PS5 error CE-109573-5 means the console encountered a problem while starting a game. Sony’s recommended order is to restart the PS5, delete and reinstall the affected game, rebuild the database in Safe Mode, and update system software; contact PlayStation Support if the error remains. Don’t choose Reset PS5 as an early fix—it can erase data.
What CE-109573-5 means
Sony describes CE-109573-5 as “An error occurred when starting the game” on PS5. The code identifies a launch failure, but Sony does not name one confirmed cause. It does not by itself prove that the console is damaged, the game license is invalid, or the game is defective. Sony’s code-specific guidance refers to games, not every PS5 app.
Follow the steps below in order, testing the game after each major fix. Sony’s CE-109573-5 support page gives the restart, reinstall, database-rebuild, and system-update sequence.
1. Restart the PS5
- Press the controller’s PS button to open the Control Center.
- Select Power > Restart PS5.
- After the console restarts, try launching the affected game again.
If the console is frozen, hold its physical power button until it shuts down. Avoid unplugging it while the power indicator is lit or flashing unless you cannot shut it down normally; interrupting a write can cause additional data problems.
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2. Delete and reinstall the affected game
Sony’s code-specific instructions recommend deleting and reinstalling the game. Deleting the installed game application is separate from deleting saved data; do not remove saves as a routine troubleshooting step.
- Open Game Library from the PS5 home screen.
- Highlight the affected game and press the controller’s Options button.
- Select Delete.
- Reinstall the game: download a digital copy from Your Collection or the PlayStation Store, or install a disc-based copy from the correct game disc.
- Let the base game finish installing, then apply available game updates and test the launch before restoring optional add-ons.
- For a digital game, use the account that owns or has access to the title and connect to the internet for the download.
- For a disc game, keep the correct disc inserted when launching it. If other disc games also fail, check whether the console can read those discs rather than assuming this code is a disc-read error.
- Check available space at Settings > Storage before reinstalling. The amount needed depends on the game and its updates; Sony does not specify a universal threshold for this error.
If only one game fails while other games start, an incomplete or damaged installation is one possible explanation, but Sony does not confirm it as the cause of CE-109573-5. Reinstallation takes time and may use substantial bandwidth and storage.
3. Rebuild the database in Safe Mode
If reinstalling does not help, Sony recommends Clear Cache and Rebuild Database > Rebuild Database. Rebuild Database scans the drive and creates a new database of system content. It is not the same as resetting the console.
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Start the PS5 in Safe Mode
- Turn the PS5 off by holding its power button for about three seconds.
- When it is off, press and hold the power button again. Release it after the second beep, which sounds about seven seconds after the first.
- Connect the controller directly to the console with a USB cable, then press the controller’s PS button.
These are Sony’s Safe Mode instructions. If the controller does not connect, try a USB cable that supports data transfer, not just charging.
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- Select Clear Cache and Rebuild Database.
- Select Rebuild Database.
- Wait for the process to finish and the console to restart, then test the game.
Do not select Reset PS5 or Reset PS5 (Reinstall System Software) as part of this routine. Sony identifies reset and system-software reinstallation as destructive options; reinstalling system software deletes all user data. Repair Console Storage is a separate Safe Mode option that does not erase data and may be relevant if the console has startup or storage problems, but it is not part of Sony’s CE-109573-5 sequence.
4. Update PS5 system software
If the error continues, Sony recommends checking for a system software update. For a normal update, open Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings, then choose Update System Software if an update is available.
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If an update download fails, press the PS button, open Downloads/Uploads, highlight the system software update, select View Error Info, then choose Try Again.
Use a USB update if downloads keep failing
Sony’s system software instructions provide a USB method. The update file process needs approximately 1.1 GB of free space on the USB drive.
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- Create a folder named
PS5, then a folder namedUPDATEinside it. - Download the update file from Sony and save it in the UPDATE folder as
PS5UPDATE.PUP. Keep the specified uppercase spelling. - Insert the drive into the PS5 and start Safe Mode using the steps above.
- Select Update System Software > Update from USB Storage Device > OK.
Use only Sony’s official update file and instructions. Do not interrupt an update in progress; Sony warns that unofficial update data or methods can make the console malfunction and may affect warranty or repair eligibility.
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If CE-109573-5 still appears
Only one game fails
Focus on that title: complete the reinstall and system-update steps, then check the game publisher’s official status or update information if the game recently received a patch or depends on online services. The code alone cannot tell whether the issue is local to the console or on the game’s side.
Several games fail, or the PS5 freezes in menus
Repeated failures across games or problems using the console itself point away from a single game installation and toward broader system or storage troubleshooting. Make sure system software is current and note whether the issue followed a power loss, interrupted update, or storage change. Those events can guide troubleshooting but do not establish the cause of this code.
Sony lists other codes for issues involving application loading, updates, storage, and licenses. CE-109573-5 should not be treated as interchangeable with them; see the PS5 error-code directory if the console displays a different code.
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Disc games fail but digital games work
Check whether other discs are readable and inspect the affected disc for dirt or damage. The launch code itself does not establish that the disc reader is the cause.
Digital games fail
Confirm that you are signed in to the account with access to the game and that it appears in your library. Sony’s CE-109573-5 fix sequence does not identify license restoration as a code-specific remedy.
Safe Mode will not open
Turn the PS5 off and try the Safe Mode startup sequence again. Check the power and USB connections, and connect the controller directly with a data-capable cable. Sony advises users who still cannot start Safe Mode to use its Safe Mode troubleshooting guidance.
When to contact PlayStation Support
Contact PlayStation Support if the error persists after reinstalling the game, rebuilding the database, and checking system software—or sooner if Safe Mode will not start, the console repeatedly shuts down, it has startup or storage warnings, or several games fail. Sony’s PlayStation Repairs page provides repair diagnostics and next steps.
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Have the error code, affected game and edition, disc or digital format, whether other games launch, recent power or update problems, any storage changes, and the troubleshooting steps you have completed ready for support.
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