How to turn a PS5 off and on

With every console release there’s always that fear that the omnipotent red ring of death rears its ugly head once more. As technology improves at a rapid rate, we can’t help but complicate the method to correctly turn a product on and off. This is the case for the PlayStation 5.

There are multiple ways to turn the PlayStation on/off. But, if you’re new to this console—you may wonder what’s safe to do that won’t result in writing a report to SONY—all because you accidently pressed the wrong button. So if you’re looking for a quick guide on how to properly turn the PS5 on and off, then here’s a helping hand to get started.

How to turn the PS5 on and off

Using the console

The simplest way to turn the console on and off is by utilizing the buttons on the system itself. On the front panel, you will see either one or two buttons depending on the model of PS5 you have. On the standard model, there will be an eject button alongside the power button that is not present on its digital counterpart.

Simply press the power button, which is the one located closest to the edge of the console, and your system should either boot on or off.

Alternatively, you can use the PlayStation 5 controller to power the console. You can use this method after connecting your controller to your primary PS5. All you need to do is press the PlayStation logo button underneath the touch pad. This will not only turn the device on, but your platform will power on too.

Using a controller

If you powered the PS5 using the power button on the console, you need to press the PlayStation button on the controller to use it. From here, you will either log automatically into your profile or select it if you have multiple users on the same console. Navigate across your games, apps, and the PlayStation store with the D-pad and use X to select an action.

The PlayStation button has multiple uses. You can check notifications, manage devices and downloads, and manually power down the PS5 from this pop-up window that appears when you’re in the PlayStation home screen. Head over to the Power icon (the final option on the bar after pressing the PS button on your controller) for three options to appear.

The three options are:

Enter rest mode: Keeps the console on low power as it charges devices via USB or updates installed games. Turn PS5 off. Restart PS5: You can restart the system if you are dealing with Wi-Fi or freezing issues. You will need to turn on the controller again with the PS button when the console is back on.

Make sure you exit any games you have launched by holding the PS button, hitting the start button (three line icon next to triangle), and selecting exit game before you turn the PS5 off. This is to avoid the possibility of data loss/corruption.

You can either use the power button on the console or the PS button on a synchronized remote to boot up the PS5 immediately.