PS4 is a powerful game console for players. Somehow, many players reported that they can’t download purchased games PS4. What causes PS4 not to download games? How to fix this problem? If you want to find a solution, please keep reading. This essay from NewsPivot will give you answers.
PS4 is a video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment and supports a variety of games. Games on PS4 generally come in two forms: disc-based and downloadable. This means you can insert a disc on your PS4 to run the game or download the game through the PlayStation Network (PSN).
However, there is something wrong when some players try to download games. They described this kind of issue and asked for solutions on related forums and communities, like this player’s report below:
Can't download any game from my PS4 library! It just says please wait and never start the download. The Internet is working fine! However, if I try downloading the same game from my PS mobile app, it instantly starts downloading on my PS4. Plz help.reddit.com
Also read: Is Ready or Not on Consoles | Games Like Ready or Not
Why PS4 Can’t Download Games?
Before you start dealing with the issue, you need to find out what the cause is, or you won’t be able to start. After collecting and analyzing the player reports and posts, we’ve summarized that the issue is related to the following factors:
- Insufficient storage space: It’s widely known that PS4 has limited storage space, which is about 500GB. Games often take up a lot of storage, and it is required for both installation and download. Once your storage is full, you may encounter some issues like “PS4 purchased game not in library”.
- Account issue: Like Xbox and Steam, purchased games are tied to your account. Make sure that you use the same account as you used to purchase the games.
- System bugs or errors: If there is a bug or an error in your system, it’s likely to cause “PS4 can’t download games from library”.
- PSN server issue: Your PS4 needs to be connected to its server to keep upgrading or to download games because you can’t download a game without its server.
What’s Supposed to Do When PS4 Won’t Download Games?
After reading the above information, you may already learned the reasons why you can’t download purchased games PS4. Then you’ll learn how to deal with them. The following 6 fixes are effective and easy to operate.
Fix 1: Restart to Download
Restarting the download is the easiest way to solve the issue. Game downloads may be interrupted unexpectedly for various reasons. For example, your network is broken, other games are upgraded at the same time, you stop downloading but forget to restart, etc.
When your network has recovered, upgrades are completed, or other things are finished, you can try to restart the download, maybe it will go well this time. Here are steps to restart your download:
- Go to Downloads/Uploads in the control centre.
- Select Download.
- Select Pause and Resume to restart.
If you’re still having issues, select Cancel and Delete to delete the game from the download list. Find the game in your Game Library and try again.
Fix 2: Check the PSN Servers
As we’ve mentioned above, your PS4 needs to be connected to the PSN servers. If you are using online services, the PSN servers play an important role in both downloading digital copies of games and transferring game data to your console. Therefore, the PSN server disconnection will prevent you from downloading games.
To verify this occasion, it’s recommended that you visit the PSN status page and see whether all services are up and running. If all is fine, you should see the page like the image shows to you.
But if not, you have no choice but to wait for the Sony team to fix it.
Fix 3: Log in to the Correct Account
PS4 games won’t download may be caused by using an incorrect account. The game is owned by the account you purchased the game from, and the download right is also owned by that account but not by other accounts that you may possess. Let’s make an example for easy understanding:
Suppose you have two accounts, A and B, then you buy Elden Rings and start to download it. But in the middle of the process, you log out of A and log in to B to play Resident Evil 4. After you finish playing, you may find no progress about the download.
This is because Elden Rings is not owned by account B, so you can’t see any progress about the download. To fix this, you may log out of B and log in to A, then restart the download.
It is also possible that PS4 games can’t download from library due to your games are locked.
Fix 4: Check if There Is Any Latest Upgrade for Your System Software
Sometimes, you can’t download purchased games PS4 because some bugs or errors prevent the system from functioning normally. Here are the steps to update system software and settings:
Go to Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings.
Once the upgrade is done, you can check if you can download games normally.
Fix 5: Free up System Storage Space
“Can’t download purchased games PS4” may be a result of insufficient storage. Nowadays, the game is getting better and better, and its requirement for storage is also increasing. Insufficient storage could stop you from downloading a game. Here are three methods you may try to release PS4 storage space:
Method 1: Delete the games you won’t play.
- Start your machine and navigate to Settings.
- Open System Storage Management.
- Head to Applications.
- Press the controller’s option button and select Delete.
- Select the games you don’t need anymore and select Delete to remove them from your device.
Method 2: Delete the screenshots and video clips you don’t need.
- Go to your PSN profile.
- In that place, you’ll see a folder icon. Select it.
- Scroll to the Other section for screenshots and video clips.
- Hit the Options button on the controller and select Delete.
- Choose the items you want to delete.
- Tap on the Delete button to delete all the files you’ve chosen.
Method 3: Upgrade to a larger SSD or HDD.
If you don’t want to delete anything on your device, you may use extended storage for PS4. Then you shall not worry about the lack of storage.
Fix 6: Rebuild the Database
If you still can’t work out “PS4 game won’t download”, you should try this. Rebuild the database is effective and it’s proven by many players. Rebuilding the database will recreate the list of all games and apps installed on your system. Theoretically, this step can also boost the loading speed of your device. More importantly, unlike the Initialize option, rebuilding the database will not delete any user data or games. Here is the tutorial:
- Turn off your PS4, but don’t unplug it from the wall.
- Press and hold the console’s Power button for several seconds until you hear two beeps.
- When you hear the second beep, release the button. Your console will boot into Safe Mode.
- Connect your DualShock 4 controller to the console via a micro-USB cable.
- Press the PS button on the controller.
- Use the D-pad to scroll down to the Rebuild Database option. Select it to begin the process.
Bottom Line
PS4 won’t download games is a really annoying trouble, especially when you want to relax after a whole work or study. So we hope you have solved your problem through this article.