5 Easy Fixes for When Fallout 4 Won’t Launch on PS5 [2024]

It’s common for games to crash on PC from time to time, but with consoles, particularly those released after the 2000s, you wouldn’t expect to cross your fingers hoping your game would boot—it’s not the PS2, after all.

Bethesda’s Fallout 4 from 2015 was ported to the PS5 earlier this year, and right off the bat, a heap of players who’d purchased the game complained that it won’t boot. This guide will try to inform the readers of the issue, why it is happening, and how to fix and prevent it from happening again.

Why Won’t Fallout 4 Launch on PS5?

Fallout 4 is notorious for crashing on startup on the PS5. While the developers, Bethesda, have been silent about the issue, users have taken it to online forums to discuss and subsequently isolate the issue before implementing the necessary solution.

It is important to understand that while the issue may seem game-specific, there’s an odd chance that your console is the culprit, and the issue lies on the user’s end. For this reason, we’ll be going over some of the more general reasons for why the game might crash on startup, which will in-turn save you from possibly running into the same issue for a different title down the line.

Here are some reasons Fallout 4 might be crashing on your PlayStation 5:

1. Corrupt Game Files: It is possible that the game may not have been properly downloaded or installed, and with that, it crashes any time you try to launch it.
2. Outdated System Software: If you’re not on the latest version of the available system software for your PlayStation, some services, including games, might not function properly and may result in unseen or infrequent bugs or crashes.
3. Disc Issues: If you own a Fallout 4 disc for PS4, you can also use it with the PS5 since the title is backwards compatible. But, if the disc isn’t being properly read or has issues, the system might not be able to verify the game’s ownership and may crash on startup.
4. DLC Conflicts: The PS5 version of the game has Wastelander Workshop and Automatron expansions conflicting with each other, which is why the game crashes for most people who’ve checked all DLCs while installation.

READ MORE:How to Fix Fallout 4 Keeps Crashing on Startup on PS5? [2024] ➜

Possible Fixes for Fallout 4 Won’t Launch PS5

The section below contains information about going through the troubleshooting process stepwise. Some of these fixes might seem unnecessary or unrelated, but they might fix a bug or an issue with your console that you didn’t know existed.

Follow the steps below in the order mentioned. If you’ve already covered all of the basic steps, like restarting your console or installing Fallout 4 again, simply skip to the “Remove Selected DLCs” part.

1) Restart your PlayStation

The first order of action should be to restart your PlayStation. This might seem ineffective, but a simple restart can sometimes fix issues that are otherwise hard to explain. Try to look for the same issue occurring in other titles. If you’ve recently downloaded the game, chances are that a simple restart might prevent Fallout 4 from crashing.

To restart your PlayStation,

1. Press the PlayStation button on your controller to pull up the Control Center.

   

2. Here, you’ll see the option to enter rest mode, restart, or power off your console.

   

3. Use the analog sticks to highlight “Turn Off PS5,” and press X.
4. Your PlayStation will power off. Now, turn the console back on using the button on the console itself.
5. Alternatively, you can also use the “Restart PS5” option within the Control Center to automatically reboot your console.

2) Remove Selected DLCs

Fallout 4 was ported to PS5 in 2024, and immediately after its public release, it was found to crash on startup and not run at all. Bethesda didn’t publicly offer an explanation, but users, who’d took it to online communities and forums, explained that the problem might be related to conflicting DLCs.

The DLCs causing the issue are Wastelander Workshop and Automatron expansions, which thankfully, can be removed even after the game has been installed. To do this,

1. Hover over the Fallout 4 icon and head to the Options menu.
2. Select “Manage Game Content.“
3. Choose Wastelander Workshop and Automatron from the list and remove them.
4. Restart the game.

READ MORE: How to Fix Fallout 4 Mods Not Working ➜

3) Clean your Game Disk

If removing select DLCs didn’t work for you, and you’re using the physical game disk to run Fallout 4 on PlayStation, chances are that there’s an issue with the disc itself. At times, if your disc is damaged or there is an issue with the disc drive (reader), the console won’t be able to read the contents of your game disc properly.

If this happens, the system won’t be able to verify the ownership of your game and, at times, fail to boot. To isolate this issue and confirm that the disc drive is at fault, try inserting other game discs to see if they pass the “license check.” If they don’t, it is possible that your disc drive or the game disc itself is at fault.

4) Re-Install the Game

If nothing else works, it may be time to try reinstalling the game since—while rare—it is possible that the game itself had corrupted files. This can generally happen on a PC, but it is extremely rare with consoles. Nevertheless, it’s better to try and cross out all potential solutions.

To delete a game on your PlayStation,

1. From the home screen, choose the Settings gear icon in the top right-hand side of the screen.

   

2. Select Storage > Games and Apps.

   

3. Choose the game you wish to uninstall, and select “Delete.”

   

Once the game is uninstalled, head to the PlayStation Store and download Fallout 4 again, this time without the Wastelander Workshop and Automatron expansions.

READ MORE: How to Fix Fallout 4 Long Loading ➜

5) Reset your PlayStation

If all else fails, it may be time to try and reset your console. Keep in mind however that all of your data, including downloaded games and DLCs will be removed. You’ll need to reinstall each and every one of them, but in hindsight, the reset may clear up any minor software bug or glitch within the console.

Before proceeding however, it is a good idea to update your system software, if there’s a pending update. This may clear up the issue, but if not, proceed with the reset. Here’s how to reset your PlayStation 5,

1. From the home screen, choose the Settings gear icon in the top right-hand side of the screen.

   

2. Select System > System software > Reset options.

   

3. Choose Reset your console.

   

4. Select Reset.

   

5. Wait for a few minutes; your PS5 will automatically reset and boot into the setup screen.
6. Set-up your console, and download Fallout 4 again (without the aforementioned DLCs).

READ MORE: Why is my PlayStation 5 Randomly Turning OFF? How to Fix? ➜

Conclusion

Fallout’s release on the PlayStation 4 was riddled with bugs and glitches, topping it off with the game crashing, and failing to restart on the next-gen console port. The issue wasn’t as deep as it looked to be, since the main problem came from conflicting DLCs, which is possibly slated to be patched in the upcoming next-gen update.

For the time being, your best bet is to disable select DLCs and play the game without those expansions until the developers issue an official statement or patch.