How To Reinstall Games On Ps4

To reinstall games on PS4, navigate to your Library, select the game, and choose the ‘Download’ option.

Ever had a game vanish from your PS4? Maybe you deleted it by accident, or perhaps you upgraded your hard drive. It’s a common issue, and knowing how to reinstall games on PS4 is super handy. The good news is, the process is quite simple.

You don’t need to worry about lost progress. Usually, your saved game data remains intact even when you reinstall the game, so you can jump back in right where you left off.

How to Reinstall Games on PS4: A Complete Guide

Sometimes, games on your PlayStation 4 (PS4) might act up. They might freeze, crash, or just not work right. One of the best ways to fix these problems is to reinstall the game. Reinstalling a game is like giving it a fresh start. It removes all the old game files and puts new, clean ones in their place. This can fix many issues and get you back to gaming fun. In this guide, we’ll walk you through exactly how to do it.

Why Reinstall Games on Your PS4?

Before we jump into the “how-to,” let’s talk about why you might need to reinstall a game. There are several reasons, and they all boil down to making your games work better:

• Game is Glitching: Sometimes, a game might have weird glitches or bugs. Reinstalling can often remove these problems.
• Game Freezes or Crashes: If your game keeps freezing or crashing, it could mean some game files are broken. Reinstalling the game replaces these files with fresh ones, and these problems often go away.
• Missing Game Data: Sometimes, game files can get lost or corrupted. This means your game might not start, might have weird visual problems or might not save progress correctly. Reinstalling the game downloads all the required files again.
• Troubleshooting Errors: Reinstalling can help you know if the problem is with the game itself or with your PS4. If the issue is still there after reinstalling, then you might need to troubleshoot your PS4 console instead.

Preparing to Reinstall Your PS4 Games

Before you start the reinstall process, there are a few things you should think about. Getting these things done before will make the reinstall go much smoother.

Checking Your Game Save Data

Game saves are very important. These are the files that keep track of where you are in a game and all the progress you’ve made. Before you reinstall a game, make sure you back up your game saves to the cloud or a USB drive. This way, when you reinstall, you can pick up right where you left off and not lose all of your hard work.

Backing Up to the Cloud

If you have a PlayStation Plus subscription, you can store your game saves on Sony’s online servers. Here’s how:

1. Go to the PS4’s main menu.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Go to Application Saved Data Management.
4. Pick Saved Data in System Storage.
5. Choose Upload to Online Storage.
6. Pick the game you want to back up.
7. Select Upload.

Backing Up to a USB Drive

You can also save your game progress onto a USB flash drive if you don’t have PlayStation Plus. You should plug the USB into one of the USB ports on your console.

1. Go to the PS4’s main menu.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Go to Application Saved Data Management.
4. Pick Saved Data in System Storage.
5. Select Copy to USB Storage Device.
6. Pick the game you want to back up.
7. Select Copy.

Once you copy to the USB, you can remove it from the PS4 and keep it safe until you are ready to copy it back.

Checking Your Internet Connection

Most games these days are downloaded, or they need internet to update when you install from a disc. So, it’s essential to have a stable internet connection, as the download speed can greatly affect how long the reinstallation takes.

• Ethernet vs. Wi-Fi: If possible, use an ethernet cable to connect your PS4 directly to your router. This gives you the fastest and most stable internet connection compared to Wi-Fi, and this means a quicker download time for your game and less chance of interruption.
• Test Your Speed: You can test your internet speed from your PS4 in the settings. Go to Network and then to the test connection. This gives you some idea if your internet is working fast enough for downloads. If the speed is slow, you might need to restart your router or call your internet provider.

The Steps to Reinstall Games on Your PS4

Now that we’ve prepped, let’s get to the reinstall itself. The steps to reinstall games are different based on whether you have a physical copy of the game on disc or a digital copy that you downloaded from the PS Store.

Reinstalling Games From a Disc

If you have a physical copy of the game on disc, then reinstallation is pretty straightforward.

1. Remove the Disc: First, take the game disc out of your PS4.
2. Delete the Game Data: Next, you have to remove the game from your PS4. Go to the main menu, and then go to the Library. You will see a list of all your installed games. Find the game you want to remove and highlight it. Now press the Options button on your controller. A menu will come up where you can pick to delete the game. Press delete to remove the game from your PS4.
3. Insert the Disc: Now put the game disc back in your PS4.
4. Install the Game: Your PS4 will read the disc and start installing the game from the disc onto your hard drive. The installation process may take some time, depending on the size of the game. Just wait patiently and let it install. You might also need to download updates at this point.
5. Restore Game Save Data (Optional): If you backed up your game save data, you can restore it once the game is fully installed. Go back to Application Saved Data Management in Settings and choose either your USB drive or the online storage. Pick the game, then download the game save.

