You'd think shutting down a piece of hardware would be the easiest part of owning it. Honestly, it should be. But Sony decided to change the rules of the game when they transitioned from the PS4 to the PS5. If you’re staring at that glowing white light on your console and pressing every button on the DualSense controller hoping for a "Power Off" prompt, you aren’t alone. It’s a common point of frustration for anyone moving over from the older generation.
The PS5 doesn't have a dedicated "Off" button on the controller. At least, not a visible one.
The quick way to turn off PlayStation 5 using the DualSense
Most people make the mistake of holding down the PlayStation button. On the PS4, that worked perfectly. On the PS5? Holding that button just takes you back to the home screen. It’s annoying. To actually get to the power options, you have to tap the PlayStation button once. Just a quick press. This brings up the Control Center, that row of icons at the bottom of your screen.
You need to navigate all the way to the right. Look for the icon that looks like a circle with a vertical line through it. That’s your Power menu. Once you select it, you’ll see three choices: Enter Rest Mode, Turn Off PS5, and Restart PS5.
Pick "Turn Off PS5."
The screen will go dark, and you’ll see a message telling you not to unplug the AC power cord while the power indicator is blinking. This is crucial. If you pull the plug while that light is still flashing, you risk corrupting your database. I've seen it happen. It’s a mess of rebuilding storage and potentially losing save data that wasn't backed up to the cloud. Wait for the light to go completely dark.
Using the physical buttons on the console
Sometimes the controller dies. Maybe you dropped it, or maybe the battery finally gave up after a long session of God of War. You can still turn the thing off.
On the front of the standard PS5, there are two thin buttons. If you have the Digital Edition, there’s only one. For the standard model, the Power button is the larger one located toward the bottom (if the console is standing vertically). Press and hold it. You’ll hear one beep almost immediately—that’s just the console acknowledging you. Keep holding it. After a few seconds, you’ll hear a second beep. That’s the signal that the console is actually shutting down rather than just going into Rest Mode.
Why Rest Mode isn't always the best move
Sony really wants you to use Rest Mode. It’s the default state. In Rest Mode, the PS5 can download game updates, charge your controllers, and suspend your game so you can jump back in exactly where you left off. It’s convenient. But it isn't perfect.
There have been documented issues since launch involving Rest Mode and external hard drives. Some users, including prominent tech outlets like Digital Foundry, reported system crashes when the console tried to wake up while connected to external storage. While firmware updates have smoothed out most of these kinks, a full shutdown is still the safest bet if you aren't planning on playing for a few days.
Also, power surges happen. A PS5 in Rest Mode is still drawing power. If your neighborhood has a "dirty" power grid or frequent summer storms, a full shutdown protects that expensive internal SSD from unexpected voltage spikes.
The Control Center shortcut trick
If you find yourself digging through the Control Center too often, you can actually customize it. Press the PlayStation button once. When the icons appear, press the Options button (the small one with three lines) on your controller. This lets you move the icons around. I always move the Power icon to the far left. It saves me those extra three seconds of scrolling every single night. It sounds small, but over a year, it adds up.
Remote Play and turning off the PS5 from your phone
Maybe you’re lying in bed and realized you left the console running in the living room. You don't have to get up. If you have the PS Remote Play app configured on your smartphone, you can connect to your console over Wi-Fi. Once the stream starts, you can use the on-screen PlayStation button to navigate to the Power menu and shut it down remotely.
Just keep in mind that if you "Turn Off" the console via Remote Play, you won't be able to turn it back on using the app. You can only wake a PS5 remotely if it is in Rest Mode. If you kill the power entirely, you'll have to walk over and press the button manually next time.
Managing power settings for the long haul
You can automate some of this. If you’re the type of person who falls asleep mid-Netflix binge, go into your Settings.
🔗 Read more: 1000 Free Games to Play No Download: Why Most Sites Are a Waste of Time
- Select System.
- Select Power Saving.
- Choose "Set Time Until PS5 Turns Off."
You can set different timers for when you're playing games versus when you're just watching media. I usually set the media timer to two hours. It’s a lifesaver for the electricity bill and the lifespan of the console’s fans.
Dealing with a frozen PS5
Hardware isn't perfect. Occasionally, a game will hard-lock, and the "Turn Off PS5" software option won't respond. The screen is frozen, the controller is vibrating continuously, and nothing works.
Don't pull the power cord.
Instead, perform a forced shutdown. Press and hold the Power button on the console itself for at least 15 seconds. The system will eventually force itself to die. When you turn it back on, it will run a storage repair scan. It’s scary, but it’s much safer for the hardware than pulling the plug from the wall while the SSD is actively trying to write data.
Common misconceptions about shutting down
Some people think that "Restart PS5" is the same as turning it off and back on. Technically, it clears the system cache and refreshes the operating system, but it doesn't give the hardware a "rest" period. If your console is running loud or feeling hot to the touch, a full shutdown for 30 minutes is better than a quick restart. It allows the heat syncs to cool down properly without the fans immediately spinning back up.
🔗 Read more: Cara Seru Main Permainan Shaun the Sheep yang Sering Terlewatkan Begitu Saja
Another myth is that leaving the PS5 in Rest Mode "wears out" the SSD. Modern NVMe drives have incredibly high write endurance. You aren't going to kill your console by letting it download a 50GB patch at 3:00 AM. The real risk is strictly environmental—lightning, power outages, or someone tripping over the cord.
Actionable steps for your console's health
To keep everything running smoothly, stop using the "hold the PS button" habit you picked up from the last decade of gaming. Start using the single-tap method to access the Power icon. If you aren't using an external drive for PS4 games, feel free to use Rest Mode for those fast resumes. However, if you have a massive library on a USB drive, get into the habit of doing a full power down at the end of the night.
Check your "Features Available in Rest Mode" settings too. If you don't need to charge your controllers overnight, turn off power to the USB ports. It reduces the standby draw and keeps the internal components just a little bit cooler. Taking ten seconds to properly shut down your system ensures that when you sit down for your next session, you aren't greeted by a "Your PS5 wasn't turned off properly" warning screen.