What To Know
- It’s safe to leave a disc inside the console when not in use, and this won’t cause damage to either the disc or the console, regardless of the console’s age or type.
- Regularly leaving the disc in the console can lead to unnecessary wear or potential damage over time, especially if the console’s disc-reader continuously processes an unused game disc.
In this guide, we address the key concern: Is it safe to keep the disc inside the console when not in use? This question divides gamers, with some considering it harmless and others advising against it.
We’ll delve into the facts, debunk myths, and provide you with clear, actionable advice on managing your console and discs.
Let’s unlock the answers together.
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Is It Safe to Keep Disc Inside the Console?
It’s safe to state that no damage will occur to the disc or the console if you leave the disc in the console when not actively using it.
It doesn’t matter if the console is old, new, an Xbox, a PlayStation, etc. The game will boot all right even if the disc is kept together in the console for days or weeks.
If you play the same game every time or it’s the only game disc you have, keep it in the console semi-permanently. When you handle it frequently, skin oil and fingerprints are less likely to affect the disc.
But just because there are no safety concerns, it doesn’t mean you should leave the disc inside the console. When done using it, remove the disc from the console and put it in its case because that is where it belongs at rest.
The console will not provide the safety cover a disc protection case can offer. Portions of the disc could become unreadable, or the disc’s overall lifespan could take a hit.
The device could harm the disc if its disc-reader attempts to process an unused game disc continuously while you’re playing a game’s digital copy installed on the console.
If using a PS5, the console’s optical drive, which isn’t the quietest component, could produce a constant noise, interrupting your gameplay.
To explain this with an analogy, keeping the disc in the console can be likened to stationing a car in a covered parking slot and putting the disc back in its case to parking the vehicle in your garage.
Although the car’s safe in both places, it’s much more secure and protected at home.
Moving the Console While the Disc is Still Inside?
If you leave the disc inside the console and move the device around with the disc spinning, you could damage the sensor or the disc itself.
It’s, therefore, recommended to turn off the console and unplug it before moving it around with the disc still inside. It would be even better if you could take the disc out.
Even if the disc is not spinning, accidentally hitting or bumping the console against some object could harm the disc and also the disc drive. The disc could get scratched or become unreadable.
No damage will occur if the console is powered off and you don’t bump or drop it. But why put yourself and the hardware in a precarious condition?
Troubleshooting When You Can’t Eject the Disc from Your Console
What if I am convinced to take the disc out of the console but unable to? Here are things you could do.
For Xbox Series X/ Xbox One
Restart the device and retry ejecting the disc.
1. Long-press your Xbox controller’s Xbox button to launch Power Center.
2. Choose Restart console.
3. Choose Restart.
4. After the restart, hit the eject key beside the disc slot to attempt to remove the disc.
5. If it doesn’t work, use your controller to eject the disc. Press the Xbox key to launch the guide. Choose Home, highlight the currently inserted game, and hit X to remove the disc.
If your console is frozen or jammed, long-press the Xbox button on its front until it switches off. Engage the button again to restart, and press the eject key.
The following solution is not the most scientific, but effective nonetheless.
1. Unravel a paper clip. A regular clip will be too short for the purpose. When fully uncoiled, the clip should be two inches or around five centimeters long.
2. Put the paper clip’s end inside the eject hole.
(The eject hole key will be found on the bottom of the Xbox X/S along the round stand’s edge, next to the disc drive.
On Xbox Ones, the hole’s on the console’s left wall, around the disc slot corner. The original Xbox One’s hole is on the left, below the grill, in plain view.
The Xbox One S’ hole is the most difficult to locate as the device’s left side grill is replete with tiny pits. Begin with the hole second from the right and bottom. The hole will be on the left between slats, below the wireless controllers’ connect button.)
3. As you insert the clip, the disc should pop out a tad. Grab the disc with a lint-free cloth covering your fingers (so there are no unsightly marks on the disc) and pull it out.
For PlayStation 4 and 5
For PlayStation 4, follow these steps:
1. Turn off your PS4 console.
2. Unplug all the cables (power, HDMI, etc.) from its rear.
3. Position the device on a flat, clean surface.
4. Turn the console over and rotate it to ensure the PS logo is not facing you.
5. Take the cap off the screw hole above the PlayStation logo. (Newer devices may not come with the plastic cover.)
6. Grab a long Philips screwdriver and put it inside the eject hole. Turn it anti-clockwise to let loose the disc. You may have to rotate the driver multiple times. You’ll have to push through a plastic layer to take the screw out. Rest assured, none of this will hurt your device’s warranty.
7. Plug the cables back in and turn on the power to ensure everything works fine.
To manually remove a disc stuck inside a PlayStation 5, here are the steps:
1. Long-press your PS5 console’s power key for a few seconds to turn it off.
2. Position the device on a flat surface over a soft cloth. Next, remove the base.
3. Strategically place the console so that the bottom-positioned screw hole faces you, the disc slot faces towards your left, and the logo faces down.
4. Palm the console near its top corners and hold the cover’s edge. Pull up the cover gently toward yourself. It shall lift away after you hear a click.
5. After removing the cover, unscrew the optical drive using a cross-hatch or #1 Philips screwdriver. Rotate the screw clockwise till the entire disc is pretty much completely visible.
6. Take the disc out gently from its drive. Do not force it out.
7. Replace the base cover. Position it marginally away from the edge at the top and slide it into place. You’ll hear a click sound when the cover snaps in place.
8. Plug in all the cables and power on the device.
Conclusion
Keeping the disc inside consoles is overall safe and also convenient. But there’s nothing wrong with taking the disc out either.
As a rule, remove the disc if you don’t intend to game for a few weeks or days. If you’re taking breaks between gaming sessions or will resume the next day or the day after, it’s okay to let the disc remain put.
It would help if you looked to minimize touching the disc as much as possible. You may not scratch it doing so but leave your body oils on the disc. And during the cleanup, you might inadvertently groove it.
Also, try to avoid carrying around the console with the disc in. It may not be hazardous, but risky, especially if the device is still on.
Catherine Tramell has been covering technology as a freelance writer for over a decade. She has been writing for Pointer Clicker for over a year, further expanding her expertise as a tech columnist. Catherine likes spending time with her family and friends and her pastimes are reading books and news articles.