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Download troubleshootingPATCH 2026.10.18

How to Fix a PS5 Game Update That Is Stuck or Won’t Download

By VGSources Team 12 min read

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If one PS5 game update is stuck, work from the least disruptive cause to the most disruptive: check PlayStation service status, test the console’s connection, restart the download, verify storage and system software, then use Safe Mode or reinstall the game only if necessary. Do not use the PS5 system-software recovery procedure for an ordinary game patch; it follows a different path and can erase the console.

The symptom matters. A download that never starts calls for queue and connection checks, while an update that downloads but will not install may require a restart, Safe Mode maintenance, or a clean game installation. Follow the sequence below so you do not delete a working installation or reset the entire console unnecessarily.

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First, identify what is actually stuck

The item in Downloads/Uploads determines which troubleshooting path applies. A game patch, a full game download, and the PS5’s own system-software update are not interchangeable.

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What you see Use this article’s game-update steps? Correct next move
A named game shows an update or download that is paused, queued, or not progressing Yes Check service status, test the connection, restart the queue item, and continue through the game-specific steps below.
The entry is the PS5 system software update No Use the separate system-software procedure described later in this article.
An error code appears Partly Use the PlayStation Support entry for that exact code in addition to the general sequence. Codes can represent different failures.

A download problem and an installation problem can look similar in the queue. If the item is waiting, paused, or stuck at the beginning, start with service, network, and queue controls. If the transfer completes but installation repeatedly fails, the restart, Safe Mode, error-code, and reinstall sections are more relevant.

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Menu wording and firmware behavior can change. The steps below reflect PlayStation’s support guidance available on October 13, 2026; check the linked instructions in PlayStation Support if your labels differ.

1. Check PlayStation service status before changing anything

Open PlayStation’s official service-status page and look for alerts affecting downloads, games, or account services. A service interruption can leave a download appearing frozen even though the console is functioning normally.

If an alert is active, wait for the service to recover before repeatedly cancelling downloads, rebuilding the database, or changing network settings. Those local changes cannot repair an outage and may create extra work when the service returns. Check the status page again after the alert clears, then resume the existing item before taking more disruptive action.

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If there is no reported incident, continue with the connection test. A clean status page does not prove that your home network is working, but it makes a local connection or console-side cause more likely.

2. Test the PS5 internet connection

  1. From the PS5 home screen, open Settings.
  2. Choose Network.
  3. Open Connection Status.
  4. Select Test Internet Connection.

If the test reports a connection problem, fix that branch before retrying the patch. Check that the console is connected to the intended Wi‑Fi network, restart the network equipment if appropriate, and remove avoidable wireless interference. PlayStation’s system-software troubleshooting also recommends trying a wired connection where possible. An Ethernet connection is a diagnostic option, not a guaranteed cure for a game-patch problem or a PlayStation service outage; a Cat 6 Ethernet cable is one practical way to test it.

If the test succeeds but only one game remains stuck, the problem is more likely to be the download queue, available storage, or that game’s installation than a total loss of internet access. If several downloads fail together, tell support that pattern rather than assuming every game is damaged.

3. Restart the stuck download

Pause and resume a download that will not start

  1. Open the control centre by pressing the PS button.
  2. Select Downloads/Uploads.
  3. Highlight the affected game update or download.
  4. Choose Pause, wait briefly, and then choose Resume.

Pause and Resume is the least disruptive queue reset. It does not remove the game or its existing data. Use it once before cancelling anything, particularly when the item is queued but has not begun transferring.

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Cancel and delete a download that remains stalled

  1. Open Downloads/Uploads from the control centre.
  2. Select the affected item.
  3. Choose Cancel and Delete when the option is offered.
  4. Open Game Library, find the game, and start the update or download again.

This removes the queued transfer, not the entire installed game. If the update is already being installed rather than downloaded, proceed to the restart and Safe Mode sections instead of repeatedly deleting the queue entry. Repeating Cancel and Delete without checking service status, storage, or the connection usually just recreates the same failed queue.

4. Confirm storage space and PS5 system software

Check available storage

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Choose Storage.
  3. Review the available space on the console storage.

Compare the free space with the game’s requirement shown in its product details. A patch can need more working space than the size of the final changed files, so a nearly full drive can prevent an update from beginning or installing. If space is insufficient, remove or move content you can restore later, then retry from the game’s library page.

Check storage before deleting the game. A reinstall needs room for the base game and its update, so removing an installation while the drive is still full will not solve the underlying problem. Make the smallest change needed to create adequate space, then return to Game Library and start the update again.

