Skip to main content

How to delete games on a PS4

If you enjoy variety when it comes to your PlayStation 4 games, then you’ve probably already encountered a storage issue. Since some games can take up as much as 100GB each, your system might not allow you to keep more than a few installed at a time. Here's how to manage storage space by removing games that you have completed or abandoned to make room for new ones.

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

10 minutes

What You Need

  • PS4

How to delete games in your PS4 library

Deleting a game from your console isn’t too difficult, and as long as you follow these steps, you’ll be on your way to freeing up PS4 storage space.

Step 1: Navigate to the icon for the game you wish to delete, either in the quick start main menu or in your library, which is found all the way to the right side of the media bar on the PS4 home screen.

how to delete games on ps4 20180108132847
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: While highlighting a game's icon, press the Options button on your controller to bring up this menu.

how to delete games on ps4 20180108125952 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: Scroll down to Delete, and confirm your selection by pressing OK.

how to delete games on ps4 20180108125959 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Deleting a game from system storage

If want to clear out lots of space, you may want to delete games from the system storage menu itself. The storage menu lists games in size order, making it easier to identify which games are taking up the most space.

Step 1: Navigate to Settings on the home screen.

how to delete games on ps4 20180108130014 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: Select Storage.

how to delete games on ps4 20180108130022 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: Select System Storage, or Extended Storage, if you have an external hard drive attached to your PS4.

how to delete games on ps4 20180108130030 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4: Select Applications.

how to delete games on ps4 20180108130035 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 5: Press options on your controller, then choose Delete.

how to delete games on ps4 20180108134313
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 6: You can select as many games as you want to delete at this time.

how to delete games on ps4 20180108131014
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 7: With the desired boxes checked, choose Delete.

how to delete games on ps4 20180108131046 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 8: Confirm your selections by pressing OK.

how to delete games on ps4 20180108131051 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Reinstalling digital games

Reinstalling games you bought digitally is also quite simple.

Step 1: Select Library and pan down until you find Purchased on the home screen. If you’d like to search for specific PlayStation Plus games, you can click on the yellow plus sign under the Purchased icon.

how to delete games on ps4 20180108131258 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: After that, you’ll likely spot that games that aren’t already downloaded on your console will feature a small download icon. (That icon is usually on the bottom right of the little game display.)

how to delete games on ps4 20180108131358 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: You can tap on any of the download icons on these games, and that game will begin to reinstall on your console.

how to delete games on ps4 20180108131408 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Deleting and reinstalling disc-based games

If you’re playing using a disc-based game, you can manually remove the data.

Step 1: In order to do this, just search for the game in your library, click on it, and then scroll down until you see the Delete icon on the right side.

Step 2: Click on it and delete the game.

Step 3: You must always remove the game disc before deleting it from your console.

Step 4: If you’re ever ready to play that game again, all you have to do is reinsert the disc and reinstall it to your console.

how to delete games on ps4 20180108131744 1
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Editors' Recommendations

Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
Best video game deals: PlayStation 5, Xbox S and X, Nintendo Switch

If you've recently bought yourself a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X or  Nintendo Switch, then you might want to fill out your library with a bunch of great games. While there is a huge catalog to pick from, we've gone out and found our favorite game deals, with many of the games below showing up on our list of best PS5 games, best Xbox Series X games, or best Nintendo Switch games. So, whether you just got one of these consoles, or exhausted your already existing library, be sure to check out all the deals below.

Best PS5 game deals
Deathloop -- $26, was $60

Read more
PlayStation 6: release date speculation, price, specs, and more
sony reveals customizable ps5 dualsense edge controller front and back

In a recent quote, Sony Senior Vice President Naomi Matsuoka said: "Looking ahead, PS5 will enter the latter stage of its life cycle." Many in the industry took that to mean that we may be hearing about the next PlayStation console sooner rather than later.

Considering Sony has yet to break its naming convention, it feels safe to assume whatever future home console we get will be called the PlayStation 6. But not only has the name not been officially confirmed, but neither has the idea of a next-generation PlayStation console or even a PS5 Pro. It's almost a guarantee, but technically nothing is set in stone. Rumors and potential leaks have already started stirring up excitement, so let's see what the future of PlayStation may look like according to the rumors.
Release date speculation

Read more
All Fallout games, ranked
The courier in his nuclear gear and holding his gun in Fallout: New Vegas key art.

Who would've thought the post-apocalypse could be such a fun time? The Fallout franchise has taken the idea of a Mad Max-like future and not only made it into a wildly popular game franchise but also a hit TV series. The core franchise has been around since the late '90s, and yet we've had only a handful of mainline entries in the series since it was revived by Bethesda with Fallout 3. With Starfield in the rearview mirror and the next Elder Scrolls title currently being the dev team's focus, it could be close to another decade before we can set foot in the wasteland ourselves once again. What better time, then, to look back at the franchise and rank all the games from best to worst?

Fallout: New Vegas

Read more