PS5: Don't do this with your console — it may crash and die

PS5 launch day availability
(Image credit: Sony)

Infuriating PS5 bugs are popping up four days after the Sony console's highly anticipated release. One PS5 owner, Jeff Gerstmann, discovered a pesky glitch while running Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered.

Gerstmann took to Twitter to point out a reoccurring PS5 rest mode bug that causes his system to crash. According to DigitalTrends, Gerstmann's unfortunate experience with the next-gen console isn't an isolated incident.

Multiple reports of PS5 rest mode causing issues

PS5 rest mode is similar to sleep mode on a PC — it's still on, but goes into low-power mode. This way, you can get to your games faster when you awaken the PS5. Unfortunately, PS5 rest mode is ironically causing unrest among the gaming community.

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Gerstmann pointed out that putting the PS5 into rest mode during Spider-Man Remastered crashed the next-gen console, prompting a "repair your external drive" process to begin upon restarting the system.

"Also every time I've had the PS5 go through that external drive repair sequence, it ends up on a black screen," Gerstmann added. "I have to hit the power button on the console itself to force it into rest mode, then it comes back up and asks me to file an error report, then boots normally."

James Stevenson, community director at Insomniac Games (video-game developer behind Spider-Man Remastered), told Gerstmann that the team will be looking into the issue.

However, this may not be an Insomniac Games issue, but a Sony one. Another twitter user said that he, too, experienced the PS5 rest mode bug while downloading games, which caused the system to spiral into a frustrating loop. "@PlayStation support just says I have to send in my PS5 for service," he said, adding "#disappointed."

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A slew of other Twitter users came forward to report similar issues with PS5 rest mode while running games such as Demon's Souls, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and more.

If you have a PS5 and want to be on the safe side, there is a way to turn off rest mode. Navigate to the Power Saving submenu under Settings and select "Don't put in rest mode."

If you didn't get a chance to snag a PlayStation 5 because they're sold out everywhere, perhaps this is a blessing disguise as early adopters are experiencing some frustrating bugs with the first batch of consoles.

Kimberly Gedeon

Kimberly Gedeon, holding a Master's degree in International Journalism, launched her career as a journalist for MadameNoire's business beat in 2013. She loved translating stuffy stories about the economy, personal finance and investing into digestible, easy-to-understand, entertaining stories for young women of color. During her time on the business beat, she discovered her passion for tech as she dove into articles about tech entrepreneurship, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the latest tablets. After eight years of freelancing, dabbling in a myriad of beats, she's finally found a home at Laptop Mag that accepts her as the crypto-addicted, virtual reality-loving, investing-focused, tech-fascinated nerd she is. Woot!