- PS5 “Queued for Download” bug has a solution that doesn’t require a factory reset.
- If you’re having trouble downloading games or apps on your new PS5, try starting up in safe mode and rebuilding the database, which PlayStation Support suggests in a tweet.
- Sony has yet to announce when or if a software update will permanently fix this bug.
Shortly after the PlayStation 5 launched in the US and other regions last week, early adopters began reporting a bug that was affecting their ability to download games on the new console. A number of PS5 owners discovered that when they hit the Download button for select games and apps on the PlayStation Store or in the Game Library, the console would either say it was “Queued for Download” and never actually start downloading the files, or the download would suffer an error before it even started. Either way, it became impossible to download that game or app.
This would have been problematic enough on its own, but to make matters worse, the only way to address the issue seemed to be to initiate a factory reset, wiping everything from the affected PlayStation 5 and starting from scratch. It was a massive inconvenience, but it turns out that there is a less extreme solution for the bug.
Black Friday 2020 is here
On Thursday evening, the official PlayStation support account on Twitter shared the following instructions:
If you’ve experienced issues downloading games with “Queued for Download” or “View Details” messages on PS5, please update the system software to the latest version, start your PS5 in safe mode then rebuild the database. See "PS5:safe mode options" at https://t.co/BfgPSMafxd. pic.twitter.com/Vq7m0dXA23
— Ask PlayStation (@AskPlayStation) November 19, 2020
It’s a far more convoluted process than it should be, but anything is better than having to wipe your entire console and perform a factory reset. Here are the steps you need to take to rebuild your PS5’s database:
- Turn off the PS5 by pressing the power button on the front of the console.
- Once the PS5 powers down, press and hold the power button down until you hear two beeps — the second beep will come seven seconds after the first beep.
- Connect a controller to the PS5 with a USB cable and press the PS button on the controller.
- You should see the same seven options on the screen that appear in the tweet above.
- Select the Rebuild Database option from the safe mode menu screen.
I haven’t actually tried this myself, because I thankfully haven’t encountered this bug on my own PS5, but it’s certainly worth trying if you are having trouble downloading games or apps. If it doesn’t work, a factory reset might be your only option, but hopefully Sony will have a more permanent solution in the form of a software update before too long. Keep in mind that the PS5 has only been out for a week in the US and a day in Europe. If this is the biggest issue that PS5 owners have to deal with during the launch period, it was a pretty smooth launch all things considered.
