Are you getting a black screen the moment you turn on your PS5? Also, when pressing the buttons on the PS5 and its controllers do not seem to do anything.
So, do you need to replace your PS5 already? It is far too early to mark it as a faulty unit because you can easily fix this issue by running some key checks.
So, join me as I lay out the troubleshooting blueprint for your PS5 in this article.
How to Fix Your PS5 Stuck on Black Screen
The first thing to do when getting a black screen with the PS5 is to check the power and HDMI connections of the TV. If these are working fine, perform a full power drain of the PS5.
Let’s go to the first step, then.
1. Check the TVs Power Cable
Ensure the PS5 and the TV are powered on and connected to each other properly. You may think this is trivial, but it can save your precious time. One time I discovered my monitor’s HDMI cable to be faulty after spending 3-4 hours troubleshooting an issue when they weren’t there.
Remove all the power and HDMI cables and re-connect them after 5-10 minutes. If you have a circuit breaker for the room, flick it down and reset it after 5 minutes. The same goes for the PS5 and your TV. Remove their power plugs and reconnect to the wall after a few minutes. If you use an HDMI switcher or capture card, disconnect it and connect the display cable directly to your TV.
When you are done reconnecting cables, power on your TV. If you see the TV’s home screen, proceed to the next step. In case your display does not show anything, you need to use your computer monitor that has an HDMI port.
The PS5’s disk drive can glitch sometimes. In that case, check out how to troubleshoot the PS5 eject button not working.
2. Check the HDMI Cable and Switch To the Correct Output
For the next step, see if the TV can recognize the PS5 connected to the HDMI port. You can switch between the output devices from the home screen.
If the black screen persists, take out the display cable and use a different one. Your PS5 requires an HDMI 2.1 cable, and uses the one provided on the box. If this gets damaged, hook it to your monitor and see if you can get an output.
If the PS5 boots into the home screen normally this time, there is an issue preventing the TV from recognizing the PS5. In that case, reset your television by powering it down and turning it back on. Also, disable the HDR from its Settings menu. This differs from one manufacturer to another, but this is how the HDR Settings look on my Samsung TV.
3. Power Down the PS5 Properly
Sometimes the PS5 does not power down properly; in the event of a power outage. After that, the PS5 can refuse to turn back on, similar to a computer that shows a blue screen.
In that case, you need to power cycle the PS5. With the PS5 powered on, hold down the power button until you do not see the LEDs blinking anymore. Usually, you would see a blue light when the PS5 is running and a white light when it is booting up.
When the PS5 is turned off completely, remove all the cables connected and wait for 15-20 minutes. After that, power on your PS5.
If you can see the PS logo now but cannot boot to the home screen, the display resolution may have changed, and you cannot view anything. But how can we change any settings when the display is black?
Thankfully we have Safe mode for PS5, which I will access in the next section.
Did your friend damage their PS5 controller? The X button seems not to respond now. Help them by reading this piece where we troubleshoot the PS5 X button not working.
Additional Steps to Remove PS5 Black Screen
By now, we have determined the following:
Your TV works, and the PS5 powers on (but with another display). That is a relief, nonetheless.
That means a software glitch is the only thing that is preventing the PS5 from showing an output. We will use a recovery mode to resolve these issues. It is commonly known as Safe mode and was available for the PS4 as well.
Follow the steps to boot in the Safe mode in PS5:
- First, power down the PS5 by long pressing the power button.
- Now press the power button and hold it until you hear two beeps. The beeps are separated by 10 seconds.
- Now connect the DualSense 5 controller to the PS5 using a Type C cable.
- Press the PS button.
The safe mode will show up and list the different troubleshooting options. Let’s go through them one by one.
1. Change PS5 Display Resolution
If your PS5 is set to display 4K and the TV can only output 1080p, all you will get is a black screen. So change the resolution to the max value that is supported by your TV. If you are unsure of this, select the value to auto.
Follow these steps to change the PS5’s display resolution:
- Boot the PS5 into safe mode.
- From the options, select Change Video Output.
- Next, go to Change Resolution.
- Select OK to restart the PS5.
- Select 1080p or Automatic.
The PS5 reboots once you select the resolution and this should bring you to the home screen.
Here’s a complete guide on how to fix PS5 not downloading games.
2. Disable Rest Mode
Rest Mode is a low-powered mode Sony introduced with PS5 for updating firmware and downloading games. Unfortunately, it does not work as intended, and many users have reported issues such as a bricked PS5 or black screen
Disabling the Rest mode can make all these issues go away.
These are the steps to disable the Rest Mode in PS5:
- Connect the PS5 to a different display.
- Click the gear icon to go to Settings.
- Now navigate to System > Power Savings > Set Time Until PS5 enters Rest Mode.
- Set Media Playback and Playing Games to Do not Put in Rest Mode.
Now power down the PS5 and connect it to your TV.
Move to the next steps if you still get nothing on your display.
If you are experiencing HDMI connectivity issues with your PS5, why not read our guide to fix PS5 HDMI not working
3. Rebuild the PS5 Database
PS5 maintains a database that contains all information about the system and the respective locations of the games. A sudden shutdown can mess up this file.
However, the safe mode can rebuild this database which will bring the PS5 back to its working state. This can also help you in the event of a failed software update.
These are the steps to rebuild the database on your PS5:
- Restart the PS5 to safe mode.
- Select Rebuild Database.
Now you will see a progress bar that shows the rebuilding process. Do not panic if the process is slow. This can take an hour, depending on how free the PS5 storage is.
4. Reset Your PS5
This is the final step in this troubleshooting that will reinstall the PS5s software from scratch. Any glitches present on your PS5 software are removed.
Expect to get all your game and saved files removed, though. Do not worry, as your in-game progress is saved in the Sony servers.
Following these steps will reset your PS5:
- Open the safe mode in your PS5 by pressing the power for 10s.
- Select Reset PS5:
Now, wait until the PS5 finishes this process. It will restart itself upon completion.
5. Contact Sony Support
If you can still not get the PS5 to display an output, chances are the HDMI connector on your PS5 is damaged. There can also be a severe hardware issue present.
In that case, contact Sony support for a replacement unit if your unit is still under warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I fix the black screen of death on my PS5?
To fix the black screen of death, you need to power-drain the PS5. Press the power button for 10s and unplug all its cables. Next, connect the PS5 to a different display and change its internal resolution from the safe mode.
Why is my PlayStation stuck on a black screen?
If your PS5 gives a different output than the resolution of your TV, you will see a black screen. To fix this, change the Display Resolution from the safe mode.
Final Words
The black screen is primarily caused by the TV or the HDMI port of the PS5. You also need to set the correct resolution to fix this issue.
By following the steps in the correct order, you can fix your PS5’s black screen easily. If not, you need to file it for return immediately.
So which step did the trick for you? Do let us know in the comments and help other fellow gamers too in troubleshooting this issue.
