How to Turn Off a PS5: 6 Ways to Power Down Your Console Safely

Early PS5 units shipped with a Rest Mode bug that occasionally crashed the console or damaged the database during standby. A 2021 firmware update largely fixed it, but if your console randomly powers off in Rest Mode, update the system software and rebuild the database in Safe Mode before assuming a hardware fault.

The 6 Ways to Turn Off Your PS5

1. Control Center Power Menu (the one to use)

This is the cleanest, safest shutdown and the method to default to.

1. Press the PS button on your DualSense once to open the Control Center along the bottom of the screen.
2. Scroll to the Power icon on the right.
3. Select Turn Off PS5.
4. Confirm if prompted.

The same menu also exposes Enter Rest Mode, so you can choose deliberately rather than by accident. Use this whenever a download or install might be running, because the console finishes writing to storage cleanly before it shuts down.

2. Hold the PS Button for the Quick Power Menu

Press and hold the PS button for a moment instead of tapping it. A tap only opens the Home screen; holding brings up power options directly. It is the same destination as the Control Center, just one fewer scroll. Handy when you are mid-game and want out fast.

3. The Physical Power Button on the Console

The power button sits on the front of the console, on the bottom edge near the disc slot (the lower button; the eject button is above it).

• One short press: begins a normal shutdown or wakes the console.
• Tap and the light blinks, then goes off: the console powered down.

This is your fallback when no controller is paired, charged, or within reach. It triggers the same orderly shutdown as the menu, so it is safe for everyday use.

4. Set an Auto-Shutoff Timer

Stop the console from idling for hours after you fall asleep mid-cutscene.

1. Go to Settings (gear icon, top-right of the Home screen).
2. Open System > Power Saving.
3. Select Set Time Until PS5 Turns Off.
4. Choose a window for media apps and for games separately, from roughly 20 minutes up to several hours.

This trims your power bill and reduces wear without you having to remember anything. Pair it with Rest Mode downloads and you get the best of both: overnight patches that still end in a low-power state.

5. Schedule Rest Mode Deliberately (the energy-aware choice)

If you want controllers charged and games updated by morning but do not want a full-power console all night, choose Enter Rest Mode from the Power menu and configure what stays active under Settings > System > Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode. Enable Supply Power to USB Ports for charging and Stay Connected to the Internet for downloads. This is not a true shutdown, but for daily players it is the smartest middle ground.

6. Unplug the Power Cable (last resort only)

Pulling the cable from the back of the console forces a hard power-off and guarantees no scheduled restart, update, or Rest Mode activity. Only do this after the console has already shut down through one of the methods above, and never while the storage light is active.

Never unplug a PS5 that is downloading, installing, or updating. Cutting power mid-write is the fastest route to corrupted saves, a broken database, or a failed system update that forces a Safe Mode repair. Always shut down through the menu first, then unplug if you must.

Which Method Should You Use? Quick Comparison

How Long Does a Full Shutdown Take?

A normal PS5 shutdown completes in about 5 to 15 seconds. The light bar pulses amber or white, then turns off entirely. If it is taking far longer, the console is almost certainly finishing a download or install in the background, which is exactly why the menu method matters. Wait for the storage activity to settle rather than forcing it off.

How Much Power Does Each State Actually Use?

This is the practical reason the distinction is worth caring about. A fully powered-off PS5 draws a fraction of a watt, essentially nothing. Rest Mode, by contrast, can pull anywhere from a couple of watts when idle to tens of watts while it is actively downloading a game or charging controllers, because the console keeps its network adapter and storage awake. Over a full year, a PS5 left in Rest Mode around the clock can add a noticeable line to your electricity bill, especially if you have USB charging and internet connectivity both enabled. None of this is a reason to avoid Rest Mode, it is genuinely convenient, but if you go weeks without touching the console, a true shutdown is the smarter, cheaper, and cooler-running choice. Heat matters too: a console that never fully powers down runs its internal components warm for longer stretches, and sustained heat is the enemy of electronics over a multi-year lifespan.

What to Do Before a Long Break

If you are leaving the console untouched for more than a week, going on vacation, or storing it, do not just walk away mid-session. Run through a short checklist so you come back to a healthy machine:

1. Finish or pause any active downloads and installs, then let the storage activity settle.
2. Open the Control Center, choose Power, and select Turn Off PS5 for a clean full shutdown.
3. Wait until the light bar goes completely dark before touching the cable.
4. Only then unplug the power cord if you want to guarantee zero scheduled activity or you are moving the console.
5. If you are relocating it, transport the PS5 upright or flat in its original packaging and avoid jostling the disc drive.

When you return and power back on, give the console a moment. After a long time off it may check for a system update and re-establish its network connection before everything feels snappy again, which is normal, not a fault.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming Rest Mode is off. It still draws power and stays online. If your goal is zero activity, do a full shutdown.
• Holding the power button too long expecting a menu. The physical button does not open a software menu; that is the controller's job.
• Unplugging to "speed things up." It never speeds anything up and risks your data.
• Pressing eject instead of power. On disc models the buttons sit close together. The power button is the lower one.

The Bottom Line

For 90% of situations, the Control Center Power menu is the answer: open it, choose Turn Off PS5, done. Use Rest Mode on purpose when you want overnight downloads and charging, set an auto-shutoff timer so an idle console never runs all night, and treat unplugging as a genuine last resort reserved for moving the console or riding out a storm. Match the method to the moment and you will never corrupt a save or waste a watt you did not mean to.