It happens to everyone. You finally unbox that massive white monolith, clear off a spot on your entertainment center, and then just stare at it. If you bought the Standard Edition—the one with the "bulge"—you've got a disc drive. But the design is so futuristic and curvy that it’s not immediately obvious which way is up. Honestly, putting a disc into a PS5 is the most common "oops" moment for new owners because the console's asymmetrical shape messes with your muscle memory from the PS4 days.
Don’t feel bad if you’re hovering a copy of Elden Ring over the slot and hesitating.
The orientation changes completely depending on whether your console is standing tall like a skyscraper or laying flat on its side. Get it wrong, and you'll hear that dreaded grinding sound of the laser trying to read the plastic back of the disc instead of the data.
Facing the Right Way: How to Put Disc into PS5 Correctly
If your PS5 is standing vertically—which is how Sony features it in almost every marketing photo—the disc drive is at the bottom. The trick here is the "Label Left" rule. When you hold your game disc, the side with the artwork (the label) must face the center of the console.
Basically, the shiny data side faces the outside edge.
It feels counter-intuitive. On almost every other piece of technology we've owned for thirty years, the label faces "up" or "right." On a vertical PS5, the label faces toward the main body of the machine. If you’re looking at the front of the console, the disc slot is on the left side of the "bulge." You slide it in with the art facing the black middle section.
What if you have it laying down?
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When the PS5 is horizontal, the disc drive is on the bottom left. In this position, things feel a bit more "normal." You put the disc in with the label side facing up toward the ceiling. If you try to flip the console over so the disc drive is on the top, you’re actually putting the console upside down, which will block the vents and likely cause a crash during a heavy session of God of War Ragnarok.
The Vertical vs. Horizontal Debate
Some people worry that keeping the console vertical causes the liquid metal cooling to leak. There was a massive flare-up of panic about this on social media a while back, sparked by a misunderstanding of a repair shop's report. Sony engineers have explicitly stated that the console is designed to work in either orientation. The liquid metal is sealed. Whether you’re sliding that disc in vertically or horizontally, the internal hardware doesn't care.
Your furniture usually makes the decision for you. The PS5 is nearly 16 inches tall. It doesn't fit in most standard TV stand shelves vertically.
If you do go horizontal, make sure you actually use the plastic stand that came in the box. The PS5 is curvy. Without the stand, it wobbles. A wobbling console while a disc is spinning at high RPM is a recipe for a scratched lens or a ruined game.
When Things Go Wrong: Dealing with Disc Errors
So, you’ve figured out how to put disc into PS5, but the console just spits it back out or gives you a "Recognized Disc" error. First, don't panic. Check the orientation again. It sounds silly, but "upside down" is the cause of about 90% of these support tickets.
If the orientation is right, look at the disc. PS5 games are Ultra HD Blu-rays. These things are high-density. A single fingerprint can actually refract the laser enough to cause a read error.
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Use a microfiber cloth. Wipe from the center hole straight out to the edge. Never wipe in circles. Circular scratches follow the data tracks and are much harder for the error correction software to bypass.
Does it matter if it's a PS4 disc?
The PS5 is backwards compatible with almost the entire PS4 library. You insert them exactly the same way. The only difference is what happens next. When you put a PS4 disc into a PS5, the console will often prompt you to download a "PS5 Version" if a free upgrade is available.
Keep this in mind: you still need that PS4 disc inside the machine to play the upgraded PS5 version. The disc acts as your "key." If you sell the disc, you lose access to the digital upgrade.
The Mechanics of the Feed Slot
The PS5 uses a "suction-style" or slot-loading drive. There is no tray. When you push the disc about halfway in, the motors should take over and pull it the rest of the way.
Never force it.
If there is resistance, there might already be a disc in there. The PS5's eject button is right next to the power button. On the original model, they look almost identical, which is a notorious design flaw. The bottom button is power; the top button (when vertical) is eject. On the "Slim" model, Sony finally moved them further apart to stop people from accidentally turning off their console when they just wanted to swap Call of Duty for Spider-Man.
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Manual Eject: The Secret Screw
Sometimes, the power goes out, or the software glitches, and your disc is stuck. You don't need a hammer. Sony actually built a manual release into the hardware.
- Power down completely and unplug all cables.
- Remove the base/stand.
- Take off the outer white cover (the one with the disc drive logo).
- Look for a small circular hole covered by a thin black film.
- Use a #1 Phillips screwdriver to turn the screw clockwise.
This will manually move the gears and slide the disc out. It’s a lifesaver if your console dies and you have a rare disc trapped inside.
Maintenance for Long-Term Use
Dust is the enemy of the PS5. The intake fans suck in air, and because the disc slot is an opening, it can collect debris.
Every few months, use a can of compressed air to blow out the slot. Hold the can upright so you don't spray liquid propellant into the drive. If you live in a house with pets or smokers, you’ll need to do this more often. A dirty lens will eventually lead to slower install times or "Unreadable Disc" messages mid-game.
Interestingly, the PS5 "Slim" and the PS5 Pro have a modular disc drive. You can actually pop the drive out entirely. If your drive ever fails out of warranty, you don't have to replace the whole console. You can just buy a new disc drive unit, snap it in, and pair it with your console over the internet. This was a huge win for right-to-repair advocates, even if the digital-to-disc conversion requires an initial online handshake.
Troubleshooting the "Unrecognized" Pop-up
If you've followed every step on how to put disc into PS5 and it still won't play, try a "Soft Reset."
Hold the power button on the front of the console for ten seconds until it beeps twice. This clears the temporary cache. Sometimes the Disc App itself glitches. If a specific game won't load but others do, the disc might have a manufacturing defect known as "disc rot," though this is extremely rare for modern Blu-rays. Look for tiny pinpricks of light coming through the disc when you hold it up to a lamp. If you see them, the data layer is physically gone.
Actionable Steps for New Owners
- Verify Orientation: Label faces the center (black part) when vertical; label faces up when horizontal.
- Standardize Your Setup: Use the included stand to prevent vibration-related read errors.
- Clean Before Inserting: Always give the disc a quick wipe to prevent dust transfer to the internal lens.
- Check for Upgrades: Look for the "Free PS5 Upgrade" icon on the right side of the Home Screen when using PS4 discs.
- Update Firmware: Ensure your console is connected to the internet at least once to update the disc drive's internal controller software, which improves compatibility with newer 100GB triple-layer discs.
The PS5 is a tank of a machine, but the disc drive is its only moving part. Treat it gently, keep the labels facing the right way, and it’ll last the entire generation.