PS5 Won’t Turn Off | Fixed by Experts

It has been reported by many PS5 users that when they tried to turn off their PS5 console it won’t turn off. Sometimes the PS5 is stuck on preparing to turn off screen, whereas other times the turn-off screen won’t appear but the PS5 freezes and beeps instead and eventually won’t turn off altogether.

Despite making repetitive attempts, if your PS5 console does not turn off and you wonder why this happens in the first place, it could be because of several reasons.

This can be due to some faulty file system, incompatible PS5 update, unreliable power source (i.e. strip or wall outlet), corrupted data, etc. In a nutshell, the reasons vary and you have to try all suggested methods until one of them works for you.

In this article, you will learn various solutions that will help you turn off your PS5 normally without harming the system. You will also learn how to avoid the PS5 not turning off issue in the future.

How to Properly Turn Off the PS5

The very first thing you have to learn when your PS5 won’t turn off is how to turn off the PS5 properly and safely.

Turning your PS5 off completely is recommended if you need to unplug your PS5 and move it elsewhere. Or when the PS5 behaves weirdly without any obvious reason for that. Turning off your PS5 in this case is mandatory to let the whole device take a break from electricity, which eventually will help restore its functionality.

Be noted that when you do this, the console won’t be able to download updates, and all current game sessions will end.

Turning off the PS5 entirely makes you able to see a white light that blinks and then it gets completely off.

With a Controller

If you want to turn off the PS5 using your controller, there are two methods to do that:

• From the Dynamic menu of your game on the home screen, you have to press UP on the option d-pad, which helps you to get the function screen. Then you have to select the Power option from the function screen and select the option “Turn off PS5.”
• The second method is that you have to press and hold the PS button for at least one second and select the “Turn off PS5” option. You will be able to find the option on the display screen of your device. It can help the player to power off their device completely without facing any problem.

It’s just that easy.

Without a Controller

Normally, the best way to turn off a PlayStation 4 is via its controller. However, if your controller dies while the console is on, you’re not out of luck.

You can turn off your PS5 without using a controller, which can be massively convenient if you don’t have access to your controller.

• Press and hold the same PS5 power button, for approximately seven seconds until you hear two-second beeps. If you release the button after the first beep, you’ll put it in Rest Mode. Therefore, continue holding the power button until you hear the system beep a second time.
• The television screen will display the message: “Preparing to turn off the PS5…” and warn you to not unplug the AC power cord during this process.
• The power indicator of your PS5 will pulsate in a white color until completely turning off; after the indicator light is gone, it is safe to unplug your AC power cord.

Now, after you have learned the proper way to turn off the PS5, you have to learn why the PS5 fails to turn off and how to fix that.

Fixing PS5 Won’t Turn Off Issue

Now, since your PS5 is stuck on the turning-off screen, what can you do to turn it off completely? Here are a few steps you can go through in an attempt to turn off your PS5 without harming the system.

Fix 1 – Waiting for the PS5 to Turn Off

Sometimes the PS5 takes too long to completely turn off, depending on the type and amount of processes it’s handling. Some processes are resource-demanding and need a long time to shut down. Some games/apps have improperly coded files that are not fully compatible with the version of PS5 system software your console is running. So, wait for about an hour and see what happens.

Fix 2 – Update Your PS5 System Software

Sony keeps releasing new updates for the PS5 system software that contains many bug fixes and performance improvements. Maybe the version of your PS5 system software is out of date. You must always keep your PS5 system up to date in order to fix any performance issues in your system.

Fix 3 – Hold the power button until the PS5 turns off

One of the reliable fixes that some PS5 users tried and proved their efficiency when the PS5 wouldn’t turn off is to hold the power button of the PS5 for about 10-20 seconds until it turn off completely.

Fix 4 – Remove any disc or USB peripheral

Sometimes the PS5 won’t turn off because there’s a disc inside it. Removing it before turning it off might resolve this issue.

Also, an unstable USB connectivity can cause the PS5 to not turn off properly. Disconnecting any USB peripheral before turning off the PS5 might help also.

Fix 5 – Unplug the power cord

Ideally, you should avoid unplugging the power cord as this action may damage your console.

However, if nothing else worked and you still can’t turn off the console, you’re pretty much running out of options.

Avoiding PS5 Won’t Turn Off Issue

There are several reasons why the PS5 won’t turn off normally. Most of these reasons are software-related issues and they’re easy to fix. Sometimes it’s something related to the hard drive that needs repairing. In some very rare cases, it’s the CPU that’s failing and must be replaced.

In order to avoid this situation in the future and get your PS5 turning off normally, please try all the following methods until you make sure your issue is resolved.

1. Rebuilding the PS5 Database

It is often recommended that you should rebuild the PS5 database every month. But obviously, this is not something every other person can do efficiently.

