How to Delete Games on PS4

Permanently remove old games and downloads to regain valuable storage space

What to Know

  • On the PS4 home screen, go to the menu options and choose Settings > Storage.
  • Select a drive to manage if there is more than one. Choose Applications.
  • In the list of games and apps, press the Options button and select Delete. Press X next to items to delete and then press Delete again.

This article explains how to delete games on PS4. It includes information on steps to take when deleting games doesn't sufficiently increase the available space on the hard drive.

How to Delete PS4 Digital Games and Delete Downloads

Your PlayStation 4 came with a hard drive that seems big enough to last you forever, but thanks to initial downloads, saved data, and captured photos and video, it probably won't be long before you realize you need to free up some space. Here's how to delete games on PS4.

  1. From the PS4 home screen, navigate up to the menu options and go right to select Settings.

    The PS4 home screen with the Settings option highlighted
  2. Select Storage.

    The Storage setting on PlayStation 4.
  3. A screen will appear with a list of all the hard drives connected to your PS4 and how full they are. Press X to select the drive you want to manage.

    The System Storage on PlayStation 4.

    If you haven't attached an external hard drive to your PS4, the built-in storage will be the only option on this list.

  4. Select Applications.

    The Applications menu in PS4 System Storage.
  5. A list of the games and applications saved on your PlayStation 4 will appear. Press the Options button, then select Delete to choose items to remove.

    The Delete option in PS4 storage.

    By default, these are sorted with the largest files at the top, and the size of each file is listed on the right side of the screen.

  6. Selection boxes will appear to the left of each file. Press X to select the item(s) you want to delete.

    Select which files you want to delete from the PS4.
  7. Once you've made all of your selections, select Delete on the right.

    Choose Delete to clear selected files from your PS4.
  8. On the next screen, select OK to confirm your selection.

    Confirm your selections on the next screen.

    Deleting items from the Applications field will only remove the installation data. It will not clear your save information. This means you can download or install a game again without losing any of your progress.

  9. Press Circle to return to the Storage menu and see if you have enough free space now. If you don't, and you couldn't find any more applications to delete, you can still find some free space elsewhere.

  10. Select Saved Data. The next screen shows your games arranged by when you last played them, with the most recent on top. The size of each file appears under the name of the game.

    Saved data in PS4 system storage.

    Saved data includes your game profiles and progress. You can free up a lot of space by deleting this data for games you've completed and won't play again.

  11. Press Options to open a menu, then press X to choose Select Multiple Applications.

    Select multiple applications in Saved Data in System Storage.
  12. Select the files you want to delete by highlighting them, then press X.

    Selecting files to delete from Saved Data on PS4.
  13. Once you've made your selections, select Delete > OK to confirm your choices.

    Deleting saved data from a PS4.
  14. Press Circle to return to the Storage menu and check once again if you've freed up the space you need.

  15. If you still need more space, select Capture Gallery.

    Select Capture Gallery in System Storage.

    Capture data includes screenshots and stored videos you've saved while playing a game. The first item on the next screen is a folder called "All," which contains all of the media on your system. You can also choose games individually.

  16. Press X to select the All folder.

    The Capture Gallery on PS4.

    In these instructions, we'll delete all of the capture information, but the instructions to do them per game are going to be similar.

  17. You'll see every screenshot and video clip on your system listed on the next screen. To look at each type, select either Screenshots or Video Clips on the left side. Each file displays the creation date file size, length (for video clips), and the user who created the file.

    The Capture Gallery on PlayStation 4.
  18. Move right to select one of the files in the folder and press the Options button to pull up a menu.

    Deleting capture gallery on PS4.
  19. Select Delete.

    How to delete capture data on PS4.
  20. Selection boxes will appear next to each item. From here, you can choose individual files to clear out, or choose Select All if you don't want to save anything.

    Deleting capture info on PS4.
  21. Select Delete.

    Select all items and delete.
  22. Select OK on the next screen to confirm.

    Confirm decision to delete on PS4.
  23. Press Circle to see if you've cleared enough space. If not, it might be time for you to upgrade your PlayStation 4 storage.

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