Install pending PS5 system-software updates

PlayStation advises keeping the console system software current when troubleshooting game and application updates. Apply any pending console update through the normal PS5 system-software path, restart if prompted, and then retry the game update. This does not mean using the USB recovery procedure intended for repeated system-software download failures.

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Keep the two update types separate in your notes: the game update belongs to the title in your library, while the console update changes the PS5 itself. Choosing the wrong procedure can turn a limited download problem into a much larger recovery task.

5. Restart the PS5 and try once more

Use the PS5 power menu to restart the console, allow it to return fully to the home screen, and open the game’s update again. A restart clears a transient queue or application state without deleting the game. If the console is unresponsive, use the normal power controls rather than interrupting power repeatedly; reserve Safe Mode for problems that remain after an ordinary restart.

After restarting, check Downloads/Uploads again rather than assuming the update resumed. If it is paused, select Resume. If it has disappeared, open the game in Game Library and start the update there.

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6. Use Safe Mode when ordinary retries fail

PlayStation lists Clear Cache and Rebuild Database as later troubleshooting options for download or update problems. Safe Mode starts the PS5 with maintenance tools instead of the normal home interface.

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Enter Safe Mode

  1. Turn the PS5 off completely; do not leave it in Rest Mode.
  2. Press and hold the console’s power button. Release it after the second beep.
  3. Connect the controller with a USB cable and press the PS button.

Choose the cache/database maintenance option shown in Safe Mode. The exact menu label can vary by system software, so read the on-screen warning before confirming. Do not select a reset or system-software reinstallation option as a routine response to one game’s failed patch.

What Rebuild Database does

Rebuild Database scans the console drive and creates a new database of the console’s content. It is intended to correct database-related access or download problems; it is not the same as reinstalling the PS5 system software. Do not turn the console off while the operation is running. After the PS5 restarts, retry the game update from Game Library.

Use the less disruptive cache/database maintenance option before considering deletion and reinstallation. Safe Mode does not make a PlayStation service outage or a failed internet connection disappear, so revisit those checks if the update still cannot start. If the maintenance operation completes but the same title fails again, record any displayed code before moving on.

7. Delete and reinstall the affected game

Reinstalling one game is a more disruptive step because the game’s local installation is removed and must be downloaded again, or copied from the game disc. It is appropriate when the update repeatedly fails after service, connection, queue, storage, restart, and Safe Mode checks.

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  1. Highlight the affected game on the home screen or in Game Library.
  2. Open the options menu and choose the delete option.
  3. Confirm removal of the game installation.
  4. Reinstall it from Game Library or from the game disc.
  5. Allow the base installation and its update to complete before launching the game.

Deleting the game is not the same as deleting saved data. Check the on-screen choices carefully so you remove the game application rather than save files you intend to keep. Reinstallation also requires enough storage and a working connection, so resolve those constraints first.

If the title is on disc, keep the disc available for the reinstall. If it is digital, use the same Game Library entry from which you normally download it. In either case, let the base installation and update finish before judging whether the fix worked.

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8. Follow the exact error-code instructions

An error code narrows the diagnosis. PlayStation describes CE-120706-6 as “An error has occurred that stopped the game update from installing on your PlayStation®5 console.” Its listed remedies are to restore licenses, restart the PS5, rebuild the database in Safe Mode, and delete and reinstall the game if necessary.

For CE-120706-6, use this order:

  1. Restore licenses from the PS5 account settings.
  2. Restart the console.
  3. Use Safe Mode to rebuild the database.
  4. Delete and reinstall the affected game if the error continues.

CE-107928-7 is listed as an error that stopped a game from downloading, not necessarily the same failure as an update-installation error. Search PlayStation Support for the code displayed on your console and follow that entry’s instructions rather than treating every CE code as interchangeable.

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Write down the full code and the point at which it appears: while downloading, while installing, or after a restart. That distinction helps you choose the relevant support entry and gives Support a clearer description than “the update is stuck.”

Do not confuse a game patch with a PS5 system-software update

If Downloads/Uploads shows a PS5 system-software update, select it, open View Error Info, and choose Try Again. After multiple failed downloads, PlayStation provides an official USB update method. That method requires a USB drive formatted as FAT32 or exFAT and an update file placed in the exact folder structure and with the exact filename prescribed by PlayStation. Use PlayStation’s current system-software instructions for those names and folders; do not substitute a game’s update file.

The system-software recovery option Reset PS5 (Reinstall System Software) is not a routine fix for a stuck game patch. PlayStation warns that reinstalling system software deletes all data on the console. That is fundamentally different from deleting and reinstalling one game, and it should not be selected merely because a game update will not download.