Reinstalling Digital Games

If you downloaded your game from the PlayStation Store, here’s how to reinstall it:

Locating Your Digital Game

You will need to find the game in your library before you reinstall.

1. Go to Library: Go to the main menu on your PS4 and then to the Library. This is where you see all the games that you own, either from disc or downloaded.
2. Look in Purchased: In the library, go to the purchased tab. This section shows all the games you bought on the PlayStation Store.
3. Find Your Game: Look through the list until you find the game you want to reinstall.

Deleting the Digital Game

Before you install your game, you need to delete it first. This gets rid of any old or problematic files.

1. Select the Game: In the Purchased section of your Library, find the game you want to reinstall. Select the game so you see the game’s main menu page.
2. Delete the Game: Go to the game page and on the left side, you will see a menu. Use your controller to move down and pick delete. Confirm that you want to delete the game from your hard drive.

Reinstalling Your Digital Game

Now that the game is deleted, you can install it again from the library.

1. Select the Game: Go back to the game page in your Library.
2. Download: You will now see a download button. Press this to start downloading and reinstalling the game. The download time will depend on the size of the game and the speed of your internet connection. You can check the download progress in the notifications screen on your console.
3. Restore Game Save Data (Optional): Once the game is installed, restore your saved data from the cloud or USB if you have it saved. Follow the steps we covered in the preparation stage.

What to Do if Reinstallation Fails

Sometimes, reinstallation might not go smoothly. Here are some common problems and how to deal with them.

Not Enough Storage

If your PS4 doesn’t have enough space on the hard drive, the download will not work. You need to make some space on your hard drive to make room for the game. You can do this by deleting games that you don’t play or by removing other things you may have on your hard drive like videos or screenshots.

How to Free up Storage:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Go to Storage.
3. See how much storage space you have and what’s taking up the most space.
4. Pick what you want to delete. This can be games, applications, or media. You can pick multiple at the same time.
5. Confirm that you want to delete the selected items.

Download Errors

Sometimes, the download may fail due to problems with your internet. Restart your router to refresh the internet connection. If it still doesn’t work, try to connect your PS4 with a cable to your router if you were using Wi-Fi, as this often gives you a better internet connection. You can also try to pause and then resume the download in your notifications. If that also doesn’t work, you may need to wait and try again later, or call your internet service provider.

Disc Errors

If you are installing the game from a disc, make sure that the disc is clean. You can gently clean the disc with a soft cloth. If you still have issues with installation from the disc, the disc may be damaged, and you will need to try a different copy of the game.

PS4 System Issues

If all the above steps fail, then there could be problems with your PS4 itself. Restart your PS4 to see if that helps. If problems continue, then you might need to check for system updates on your console. You can check for updates in the settings menu. It is also a good idea to rebuild the database of your console. This can fix some problems with the system.

Rebuilding Your PS4 Database

Rebuilding the PS4 database is like tidying up the inside of your console. It can fix some issues and make the PS4 run smoother. Here’s how you do it:

1. Turn Off Your PS4: Make sure your console is completely off, not in rest mode.
2. Start in Safe Mode: Press and hold the power button until you hear a second beep. The console will then start in safe mode.
3. Pick Option 5: You will see a list of options. Pick the one that says “Rebuild Database.”
4. Wait: This process can take some time, depending on how full your hard drive is. Just wait for it to finish, and your console will restart itself.

By following these steps, you should be able to reinstall most of the games that have issues on your PS4. Remember to always back up your save data first, so you don’t lose your progress. Reinstalling games is a simple solution to many problems and can make your gaming experience a lot better. Happy gaming!

How to REINSTALL GAMES on PS4 After deleting them (Redownload Games)

Final Thoughts

To reinstall games on PS4, navigate to your library, find the game, and press the options button. Select “Delete” to remove it.

After deleting, revisit the library and locate the game again. Choose “Download” to start the reinstallation process.

This simple process fully explains how to reinstall games on PS4 effectively. Enjoy playing once it’s finished.