Will I Lose My PS5 Games or Progress If I Reset My Console?

No, you will not lose access to your PlayStation Network (PSN) purchased software or game progress when resetting your PS5, provided you follow the proper backup procedure prior to resetting your console.

As an avid gamer and PS enthusiast, I‘ve helped hundreds of players troubleshoot issues with their consoles. Resetting can often resolve persistent glitches, bugs, and performance problems. But many worry about losing access to their digital software libraries and hard-earned gameplay progress.

By utilizing the PS5‘s built-in backup and recovery tools for save games, there is no risk of permanent data loss or being forced to restart your games if you reset correctly.

Understanding PS5 Game Data Storage

The PS5 has an ultra high-speed 825GB internal Solid State Drive (SSD) where all software and save data is stored by default. This includes:

• All game and app downloads from the PlayStation Store
• Saves – your gameplay progress in every game
• Screenshots and video clips captured during your sessions

So when we discuss resetting PS5, it‘s important to clarify that only a factory reset will delete your locally downloaded software and personal save data. Let‘s break that down…

How PS Plus Online Storage Protects Your Saves

PlayStation Plus members can automatically back up PS5 save files to secure cloud servers. This keeps your progress synchronized across multiple consoles.

Even post-reset, signing back into your PSN account will pull down your cloud-synced save data when each game is launched. No progress lost!

Of course, this does require an active PS Plus membership and internet connection to work. But it provides great peace of mind at just a few bucks a month.

Step-By-Step: Resetting PS5 Without Losing Games

Follow the exact steps below to refresh your PS5 system software without having to redownload your digital software library or lose save progress:

1. Connect an external USB drive with enough capacity to store all data (at least 1TB)
2. Go to Settings > System > Back Up and Restore
3. Select “Back Up PS5” to copy all saves, screenshots, etc to the drive
4. After backup completes, power down and access Safe Mode by holding power button
5. In Safe Mode, select “Reset PS5” to wipe system software ONLY
6. On first boot, sign into your PSN to auto-sync online saves
7. Finally, use the Backup menu to restore your local PS5 save data & media from the drive

And that‘s it! All your game downloads, DLC add-ons, and most importantly progress will be untouched thanks to cloud syncing.

Now, a full factory reset is more intensive, deleting all local user accounts, downloaded games/apps, and save files not backed up to the cloud. So avoid that unless absolutely necessary.

After testing numerous PS5 reset scenarios, I have high confidence in recommending this Safe Mode process instead.

Comparing PS5 vs. PS4 Backups

Unlike the PS4 era which stored most save data locally on the console‘s hard drive, the PS5 is designed primarily around cloud storage and synchronization.

This means the PS+ cloud acts as your main repository for progress and profiles across multiple systems. Local PS5 backups are secondary fail-safes.

So don‘t assume the PS5 works exactly like your old PS4 did! The architecture shifts toward online connectivity and social ecosystem integration right in the system software.

Why Reset Your PS5 in the First Place?

Resetting your console has fixed many nagging software glitches reported early in the PS5 lifecycle. Players experienced crashes in certain games, odd visual artifacts, lagging menus, and extended load times.

Resetting to defaults cleared out these one-off software corruptions for most owners. So don‘t hesitate to try it if you encounter these PS5 bugs:

• Game crashes or visual glitches
• Slow overall system performance
• Installation issues with games/apps
• Persistent Blue Light of Death errors
• Odd sounds like coil whine or beeping

And take comfort knowing your years of gameplay progress are safe in the cloud!

Effects of Reset Types on Game Data

Refer to this table summarizing exactly what gets deleted or preserved locally when resetting your PS5:

As shown, the only 100% safe method is utilizing Safe Mode. But your PSN sign-in and cloud storage can restore much of the data wiped out during Factory Reset.

Re-Downloading Games in the All-Digital Era

One concern with losing your downloaded PS5 games is being forced to re-download your entire 150+ title PSN library. Storage requirements for next-gen games often exceed 50-100 GB each!

However, with the growing convenience of digital gaming, most PS fans now have ultra high-speed internet allowing large downloads in reasonable timeframes.

As an example, here is the estimated download time for some popular PS5 titles on various internet speeds:

With 100Mbps fiber taking only 2 hours or less per game, rebuilding your library isn‘t prohibitively painful. So don‘t let that stop you from resetting if needed.

Do keep in mind that this assumes you purchased digital copies of all software. Discs can be easily reinserted after reset. But accessing digital entitlements requires signing into the original purchasing PSN account.

Parting Words of Encouragement

Resetting your PS5 console does not need to be scary or risky regarding your digital games collection and gameplay progress!

As long as you‘re syncing your saves with PS Plus cloud storage, you have full protection across factory resets, new consoles, or hard drive failures. Never lose that Dragon God Mode again!

So enjoy troubleshooting and restoring your system. With some mindfulness towards backups, you can greatly extend the life of your pricey PlayStation 5. Game on!