Choose the next step by symptom

Symptom Most useful next step Why
PlayStation status shows an alert Wait and check the status page again A local reset cannot repair a service interruption.
Connection test fails Repair the network; try wired Ethernet if available The console must maintain a usable connection to fetch the update.
Download is queued or frozen at the start Pause, then Resume This resets the queue without removing the game.
Pause/Resume does nothing Cancel and Delete the queue item, then retry from Game Library It removes a stalled transfer while leaving the installed game in place.
There is little free storage Free space under Settings > Storage, then retry The console needs room to download and install the update.
The update fails after a restart Safe Mode: Clear Cache and Rebuild Database This addresses possible cache or database state problems.
The same game still will not update Delete and reinstall that game The local installation may be damaged, but this requires a new installation.
A CE error code is displayed Open the PlayStation Support page for that exact code Different codes describe different failure stages and remedies.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

When to stop troubleshooting and contact support

Contact PlayStation Support when the service is operational, the connection test succeeds, storage is adequate, the queue has been restarted, the console has been restarted, Safe Mode maintenance has been tried, and the game still cannot update or reinstall. Include the exact game title, whether it is a disc or digital installation, the visible error code, and which steps you completed. That information helps support distinguish a download failure from an installation or account-license problem.

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If several games fail in the same way, report that pattern rather than treating each title as an isolated damaged installation. If only one game fails while other downloads work, tell support that as well; it points toward the particular game installation or its update package.

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A safe order for the entire fix

  1. Check PlayStation service status.
  2. Run Settings > Network > Connection Status > Test Internet Connection.
  3. In Downloads/Uploads, Pause and Resume the item.
  4. If needed, Cancel and Delete it, then retry from Game Library.
  5. Check the game’s required space and free storage under Settings > Storage.
  6. Install pending PS5 system software through the normal update path.
  7. Restart the PS5 and retry.
  8. Use Safe Mode’s cache/database maintenance option.
  9. Delete and reinstall the affected game.
  10. Apply the exact PlayStation error-code guidance or contact PlayStation Support.

This order keeps reversible checks first and reserves data-affecting actions for cases where the simpler causes have been ruled out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will Cancel and Delete remove the whole game?

No. In the Downloads/Uploads troubleshooting step, Cancel and Delete removes the queued transfer. Find the title in Game Library and start the update or download again. Deleting the installed game is a separate options-menu action and is deliberately later in the sequence.

How much free storage does a PS5 update need?

Use the game’s product details for its stated requirement and compare it with the available space under Settings > Storage. PlayStation does not publish a universal working-space number for every patch, so do not rely on a fixed amount. A nearly full drive can prevent downloading or installing, and a reinstall needs room for the base game as well as its update.

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Should I use the USB update method for a stuck game patch?

No. The USB procedure is for repeated failures to download PS5 system software. It requires FAT32 or exFAT media and the exact folders and filename specified by PlayStation. A game patch belongs to the game’s own download path; substituting files or using Reset PS5 (Reinstall System Software) is inappropriate and the reset deletes console data.

Does Rebuild Database reinstall my PS5?

No. PlayStation describes Rebuild Database as scanning the drive and creating a new database of console content. It is a Safe Mode maintenance step and is distinct from reinstalling PS5 system software. Read the warning for the option you select and never power off while the operation is running.

What should I do for CE-120706-6?

PlayStation identifies CE-120706-6 as an error that stopped a game update from installing. Its listed order is restore licenses, restart the PS5, rebuild the database in Safe Mode, then delete and reinstall the game if necessary. Follow the dedicated PlayStation Support entry if its instructions change.

Is a wired Ethernet connection required?

No. PlayStation recommends trying a wired connection where possible in its system-software troubleshooting. For a game patch, Ethernet is an optional diagnostic aid when Wi‑Fi is suspect, not a guaranteed fix for a service outage, low storage, or a damaged installation.

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What if the update still fails after reinstalling the game?

Confirm that PlayStation services are operational and that the connection test succeeds, then contact PlayStation Support. Provide the title, disc or digital status, exact error code, and the steps already completed. Also tell Support whether other games download normally or fail in the same way.

The Bottom Line

For a stuck PS5 game update, check service status and the connection first, then Pause/Resume and, if necessary, Cancel and Delete the queue item. Confirm storage, keep PS5 system software current, restart, and use Safe Mode maintenance before reinstalling one game. Treat console system-software recovery as a separate procedure: Reset PS5 (Reinstall System Software) deletes console data and is not a game-patch fix.

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