The Game Or App“.

However, a series of PS5 upgrades have fixed a slew of glitches and enabled previously unavailable functionality, the most notable of which is the option to add a second SSD to the console. But the PS5 Error “Can’t Start The Game Or App” is still happening regardless of the many updates Sony released for the PS5 system software.

Things to Know Before Fixing PS5 Errors

Here are general rules you have to bear in mind before attempting to fix any PS5 error, including the “Can’t Start The Game Or App” error.

• Knowing what a PS5 error code means will help you figure out what’s wrong – from network troubles to game flaws, acquiring this knowledge is the very first step in the pursuit of fixing that issue.
• New games, no matter how well they are coded/designed, often have issues that appear in error messages/codes that show up on your screen. Sometimes it’s an incompatibility issue and other times it’s just a glitch in the code.
• PS5 error codes/messages help you sort out the problem and also, help the game/app developers figure out what’s wrong with their game/app when you report that error.
• You can always comment below each article on our website if you need further assistance from our team.

Understanding PS5 Error “Can’t Start The Game Or App”

When you try to launch your game/app but it fails, and instead you get a message on the screen saying: “Can’t Start The Game Or App” it simply means that the PS5 system cannot process some core files in your game/app essentially needed for the game/app to run properly.

The PS5 system fails to process these files due to varied reasons, such as the inability to access them due to corruption/damage or due to incompatibility issues with the currently-installed version of PS5 system software.

It can mean also that a certain aspect of the game failed to run due to missing/conflicting driver files or a plain hardware failure caused usually by an abrupt power surge or short (i.e. power instability/fluctuation) or that the hardware component itself is malfunctioning and can’t process data properly.

Causes Of “Can’t Start The Game Or App” Error

There are many different possible causes for PS5 “Can’t Start The Game Or App” Error to occur. It’s dependent on which version of the PS5 system software using, on what kind of storage device (where the game/app is installed) you’re using, and what other games/apps are installed. So, here we will mention some general causes that we should consider when finding a resolution.

1. First possible cause for the “Can’t Start The Game Or App” error is the bug in the code. It could be a bug in the PS5 system software, in a game/app, or in the storage device’s driver. Software is almost never absolutely perfect. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have the need for updates for the PS5 system software, games, apps, or storage device driver. When it comes to storage devices, errors can be also caused by the incompatible device driver.
2. The second cause for the “Can’t Start The Game Or App” error could be a corrupt or missing system file. This can be difficult to track down because not every system file is used all the time. But, when that corrupt system file gets used, then errors occur. As long as we don’t use that file, everything works well.
3. Another cause for that error can be overheated hardware. If your PS5 is too dirty inside and there is no good airflow inside it to cool down the components, errors of different types may occur, including that specific one. If you notice that your PS5 fan is constantly spinning at a high rate, you should check for too much dust inside the system case.
4. Storage device failure is another common reason for the “Can’t Start The Game Or App” Error. If you have installed your game/app on the secondary internal SSD or on an external HDD, it might be failing/malfunctioning, thus generating that error.
5. Full storage device can cause lots of errors to the PS5 system, including that error.
6. The long use of PS5 without turning it off will fill up the cache which may generate different types of errors.
7. Unstable power current due to power surge or electrical short.

So, these are the most common reasons for PS5 Error “Can’t Start The Game Or App”.

Fixing “Can’t Start The Game Or App” Error

so, you have already learned that the PS5 error message “Can’t Start The Game Or App” would appear when there’s a sort of data corruption either in the PS5 system or the game/app core files. But, how can you fix it entirely and launch your game/app without any problem? Try out the following methods until you get things right.

1. Restart Your PS5

When you encounter any sort of trouble with the PS5, the very first thing you should try is to restart your game console the way illustrated in this section. This has proven to resolve many performance issues without the need for any additional steps. And, depending on the real cause of the “Can’t Start The Game Or App” Error, a simple restart the way explained below may fix it.

What you have to do is as follows:

1. Turn off the PS5 until the power indicator is off.
2. Unplug the PS5 from the wall power outlet.
3. Disconnect any peripheral attached to the PS5 including the DualSense controller.
4. Leave your PS5 in this state for 3 minutes or so.
5. Plug the PS5 power cable back into the wall outlet.
6. Only connect the DualSense controller to your PS5.
7. Turn on the PS5 while the DualSense controller is connected to it, and wait for the PS5 system software to completely load.
8. If the game/app that causes the problem is installed on an external storage, connect it to the PS5 and wait until it’s recognized and enabled. Otherwise, if it’s installed locally, don’t connect anything yet to the PS5 and try to launch it before anything else.

As said earlier, this may resolve the issue depending on its cause. If that doesn’t work for you, try the other methods.

2. Move Your Game/App to the Internal Storage

When the storage device on which the game/app is installed is malfunctioning/defective, you’ll get errors when trying to run that game/app. In order to avoid any troubles concerning the functionality of your external HDD on PS5, just move that game/app to the local internal SSD and try to launch it from there.

Here’s how you can move PS4 games from external storage to the PS5 local system storage:

1. From the PS5 home screen, Go to ‘Settings’.
2. Go to ‘Storage’ > Select the ‘USB Extended Storage’ option on the left side.
3. On the right side of the screen, select the ‘Games and Apps’ option.
4. In the “Games and Apps in USB Extended Storage” menu, select ‘Move PS4 content’ or ‘Move PS5 content’ depending on what you want.
5. Now, choose the game(s) that you want to move from the external storage to the PS5 local system storage.
6. On the bottom right side of the menu, select ‘Move’.
7. Confirm the task by clicking “Ok” and wait for the process to finish.