So, you should always do a PS5 database rebuilding whenever:

• The PS5 takes long time to start or turn off.
• The game loading process starts getting slow.
• You start facing disc drive issues i.e., not reading a disc.
• Game navigation gets slow on the menu.
• Stuttering game issues particularly during cut-scenes.
• Issues with accessing DLC.
• Having trouble installing add-on contents, especially when there is free space.
• Corrupted files and random crashing in extreme cases.

The Process Steps

In order to rebuild the PS5 database, follow the steps listed below:

• Turn off PS5 using the power button on the front of the device.
• Hold the power button down and wait until two beeps. This process usually takes seven seconds.
• Connect PS5’s Dual Shock controller to the console with some USB cable.
• From the Safe Side menu, choose option five, ‘Rebuild Database’.
• This process can take several hours so don’t turn the console off during this entire process.
• The screen may turn black too which is completely normal, so don’t panic.

That should hopefully fix the issue of the PS5 not turning off. If that doesn’t for any reason, try the following harder method.

2. Free Up Space on the PS5 SSD

A full PS5 hard drive may not seem like a big deal, but all those files can reduce the amount of functional space your console needs to work. A good rule of thumb is to leave at least 10 percent of the PS5 hard drive unused, which allows for virtual memory and fragmentation.

Problems of a Full PS5 main Internal storage

System storage that’s too full can slow down your PS5 system, causing freezes and crashes (read more). Think of it this way — if you have a storage trunk that’s jam-packed with stuff, taking up every available inch of space, it’ll make it harder, and take longer, for you to find what you’re looking for. The same principle applies here. Your PS5 console also needs a certain portion of the hard drive kept free to act as virtual memory, where it stores data while the RAM clears. Memory-intensive operations can cause the PS5 to freeze if there is not enough virtual memory space left to act as an overflow. It can also result in the PS5 not turning off.

Clear the Clutter

Games tend to take a lot of space on your PlayStation 5’s system storage. If your PS5 is getting close to the capacity limit, you may need to remove older games you are no longer interested in playing to make room for new games. That will mitigate the burden on the PS5 system and help it function smoother and faster.

Extra Storage

If you simply cannot bear to part with the tens of AAA titles, thousands of photos, and hundreds of hours of video on your PS5 system, consider getting additional storage space for your PS5.

This is possible by either upgrading the PS5 internal hard drive with a newer bigger drive or just adding an external storage device.

External drives are available in sizes ranging from GB to TB, offering more than enough space to move your files and free up your PS5 hard drive. You can use a maximum of 8TB of external storage capacity, and the same goes with internal storage.

3. Resetting the PS5

Resetting the PlayStation 5 is a fairly straightforward process. Usually, this is a last-resort effort to ensure the functionality of the system. Be sure to back up any save data you may have before starting the reset process.

Resetting the PS5 will erase all of your data from the system, so doing this process without backing up your saved data will cause you to start from scratch. Luckily, PS Plus subscribers can upload saves to the cloud, so backing up saved data should be a non-issue if you’re a member.

4. Defective Power Switch

If the PS5 never responds to the power button or always restarts when the power button is held down, the button may be defective. A defective PS5 power switch could be a costly repair, and may not be economically feasible.

Conclusion

There are several reasons why the PS5 won’t turn off. Sometimes it’s a rare hardware defect that only a technician can fix. In most cases, it’s something related to the hard drive or corrupted data stored on it. You have to try all possible ways to get the PS5 back to turn off normally. If you fail eventually, the last resort is to take your console to a repair shop.

PS5 Won’t Turn Off FAQ

How do I force shut down my PS5?

If the PS5 won't turn off normally, you can easily force your PS5 to shut down entirely by pressing and holding the power button located on the front of the PS5 for a period of time around 7 seconds. Afterward, it will beep the first time, but don't stop pressing that button until you hear the second beep of the PS5. At that time the PS5 will turn off completely.

Why is my PS5 blinking white and not turning off?

When the PS5 is blinking white and not turning off it means that there's a hardware issue with your PS5 console. It might be the hard drive that is failing and malfunctioning, or the graphics card or even the power supply. Please read this guide thoroughly to find out the most common reasons for this case.

Why doesn't my PS5 turn off by itself?

When the PS5 has some hardware issue that prevents it from operating properly, it might not be able to turn off by itself. It might be the hard drive that is full or defective, or the graphics card or even the power supply. Read our guide on this issue for more details.

Why does my PS5 keep freezing and not turning off?

The PS5 freezes for several reasons, such as a full hard drive, a defective hard drive, a malfunctioning power supply, a failing graphics card, a corrupted database and so on. When your PS5 keeps freezing and doesn't turn off, you should troubleshoot this issue and find out what exactly causes it before looking out for a solution. This guide will help you immensely.