The PS4 is one of the most popular consoles of all time selling millions of units across the world. Despite the launch of the next generation PS5, the console remains popular between both users and developers.
That said, the PS4 is far from perfect and keeps running into random issues from time to time. In this article, we’re talking about how to fix the unrecognised disc error in PS4, its causes and what you can do to fix the problem.
What causes this error?
The error can be caused by issues in the disk itself or in the disc reader inside the PS4. Common causes include:
- Dust or debris on the disk or inside the disk reader.
- Scratches or physical damage to the disk.
- The disc has been burned using unofficial methods.
Also read: Why is the PS4 controller’s red light on? 5 Fixes
How to fix this error?
Here are seven fixes you can try out.
Clean the disk
The first thing you should do is try and clean the disc you’re trying to read. Dust, debris and scratches on discs are common reasons why discs don’t work as expected. Try cleaning the disc and the PS4 should be able to read it just fine.
Try another disk
To ensure that the disk reader inside the PS4 is working fine, try inserting another disk — game, Blu-Ray or DVD to see if the PS4 can read that. If it does, the disc reader is fine and the disk you were initially trying to read is at fault.
Use the console in a vertical position
Several users have reported that using the PS4 in a vertical position has fixed the “unrecognised disc” error. Simply turn the console to a vertical position and reinsert the disc to see if that helps fix the error.
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Convert the Blu-Ray or DVD discs
There’s a good chance that the disc you’re trying to play isn’t in a supported file format for the PS4. Try burning the Blu-Ray or DVD disc to a supported file format for the PS4. MP4 is a good place to start as it’s a widely supported format across multiple devices and can also be played on the PS4.
Rebuild your console’s database
The PS4’s Safe Mode has a bunch of handy options that can help resolve several issues with the console. One such option is the Rebuild Database, option five in the Safe Mode menu.
This restructures your drive so that your console can read it just like new again. This option can help you get around a bunch of other storage-related issues as well and potentially fix the error.
Read our in-depth guide to know how to enter (or exit) the PS4 Safe Mode.
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Initialise PS4
Another proven way of resolving numerous issues on the PS4 is to initialise, or factory reset your console. Doing so reinstalls the last software version you had on your console and can get it running pretty much hassle-free.
Do keep in mind that you’ll have to use PS4’s Safe Mode for this. All you need to do is boot into the console’s Safe Mode and select the Initialise PS4 option.
Read our in-depth guide to know how to enter (or exit) the PS4 Safe Mode.
Update your console
Another popular reason this issue occurs is that your PS4 turned off during an update causing system files to be corrupted. You can resolve this by trying to update the console to the latest software version possible.
There are two ways you can do this.
- Update using the internet.
- Update using local installation media (USB/CD)
We strongly recommend trying to update using the console’s interface and the internet. However, if that doesn’t work out for you, you’re going to have to boot into the Safe Mode and try updating your console from there.
However, follow these steps to clear out the previous update notification before you start the update process.
Step 1: Head over to Notifications from the main menu.
Step 2: Scroll down to find the last update notification and press the Options button on your Dualshock 4 controller. Select Delete from the side menu.
You can now start updating your console to the latest update.
Also read: Cannot access system storage in PS4: 5 Fixes
