There are countless ways in which technology sometimes makes us want to tear our hair out, especially when we can’t get it to work. If you have a long day of work finally before you and you are ready to unwind with shooting at some zombies and your PS4 won’t turn on, it is likely you might get the urge to tear your hair out. This becomes even more frustrating when you cannot figure out the issue behind the problem.
This is why this article aims at helping you sort through the issue behind your PlayStation, not only by identifying what might be causing the issue but also by figuring out how to resolve it. It starts with both the problems and solutions to the problems in one place, so you understand the context behind a certain issue in theory and are able to carry out the solution accurately.
Disconnecting and Connecting the Power
This sounds like your everyday run-of-the-mill solution for the issue, rather than a specific nuanced one, but it does seem to do the trick when the reason behind your PS4 not working is unknown and seems to be vague enough. All you would have to do is remove any cables connected to your PS4 console, connecting it to any devices. Wait for a few considerable seconds, even a minute or two before plugging it all back in. Sometimes this even makes you realize how you have been plugging something the wrong way.
Other times, it gives your device just enough time to set off a power reset within your hardware system, addressing any issues that might be hindering the power source. This is still just the first problem you can identify and try to resolve, nothing to panic over if it does not solve the issue as you can still try any of the other solutions in the list.
Disk Placement
Sometimes people forget to consider the fact of moving ahead with a process that has steps ahead and stops when there’s any hindrance with the system. It seems like the sound choice to make, but sometimes the choice that seems the sound is likely not the one. Such as the problem in this one, starts to work when you move ahead and place a disk inside the console. For those who have not tried the solution, it might seem too absurd but you have to try it out before you rule it out.
Try doing the entire process in the order in which you would normally do it, plug in the console, insert the disk enough so the system reads it, and then check if the console starts working, often the system is waiting to detect a content file to play, and starts working normally when one is detected. Often when there is inactivity within a system, all it needs is for you to run it through.
Replacing Power Supply
People overlook the importance of a smooth and efficient power supply to keep your systems running, even those other than a PS4. If one is not working within an electronic device, your device, whatever it may be, can stop functioning. Taking the power supply device out from within its casing is sometimes enough to show you what the problem is. You can find tons of issues with the hardware of your power supply device, waiting for you to address them. Soon after you do, the console starts working swiftly.
If you do recognize an issue that does not seem fixable, you should go for a new power supply source instead of trying to revive the one which does not look to be fixable. The power supply is a device bringing your console as the main power source, it is important to check on it when your console seems to be acting up without an obvious reason.
Compatibility with TV
This one seems like an easy fix or problem to detect as well, but it is one that people seem to overlook or ignore. You need to make sure the TV or LED screen you are using is compatible with the console you are using it for. There are scenarios in which the answer is negative, the reasons behind it can also vary, from systematic incompatibility to a minor connectivity issue.
The simple way you can get ahead in figuring this one out is to try plugging and running your console with another PC or TV that is compatible. This will make it clear to you whether the issue is with the TV or not, if the TV is really the problem, when you plug the PS4 with another device, it will start working without an issue. Either scenario in this case will help you move on and address the problem with why your PS4 is not working.
Excessive Dirt in the Hardware
Because this is a comprehensive list, bringing you all the likely issues behind why your PS4 won’t turn on, is an important part of the article. Therefore, there is a possibility your PS4 is too dirty or choked with either dust or trash, interfering with its ability to work properly. You need to deep clean your console, and if it’s a new concept to you, you should get used to it, it’s much better than a replacement. You can go about it both from the top and after removing the top panel from the device as well.
You cannot obviously use wet tissue or a napkin with any sort of liquid to clear it, it is better to try and blow the dust out of your device. That is likely the problem because often wind carries dust within different objects and devices. Just like you have to clear your house’s interior of the dust that spreads around, cleaning dust out of your console is a similar task.
Direct Connection to Wall Outlet
Usually, your console devices are connected to the power source through a power strip, bridging the gap between your PS4 and the wall outlet. However, sometimes the diluted power it presents your PS4 is not enough for the system. Even in situations where you are clear that it can handle high load devices, sometimes the electrical connection just does not get through successfully.
Therefore, try plugging your console directly into the wall outlet so it has a clear and direct electrical connection, nothing hindering or stopping the flow in between. If you think power strips are better for you in general, try getting a stronger one that supports the electric power your system requires from it. The solution to connecting it directly is usually more helpful in this case because if one strip is causing your console to have interruptions or making it stop working abruptly, it is likely the problem will reoccur until you have that direct connection.
Restarting in Safe Mode
There is a possibility the problem with the PS4 is within its own system, blocking it from running smoothly. You can easily access the settings within your console’s system in order to get it running without this issue again. For this, you would have to manually do it on the PS. Start by pressing and holding the PlayStation power button down for a few seconds. While you are holding the button down, plug in your controller, let go of the power button when you hear the second pop sound.
Read More: How to Connect PS4 Controller to PC
This will take you to safe mode, you can edit, upgrade or choose whatever it is you want to do within your system’s settings. There are other ways to edit and upgrade your console as well, and you can choose to pick whichever one is preferable to you. If there are updates available, try opting for it to check whether it solves the issue.
Issues with Hard Drive
If the hard drive in the system you are running the PS with is corrupted or has issues, that can also cause the console to act up, without obvious hints of what might be going wrong. Even though you cannot immediately tell if that’s the issue, you can still maneuver around it to find out. Try taking the hard drive out, and running the PS4 again, if it works now, you have your problem.
On the other hand, check to see if the hard drive is at fault or some other technical issue is. In a severe case, you might have to get a new hard drive to work with your console. If you don’t have important data to save, you can also reset the data database through your system in order to cross out that problem. Sometimes devices start having problems due to lack of space, taken over by unnecessary things within your system. Try using your PS4 with another hard disk to ensure that the problem identified is the correct one.
Warranty Claim
This is the last resort in the solutions list because there is a small chance that all the above solutions might not work out for you. In this case, you can opt to go and claim that warranty Sony provides you to have your PS4 looked at. If you are unable to figure out the issue after a little bit of poking around and trying the above gauging, you should take the console to the shop that is convenient to you so the problem can be looked over by the professionals too.
If you don’t have a warranty, you can still take advantage of the service center to help you out with the problem, it is likely they will figure it out themselves without you having to guide them on the usage and issues you have recognized on your own. You can reach out to them via the website support page or their store if you can spare the time to visit it.
This article is meant to help you out when you cannot figure out the problem with your PS on your own. It is likely the same solutions work for other PS versions too, all you would have to do for precautions while testing them out is to try them without hurting or forcing any hardware in a way that it gets damaged. It is likely the problem which is why PS4 won’t turn on could be one of the generic issues we’ve mentioned in the list above. If you are having serious problems that don’t seem to reveal themselves to you, then reach out to the company’s support team.