How to Fix PS5 Not Reading Discs Issues (6 Simple Steps)

The PlayStation 5 console is the latest entry in the extremely successful line of Sony’s gaming brand. Even though it has only been out for a small period of time, it keeps getting sold out and is being scalped for the price of $1500 dollars on a daily basis.

So, when a console is this successful – it’s obvious that a lot of people are going to be playing on it in millions of different units.

Millions of different units mean millions of potential problems, and one of the issues persistently plaguing game consoles is with the disk reading capabilities. Like the consoles before it – PlayStation 5 has a ‘not reading discs’ issue too and there are multiple ways to fix them as usual.

We’ve created a coherent guide for every known way to fix the PlayStation 5 disc read problems – so let’s get started with what you need to do right now!

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Step 1

We’re going to troubleshoot this issue step by step, so that if the simpler fix works for you – you won’t have to try the more complicated things. But if any of the steps don’t work for you, simply move onto the next one.

The very first thing you need to do is to figure out where the problem lies. Is it the disc? Or is it your console? Once we know that, fixing the issue becomes easier.

So, what you do here is to insert another game into the console. Any Blu-ray disc that is a movie or a PS5 video game would do, but make sure that it is authentic because it does not support pirated discs. If the other disc works, it means that the issue is with the game’s disc itself. And if it does not work, then that confirms that the issue is with the console’s disc reader instead.

Do keep in mind, if you have multiple discs try running all of them. Some weak lenses can read a few discs but not many, and if your console cannot read more than one disc, it might still be an issue with the disc reader.

So, let’s get into steps for both of these potential problems.

Step 2

This might sound redundant – but seriously. Since PlayStation 5 games are very new at the moment, returning them shouldn’t be a big deal. So, if the issue turns out to be with the disc and not the console, you might want to consider taking the disc back to the seller and asking for a replacement.

However, if you wish to attempt a fix by yourself – here’s what you do.

1. Clean the disc with a soft cloth to remove any potential dirt, print, or temporary scratches. Usually, a tissue does the job, but make sure that it is not rough. Try to run the disc after this and see if it works. You should make sure that it’s not too scratched though – because it weakens the lens to read damaged discs.
2. If it works now, great. But if it does not – there’s still one more thing that you can do. We don’t recommend doing it, but it’s a well-known fix that many people have tried over time.

Clean the disc but with something slightly wet, preferably something that can be used to clean discs instead of just water. The preferred liquid would be a chamois or foam cleaning solution. If this still doesn’t work, don’t try anything else on the disc and just put it away.

Step 3

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You might have inserted the disc wrong. Don’t worry, we don’t judge!

When the console is standing vertically, the top label of the disc should be facing the left side, while the data side of the disc should be on the right. Insert the disc with this with attention and see if it works.

If your console is laid-down, then simply follow the same rule and make sure that the top label of the disc is facing the ‘eject’ button, not the other way around.

Step 4

If it turns out that the disc isn’t the issue and that your console is, this is where you come.

1. I know this is ridiculous to suggest. But maybe there is already a disc inside. Press the eject button and make sure it’s empty. If it isn’t, well, that’s your solution. If it is, then onto the next steps.
2. This is a straightforward thing, but it is something that often can help. Simply reboot your console and try to run the game right afterward. It honestly works sometimes.

Step 5

Clean your PlayStation 5’s disc drive. This is a bit of a risky thing to do, so please consider sending the console into the warranty that you have or take it to a trusted shop that repairs consoles without possibly damaging them.

But if you know what you’re doing, then this is something you can do.

The safe ways of doing this are to use compressed air or a blower. You have to make sure that the pressure is not intense and completely ‘dry’ so that there is no potential damage to the thing. Since the PlayStation 5 is a very new console, we don’t recommend unscrewing anything while doing this.

Do it from the outer side since the tray is open anyway, and then try to insert the disc that wasn’t working and see if it works now or not.

Step 6

If nothing worked so far on the disc and hardware – then the only thing you can do now is trying out something on the software side of things. Try reinstalling the latest firmware for the console and preferably, formatting everything in the time being.

That might fix the issue, but it’s a very time-consuming task that should only be done if you know what you’re doing. And of course, if the issue is on the disc reader – you would have just wasted your time. So, take some time to decide if you really want to try this out.

If nothing worked for you and you’re sure that you tried every step successfully, then simply send your PlayStation 5 into the warranty and contact Sony’s customer support. They will fix the problem or offer a replacement. And if the issue is with the disc, return it to the store and get a replacement, refund, or exchange. Both the hardware and its games are very recent at the moment, so you won’t have any issues in that regard. Good luck!

That wraps up every known step at the moment for fixing the PlayStation 5 disc not reading issue! We hope that one of them worked for you and if you have any questions, feel free to let us know. And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out some of our other articles too!