Consequences Of Deleting A PS4 Game

If you need to free up space on your PlayStation 4, your first solution might be to delete old games that you don’t play much anymore. But what happens if you delete a PS4 game? Do you lose all of your data?

Games and apps can consume a considerable amount of space on your PlayStation 4. In fact, most games can easily consume up to 100 GB of space on your PS4. And at some point, you may encounter storage issues on save data, making it hard to install new game files.

When this happens, you may decide to remove some saved game files from your device, so that you can create space for others. But, are there any consequences for deleting a PS4 game? Can you lose progress if you delete a PS4 game? How many games can you save and how much space do you have?

Key takeaways:

• Deleting a PS4 game doesn’t erase your progress or save files.
• Uninstalling a game removes the game itself but not the associated save files.
• You can reinstall deleted games and continue from where you left off.
• Factory resetting your PS4 or manually deleting save files is required to remove them.
• Deleting games can free up space for new installations.
• You can delete save files without removing the game itself.
• Deleting gameplay videos can help free up valuable storage space.
• Restoring a backup on your PS4 will erase all saved data.

Does Deleting a PS4 Game Delete Your Progress?

There’s a scary question that emerges whenever you’re about to delete a game on the PlayStation 4: Will all of your in-game progress disappear along with the game?

Fortunately, deleting a game on the PlayStation 4 won’t erase your progress or save files. The PlayStation 4 stores games and saves files separately. As a result, you can uninstall games, reinstall them later (here’s how to find your deleted games), and return to where you left off.

The only way to remove saved files is to factory reset your PlayStation 4 and delete them manually from the storage.

How to Delete a PS4 Game Without Getting Rid of Your Progress

It’s straightforward to delete PlayStation 4 titles without losing saved files or progress. Follow the instructions below to begin:

1. From the PlayStation 4 Home Screen, open the Functions Menu.
   
2. Scroll to the end of the menu and choose ‘Settings.’
   
3. Next, scroll down and select ‘Storage.’ Afterward, choose ‘System Storage’ and then ‘Applications.’
   
4. Now you can see a list of installed games. Next to each title, you’ll see how much storage space it’s taking up, which can help you decide what to remove.
   
5. Once you find the game you want to uninstall, highlight it and click the ‘Options’ button on your DualShock.
   
6. Lastly, select ‘Delete’ and confirm your choices.

Following these instructions will only delete the game files, but not your progress or save data.

How to Delete PS4 Save Files

You can also delete PlayStation 4 save files if you want to keep the game installed or free up space on the device. Here’s how:

1. Launch the Settings Menu. Navigate to ‘Application Saved Data Management’ and select ‘Saved Data in System Storage.’
   
2. Look through the list of games and find the title you want to delete the save files for. Next, select the title and decide which save files you wish to remove.
   
3. Finally, choose ‘Delete’ and confirm your choices.

Following these instructions will delete the save files of the game you selected, not the game itself.

How to Check Your Storage Space on a PS4

You can view the status of your PlayStation 4 system storage or extended storage through Settings. Use the following instructions to get started:

1. Launch the Settings Menu from the PlayStation 4 Home Screen.
   
2. From there, select ‘Storage.’
   
3. You’ll see ‘Extend Storage’ if you have a USB storage device connected and formatted correctly.

You can view game files and save data, screenshots, videos, and other files in the Storage menu. You can also manage your system storage from this menu, allowing you to free up space and remove unnecessary content.

How to Free Up PS4 Space without Deleting Games

Deleting a PS4 game offers one of the easiest ways of freeing up space for new games and increasing storage on your device. But, you can also free up space in your device, without necessarily having to delete games.

First, you should remove game videos. There’s a high chance that you’ve been recording and storing gameplay videos on your device, to share them with your friends or upload them on platforms like YouTube or Facebook.

And, these videos will end up consuming a considerable amount of valuable space. So, instead of deleting games, you should instead get rid of these video clips.

