I can’t stop playing my PS5. It’s already making a strong claim to be my favorite console of all time. I’ve discussed my love for the system in the past, and I’ve even argued that it’s actually an underrated gaming console earlier this year.
Nevertheless, there’s one feature of the PS5 that I barely use to this day: Rest mode. This isn’t because I don’t think being able to suspended games or download updates in the background is useful; I rarely use rest mode because for a number of users, myself included, the feature has caused hardware issues.
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You don’t have to search far to find PS5 owners complaining about issues with rest mode. There are YouTube videos warning you to never put your console into a suspended state, Reddit threads with hundreds of comments trying to get to the bottom of why the feature causes issues with some consoles, and even reports from major media outlets outlining the teething problems.
Of course, for every person who claims rest mode has caused their console to crash or save data to corrupt, there’s someone who retorts “I’ve put my PS5 in rest mode every night since I got it at launch without issue." So, it seems to be at worst a problem that only affects a certain portion of consoles, which is somewhat comforting...I guess.
Trying to figure out what the exact problems are and what causes them is pretty tricky; internet whispers seem to suggest a whole range of faults and every user’s experience is different. But having done some research, and drawing from my own personal experience, here’s what’s wrong with PS5 Rest Mode.
What are the problems with Rest Mode on PS5?
If you search internet forums you’ll quickly find players reporting all sorts of issues with PS5 rest mode. These problems range from their DualSense inputs not being recognized after waking the console from a stint in a suspended state to more significant technical fails like hardware crashes that require the system to be rebuilt in Safe Mode.
I’ve personally had two bruising encounters with PS5 rest mode that have spooked me from using the feature. The first one was a couple of weeks after launch when I attempted to plug in a USB storage drive and download a game onto it. My console crashed the second I tried to wake it up from Rest Mode to check the game's download status.
This experience (along with the similar testimonials online) put me off using the function for a good while. However, last month when playing PS5 exclusive Returnal for review I was forced to use Rest Mode due to Returnal's lack of a traditional save function.
For the vast majority of my playthrough, I was able to suspend the game and pick up where I left off without a problem, but during one session I awoke the console from Rest Mode, and around a minute later my game froze.
Are the two connected? Maybe not, but due to the wave of users also complaining about similar issues, this experience once again has me hesitating to ever put my console into a suspended state.
What is causing these PS5 Rest Mode problems?
This is the big question, and it’s probably one that only Sony could definitively answer. Online theories abound about what exactly has caused multiple PS5 owners to experience issues with Rest Mode.
During the first few weeks of launch, many thought the issue was tied to certain games. Spider-Man: Miles Morales in particular seemed to cause a not-insignificant amount of gamers to experience crashes whenever trying to put the game into a suspended state.
Another theory was that it had something to do with having an extended USB drive plugged into your console, as some users reported Rest Mode issues after beefing up their PS5 storage capabilities. This is an area I have some personal experience in, as noted above.
Will Sony ever address PS5 Rest Mode problems?
Perhaps most frustratingly, Sony has never officially commented on these reported Rest Mode issues. Though some outlets have claimed they are now fixed, anecdotal evidence would suggest otherwise. Tom's Guide has contacted Sony about potential Rest Mode issues, and will update this story when we receive a response.
While it’s likely the issues are only affecting a small minority of PS5 systems, it would be great for Sony to clarify the situation. There have been several system updates since launch and none of the patch notes have made any reference to addressing Rest Mode problems, which is disappointing.
Of course, for the vast majority of PS5 owners, it would seem that Rest Mode is a useful feature that works as intended, it’s just a shame that for the few of us still cautious about using the function, the situation remains very murky.
Nevertheless, I still strongly recommend a PS5 to anyone in the market for a new gaming console. Of course, buying one right now is easier said than done, so make sure to bookmark our PS5 restock hub for the latest stock information as we get it.
