Can a PS4/PS5 Be Damaged From a Power Outage?

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After a long and demanding week of school or work, you eagerly anticipate indulging in some quality time with your beloved PlayStation console. 

As Friday night rolls in, you settle down with your trusty PS4 or PS5, ready to embark on an evening of unparalleled gaming fun. 

However, just as your excitement reaches its peak, a sudden power outage plunges your surroundings into darkness. 

Amid the confusion, you realize that your console didn’t shut down properly, leading you to question whether the power outage could potentially harm your cherished PS4 or PS5.

Yes, power outages carry a certain degree of risk when it comes to electronic devices, including the highly sought-after PS4 and PS5 consoles. 

However, it is crucial to acknowledge that not every power outage guarantees severe damage to these gaming systems. Instead, such occurrences typically lead to the consoles shutting down improperly.

However, it’s essential to consider that such interruptions in the power supply can also have adverse effects on the console’s software, particularly during crucial moments such as software updates.

Sudden power outages while playing on a PS4 or PS5 can result in a range of issues, from data corruption and loss of gaming progress to software failures such as getting stuck in Safe mode or being forced to update. 

In more serious cases, the console may even suffer hardware damage.

My Personal Experience

Based on my personal experience, I have accidentally unplugged my PS4 on occasion, and fortunately, it hasn’t caused any significant problems. 

Upon plugging it back in, the console simply advises me to ensure a proper shutdown in the future. 

Remarkably, everything continued to operate smoothly, seemingly unaffected by the momentary loss of power. 

1. PS4/PS5 Corrupted Data After Power Outage

The unfortunate truth is that such power outages can lead to the loss of game progress.

However, it’s important to note that this data corruption occurs only when the game file is saved directly on the console’s disk drive.

Fortunately, there is a silver lining for online gamers. Saved data for online games is securely stored on game servers, ensuring that your progress is not lost in the event of a power outage.

For those engaged in single-player or offline gaming, there is still hope.

The PlayStation Cloud offers a valuable solution.

By saving your game progress on the PlayStation cloud, you can safeguard against the devastating loss of progress and the frustration of starting a game from scratch.

This option provides a burst of relief to gamers, ensuring that their hard-earned progress remains intact even in the face of power outages.

2. PS4 and PS5 Consoles Looping in Safe Mode After the Blackout

There are users who have reported encountering an issue where their consoles would not turn on as expected.  Instead, the consoles enter a perpetual Safe mode loop, preventing users from exiting the Safe mode. 

However, there is a solution that has been tried and tested by some users, garnering positive feedback.

To address the looping Safe mode issue, follow these step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: If your PS console is currently connected to a power source, carefully unplug the power cord from both the console and the electrical outlet. Allow the console to rest for five minutes.

Step 2: Securely plug the power cord back into the console and the power source.

Step 3: Initiate Safe mode by holding down the power button and releasing it after the second beep sound. Ensure to plug the PlayStation controller into the console with the USB cable.

Step 4: Within the Safe mode menu, locate and select the option to Restart PS4 or Restart PS5, depending on your console model.

3. The Console System is Forced To Download a New Update

Another potential issue that can occur following a power outage is the console prompting you to update the software to the latest version. 

This can disrupt your gaming experience and require manual intervention to resolve.

Fortunately, both the PS4 and PS5 consoles allow for manual software updates. 

By downloading the update file onto a USB drive and following a few simple steps, you can manually update the software system and resume your gaming experience.

PlayStation 4

Follow these step-by-step instructions to download the system software file to a USB drive on your laptop:

Step 1: Head to the download website from the PlayStation.

Step 2: Click on the PS4 console update file.

Step 3: The file will automatically download to your computer. 

Step 4: Plug the USB drive into your computer and ensure to format your USB drive to FAT32.

Step 5: Copy the downloaded file to your USB as follows.

Step 6: Create a folder inside your USB drive and name the folder PS4, open the folder PS4 you just made and create another folder naming it as UPDATE.

Step 7: Move the update file into the UPDATE folder you just created.

Here is the step-by-step guide on how to update the software system using a USB drive:

Step 1: Insert your USB drive into the PS4 console and ensure that the console is plugged in and powered on. 

Step 2: Run the PS4 in Safe mode.

Step 3: Select Update System Software, followed by Update from USB Storage Device and OK.

PlayStation 5

Similar to the PS4, you can manually update the PS5 software system by downloading the update file and storing it on a USB drive.

Here are the step-by-step instructions for how to download the file:

Step 1: Head to PlayStation’s downloading website.

Step 2: Click on the PS5 console update file.

Step 3: The file will automatically download to your computer. 

Step 4: Plug the USB drive into your computer and ensure to format your USB drive to FAT32.

Step 5: Copy the downloaded file to your USB as follows.

Step 6: Create a folder inside your USB drive and name the folder PS5, open the folder PS5 you just made and create another folder naming it UPDATE.

Step 7: Move the update file into the UPDATE folder you just created.

Here is the step-by-step guide on how to update the software system using a USB drive:

Step 1: Insert your USB drive into the PS5 console and ensure that the console is plugged in and powered on. 

Step 2: Run the PS5 in Safe mode.

Step 3: Select Update System Software, Update from USB Storage Device, then OK.

4. Possible Damage/Burn Events

Power outages can present a risk of damage or burning, as the power in your home may fluctuate unpredictably. 

The PS4 and PS5 are designed to handle a power range of 100V-240V. 

However, if the power exceeds this range during an outage, it could damage or burn components in your PlayStation console.

To avoid the potential damage caused by power outages, you can use a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) to maintain power for a few minutes. 

This will give you enough time to safely shut down your console before the UPS runs out of power. 

Read on to learn how to safeguard your console during a power outage.

5. How To Protect PS4/PS5 From Power Outage

Power outages typically do not cause serious damage to your PlayStation console. 

However, if you still have concerns about protecting your console, consider connecting the PS4 or PS5 to an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which can then be plugged into the wall outlet.

Our article provides valuable information to help you determine which UPS is suitable for your console, ensuring an added layer of protection.

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