You simply need to head over to settings, click ‘System Storage Management’ and head over to the ‘Capture Gallery’, where you will see all your gameplay videos. You will then select ‘Delete’ and you will have freed up some space.

The second method that you can use to free up space in your device without having to delete games is by using a bigger hard drive. You can either opt for an internal or external hard drive. If you decide to go for a bigger internal hard drive, you should ensure you’ve backed up your game data before you proceed.

How to Recover Deleted Data on a PS4

It’s possible to back up data on the PlayStation 4 with a USB flash drive or cloud storage. You can save the following files on the PlayStation 4:

• Games and software
  
• Saved files
  
• Photos, media, and videos
  
• User settings

All of your user information is saved on the PlayStation 4 and is kept in the backup files. If you restore the console, all files on your PS4 will be erased.

That said, you can back up files without restoring your PS4 with a USB flash drive or virtual storage.

How to Back Up PlayStation 4 Data

One method to save PlayStation 4 data is with a FAT32 or exFAT flash drive, like this one (on Amazon). The drive will need at least twice the space of the PlayStation 4 backup data.

Here’s how you can get started:

1. First, sync any Trophies, since they’re not represented in the save file. Go to the Trophies, click the ‘Options’ Button, and choose ‘Sync Trophies to PlayStation Network.’
   
2. Now, connect the USB flash drive to your PlayStation 4.
   
3. Launch the Settings Menu, go to ‘System,’ and then ‘Back Up & Restore.’
   
4. Choose ‘Back Up.’
   
5. Approve the files you want to back up. Make sure you back up any saved files, screenshots, or videos you want to keep.
   
6. Assign the backup data a name and choose ‘Back Up.’
   
7. Disconnect the USB flash drive.

How You Can Restore PlayStation 4 Data

The PlayStation 4 will erase all saved data when you restore a backup. This process can’t be reverted, even if you stop the function. Ensure you don’t remove any important files or save data by accident. Erased PlayStation 4 data cannot be recovered.

Use the following steps to begin:

1. Navigate to the Settings Menu and select ‘Back Up and Restore.’
   
2. Connect the USB flash drive that has the backup files into the PlayStation 4.
   
3. Next, Select ‘Restore PlayStation 4.’
   
4. Choose the backup data you want to restore.
   
5. Click ‘Yes’ to restore and confirm your choices.

Remember, players who have never used the PlayStation Network can only restore saved files to the original console they were backed up on. To restore files to another PlayStation 4, you must log into your PSN account beforehand.

Conclusion

In conclusion, when you delete a PS4 game, you don’t lose your progress or save data. Uninstalling a game only removes the game itself, not the associated save files. You can easily reinstall the game later and continue from where you left off. If you want to remove save files, you’ll need to perform a factory reset or delete them manually from the storage.

It’s important to note that most PS4 games consume a significant amount of space, and if you encounter storage issues, deleting games can free up space without affecting your progress. Additionally, backing up your data using a USB flash drive or cloud storage is recommended to ensure the safety of your files.

To delete a PS4 game without losing your progress, access the Functions Menu from the Home Screen, navigate to Settings, and select Storage. From there, choose System Storage and Applications to view the installed games. Highlight the game you want to uninstall, click the Options button on your DualShock, and select Delete.

Similarly, if you want to delete save files, go to Application Saved Data Management in the Settings Menu and select Saved Data in System Storage. Locate the game and the desired save files, then choose Delete. Checking your storage space regularly and freeing up unnecessary content can help maintain sufficient storage on your PS4.

Remember that while deleting games can free up space, you can also consider removing gameplay videos stored on your device to reclaim valuable storage. Additionally, upgrading to a larger internal or external hard drive is another option to increase storage capacity.

Before replacing the hard drive, ensure you have backed up your game data to avoid any data loss. Finally, it’s worth noting that backing up your data with a USB flash drive or cloud storage is essential for safeguarding your files. By following these steps, you can efficiently manage storage on your PS4 and enjoy uninterrupted gaming experiences.