It’s recommended to restart your console once you move your game/app to the PS5 internal SSD before trying to launch it.

3. Reinstall the Game/App

It’s possible that the game/app causing the “Can’t Start The Game Or App” Error is not properly installed, or some of its core files are missing/corrupted. It’s possible also that there’s an incompatibility issue with the currently-installed PS5 system software.

The first step you have to do is to delete that game/app entirely from your PS5. To do that, follow the steps below:

1. Go to the PS5’s Settings menu. It’s possible to access this from the home screen by selecting the small cog icon in the top right-hand corner of the screen.
2. In the Settings menu, scroll down to Storage and select that option. It’s the seventh item down in the list.
3. On the Storage screen, you can get a good idea of what’s taking up all the space on your PS5. Select Games and Apps. The Games & Apps screen lists every PS4 and PS5 game you have installed. By default, it’s arranged so that the games you played the longest ago are at the top.
4. Go through the list and check the items you want to delete. For the purpose of this tutorial, we’re removing Worms Rumble, so we’ve checked the box to the left of its icon and title.
5. Once you’ve selected all the games you want to remove from your PS5, press the button labeled Delete in the bottom right corner.
6. The PS5 will ask if you’re sure you want to delete the selected games. Confirm that you are, and wait for the games to be removed from the SSD.

Make sure you don’t turn off your PS5 until the progress bar shows you that the deletion process is complete.

After you have successfully deleted the game/app you want, restart your PS5 then try to download and install it again. Once done, try to launch that particular game/app and check whether the “Can’t Start The Game Or App” Error still persists or not.

4. Stay Up To Date

The PS5 system software update is important because it helps to fix bugs and improve the performance of your PS5. So, if the “Can’t Start The Game Or App” Error is caused by an incompatibility issue or even system file corruption, updating the PS5 system software can resolve that.

The update process is very easily done, you just need to follow these simple steps:

1. Make sure your console is connected to the Internet via a stable connection. We strongly recommend using fiber connection instead of WiFi for updating your console.
2. Go to Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings.
3. Select Update System Software. If you find a new update available there, then move on by downloading & installing that update release.

As for game/app update, follow the steps below:

1. Turn on your PS5.
2. Go to the Home screen.
3. Head to the top of the main menu.
4. Move to the “Games” tab.
5. Scroll through your games until you find the one to check on.
6. Highlight the game with your cursor.
7. Press “Options” on your controller.
8. Choose “Check for Update” from the drop-down menu.

Download and install any update available then restart your PS5 and check whether that has resolved your issue or not.

5. Eject the game disc and Re-insert It

In many cases, ejecting and re-inserting the game disc has successfully resolved the “Can’t Start The Game Or App” issue, according to the reports received by several PS5 users who experienced this problem before.

So, if you own the PS5 Disc Edition, you can test it out to see if it works for you. You better also try to reboot your PS5 after inserting the disc inside its drive.

6. Rebuild the PS5 Database

Rebuilding the PS5 database is a process of restoring the database to a previous state. This is done by deleting all the data from the current database and then importing data from a backup file. It’s is a process that needs to be done in order to resolve errors and other problems, such as a slow or freezing system. Rebuilding the PS5 database will also help to keep the PS5 running smoothly.

In order to rebuild your PS5 database, you must first download and open the PS5 Database Manager. From there, click on “File” and select “Open Backup File”. Once you have selected your backup file, click on “Start Rebuild Database”.

Now check if this has resolved the “Can’t Start The Game Or App” issue or not.

7. Factory Reset PS5

Factory Reset is a process that returns your PS5 to its original state. You can do this when you want to sell your console, when the system is not working correctly after you have tried everything yet nothing has worked, or before you take it in for repair.

The factory reset process works by clearing all user’s data on the console’s internal storage and returning the device to its original factory settings, just like you first bought it. That simply means that all games and applications will be deleted from the console’s internal storage. You’ll need to re-download or reinstall games and applications if you want them back after performing a factory reset.

In order to reset the PS5, follow these simple steps:

1. Navigate to the Settings menu (cog icon)
2. Select System software.
3. Select Reset options.
4. Select Reset your console.
5. Select Reset.

Now restart your PS5 and check whether that has resolved your issue or not.

9. Contact the PlayStation Support & Game/App Developer

If nothing at all has worked for you, you can always contact PlayStation Support and get professional help from one of their specialists.

You can also contact the game/app developer to find out why that error happens with their product and whether they have any useful tips to resolve it or not.

10. Wait for an Update

If nothing has worked at all for you, you can only wait for an update patch that hopefully will fix this error, whether it’s a PS5 system software update or a game/app update.

Conclusion

When you get the “Can’t Start The Game Or App” Error on your PS5, it indicates a data corruption situation. You need to do everything about resolving system “data corruption” in order to fix the “Can’t Start The Game Or App” PS5 error.

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“Can’t Start The Game Or App” PS5 Error FAQ

What Causes PS5 'Can't Start The Game Or App' Error?

There are varied reasons why you're getting the 'Can't Start The Game Or App' Error on your PS5, but all of them refer to data corruption eventually. It might be also an incompatibility issue, or a power instability or anything that hinder data from processing correctly.

Is it possible to fix the 'Can't Start The Game Or App' Error?

In most cases, it is easy to fix the 'Can't Start The Game Or App' PS5 error if you follow the methods illustrated in our guide. But, in a few cases, you can't help but wait for a new update patch to fix that specific problem.

Should I delete my game to fix the 'Can't Start The Game Or App' Error?

One of our methods to fix the 'Can't Start The Game Or App' PS5 Error is to delete and install the game/app that has caused the issue. Make sure you have a fast and stable internet connection to carry out this process flawlessly.