Initializing your PS4 will reset everything on your console to factory defaults. This will also delete everything on the hard drive including any Games/Applications that are installed, saved data, and user accounts. 

If you're encountering a problem with your PS4, this may be one of the steps in troubleshooting.

There are two ways in which you can initialize your PS4 console. You can initialize your console from either settings from the consoles system software if you are able to boot or from safe mode if you are unable to boot. The safe mode way is the best way to initialize your PS4 if it is failing to boot or it is in safe mode loop.


what does initializing PS4 do

Does initializing PS4 fix problems?

If your PlayStation 4 is having trouble running some of your games, you may need to initialize it. Initializing your PS4 will clear any corrupt game data and allow you to start fresh again as if it were new. 

Initializing your PS4 shouldn't be your first option to troubleshooting your PS4 as it deletes everything from the hard drive. Try to Restore system defaults before trying to initialize your PS4.

How long does it take to initialize my PS4?

Initializing your ps4 will really depend on the type of initializing you are using and the size of your hard drive. There are three types of PS4 initialization

  1. Quick initialize
  2. Full initialize
  3. Reinstall system software initialize

Quick initialize

The Quick initialize will just delete the files from the hard disk (Normal/Quick format) and restore the system software as if it were new. 

This process will usually about 10-15 minutes. This is a good and quick initialize if you just want to initialize your ps4 (Factory Reset) as it is fast. This is not a good practice if you are selling your PS4 to a stranger as the data on the PS4 is easily retrievable. 

So I would recommend you use Quick initialize if you are the one still using the console other wise use full initialize.

Note: This is the only initialize found in safe mode.

Full initialize

The Full initialize will Erase the data from the hard drive and Restore the system software on the PS4 as if it were new. 

The full initialize will Erase the data on the hard drive and re-write it ones and zeros and Erase the blank spaces on the hard disk partition. This means that No one can retrieve the data on the disk. 

This type of initialize will usually take 15 minutes to several hours depending on the hard drive capacity. 

The full initialize is only available in the settings, if you boot in safe mode and initialize your PS4 you will do a Quick Initialize as you will not have to option to do a full initialize.

Reinstall system software initialize

Reinstall system software initialize will delete the data from the hard drive and Reinstall the system software. This option is only available in safe mode and is on option 7 written as [Initialize PS4 (Reinstall system software)]. This process usually takes less than 25 minutes.

How to initialize my PS4

If you are able to boot your PS4 you can simply initialize your console by following the steps below.
  1. Navigate to Settings.
  2. Find Initialize (it's the last option in the setting menu).
  3. Click on initialize PS4.
  4. Choose either Quick or Full initialize and follow the on screen instructions.
If you are unable to boot the system software you are able to initialize your PS4 console from safe mode. You can follow these steps below to initialize your Console from safe mode.
  1. Turn off your PS4 if it isn't already off (Note: it shouldn't be in Rest mode)
  2. Press and hold the power until you hear a beep, Now continue holding the power button until you hear a second beep. You can now let go of the power button.
  3. connect your controller using a USB cable and press the PS button. You are now in PS4 safe mode.
  4. Select option 6 [initialize PS4] or option 7 [Initialize PS4 (Reinstall system software)] depending on the one you want.

Does initialize delete ps4 account

Yes initializing your PS4 console will delete your PSN account along with every data on the PS4. You will need to sign in back into your account after initializing your PS4.

Note: Everything you bought with your PSN account will be available free for download once you sign in again.

Is initializing PS4 good

Yes, it is good to initialize your PS4. Initializing your PS4 system is safe and will not cause any damage to the console. This will remove any corrupt data that may be causing problems with your console. 

The only negative thing is that if you have a lot of games and apps installed on your system, they will all be deleted and you will have to reinstall them.

Some PS4 owners have reported that their consoles were damaged when they initialized them. However, this usually happens if you you have turned off your or you have a power outage while your console is been initialized. If this happens do not worry you can simply recover from safe mode.

You might also like: How long can a PS4 stay on

Can I initialize PS4 without losing data

The PS4 can not be initialized without losing data. The purpose of initializing on the ps4 is to wipe every data on the storage of the PS4. This will clear all of your user data from the console.

Will initializing PS4 fix corrupt data?

Yes initializing your ps4 will fix corrupt data. The PS4 has a feature that allows you to initialize the console and delete all your data. The process takes around 20 minutes, but it should fix any corruption issues you're experiencing.

 In order to fix corrupt data on your PS4 Internal you will need to do a factory reset on your console. You can do this by Initializing your PS4. This will delete all data from your console and make it like new again.

 If your PS4 is having problems and you can't even get it to boot or you are in a safe mode loop, then it's possible that a corrupt system file is the cause of your problem. In this case, you can try initializing your PS4 by booting into safe mode and see if it helps.


Can you cancel PS4 initializing?

No, you can not cancel PS4 initializing once it has started. Incase of Power outages or if you pull the plug, The console will restart the initializing process again the next time you power it up. 

Final Thought

If your PS4 console is having software related issues like corrupt data errors, becoming slow, failing to boot or stuck in safe mode loop. 

You might want to initialize it. Though I would recommend a quick initialize as it is fast and does the same thing as a full initialize. 

The only difference is that the full initialize re-writes the hard drive with blank data making it impossible to recover data on the hard drive.