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?
Uninstalling a PlayStation 4 game only removes the game itself, not the save files. You won’t lose your progress or save data if you delete a PS4 game. The only way to remove saved files is to factory reset your PlayStation 4 and delete them manually from the storage.
That’s the general idea, but there’s a lot to consider before removing data on your PS4 console. Let’s take a closer look at everything you need to know about deleting games.
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:
- From the PlayStation 4 Home Screen, open the Functions Menu.
- Scroll to the end of the menu and choose ‘Settings.’
- Next, scroll down and select ‘Storage.’ Afterward, choose ‘System Storage’ and then ‘Applications.’
- 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.
- Once you find the game you want to uninstall, highlight it and click the ‘Options’ button on your DualShock.
- 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:
- Launch the Settings Menu. Navigate to ‘Application Saved Data Management’ and select ‘Saved Data in System Storage.’
- 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.
- 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:
- Launch the Settings Menu from the PlayStation 4 Home Screen.
- From there, select ‘Storage.’
- 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 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:
- 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.’
- Now, connect the USB flash drive to your PlayStation 4.
- Launch the Settings Menu, go to ‘System,’ and then ‘Back Up & Restore.’
- Choose ‘Back Up.’
- Approve the files you want to back up. Make sure you back up any saved files, screenshots, or videos you want to keep.
- Assign the backup data a name and choose ‘Back Up.’
- 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:
- Navigate to the Settings Menu and select ‘Back Up and Restore.’
- Connect the USB flash drive that has the backup files into the PlayStation 4.
- Next, Select ‘Restore PlayStation 4.’
- Choose the backup data you want to restore.
- 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.