As your PlayStation gaming library expands, so does the chunk of hard drive space those games occupy. Before you know it, you‘re desperately deleting old favorites just to free up room for the latest hot release.
But with save files, update data, DLC packs and more clinging to your system, simply erasing games doesn‘t always clear space. You need to fully purge accompanying data so not a single trace remains.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll show you how to permanently delete PlayStation 4 games and all their leftover files – giving you back precious gigabytes so your console won‘t constantly pester you about that darn "not enough storage space" issue!
We‘ll cover:
- Step-by-step instructions for deleting games via Settings or your home screen
- Clearing out obsolete saved data, controllers settings and more
- Bonus tips for removing videos/screenshots associated with deleted games
- Reinstallation basics – getting your games back if you change your mind!
- Pro advice for managing storage across external drives
Sound good? Great! Let‘s dive in.
PlayStation 4 Games Just Keep Getting Bigger
First, a quick primer on game install sizes and how quickly those gigabytes accumulate.
Back in the early PS4 days, even sizable titles like Grand Theft Auto V clocked in around 50GB. But game developers have leveraged beefier hardware and bigger budgets to craft truly expansive worlds, resulting in install sizes ballooning to over 100GB!
For example, here are some popular PlayStation titles and the space they take up:
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | 150GB |
| Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War | 250GB |
| NBA 2K23 | 100GB |
And remember – that‘s per game! Plus, many of today‘s titles receive sizable content updates. Call of Duty patches can run over 50GB on their own.
The result? The average PlayStation 4 owner installs around 126GB of games per year. So even the highest-end 1TB model gets gobbled up fast.
Okay, let‘s delete some games!
Deleting PlayStation 4 Games Through Settings
The Settings menu provides the most flexibility for batch deleting multiple games at once. And you can view total storage space info too.
On your PS4‘s home screen, select the Settings icon in the top right:
In Settings, choose the Storage option:
Next, pick System Storage to view your main PS4 hard drive capacity and usage:
(If you have external USB storage attached, you‘ll see that here too. The process for deleting games on extended storage is identical).
Now choose Applications to display everything you‘ve got installed:
Press Options, then select the games you want to remove. You can Choose Select All to pick everything at once. Games you haven‘t played in a while are good candidates for mass deletion.
Hit Delete when you‘ve chosen the games to erase, confirm again on the next screen, and presto – you‘ve cleared space for new titles!
Deleting Games Through Your Home Screen
For quick deletions of individual games, your PS4 home screen offers a fast method:
Navigate to the game you wish erase. Highlight it with your controller:
Press Options, select Delete, then confirm your choice on the verification prompt:
Repeat for any other games you want to remove from your system.
Clearing Game Save Data, Patches, and More
Okay, deleting those game files freed up space – but your work isn‘t done yet! For maximal capacity gains, you also need to wipe out these accompanying bits of data:
- Saved games
- Installed patches/updates
- DLC and bonus add-on packs
- Controller settings
Failure to remove them means leftover traces still occupying precious storage real estate!
Here‘s what you need to do:
Return to Settings > Application Saved Data Management > Saved Data in System Storage:
Choose Delete, then clear any saved data associated with the games you erased:
But be forewarned! Only remove saves for deleted games. If you still actively play a title, this data deletion can cost you hundreds of hours of progression/unlocks if you aren‘t careful.
You‘ll also want to cancel any queued game updates. Again under Settings, visit System > Automatic Downloads > Uncheck updates for any removed games.
Bonus: Delete Videos, Screenshots and Other Captures
For optimal space cleansing, don‘t forget about those gameplay video clips and screenshot images collected via the Share button on your controller.
Open the Capture Gallery from your PS4‘s home screen:
Navigate to the All folder, choose Options to multi-select, and delete any media related to the games you removed.
This step eliminates the final dingy fingerprints from any exiled titles!
Reinstalling Deleted Games
Wondering if you can retrieve games after deletion? Absolutely!
Deleting a game does NOT mean it‘s gone forever. Your purchase history remains stored in Sony‘s servers.
To bring a removed game back from digital purgatory, head to your PlayStation Library:
Find the game you want under the Purchased tab (you‘ll see a handy downward arrow icon signaling it‘s ready to download again).
Then simply hit Download and your games will reinstall like nothing happened. Welcome back old friend!
Now, if you cleared the accompanying save data as I mentioned above, THAT can‘t be recovered. So make backups if you ever plan to replay deleted games.
Oh, and obviously this only applies to digital titles. Disc-based games require popping the disc back in post-reinstallation.
Managing Extended Storage Solutions
Even my beefiest guide can‘t magically expand the physical storage capacity of your PlayStation 4. So high-volume gamers often invest in external USB solutions.
I recommend external SSD drives rather than HDD models – solid state means much faster load times. A 2TB version gives ample additional breathing room without breaking the bank.
When managing an extended drive, remember:
- Only newer titles are candidates for external installation
- Deletion process still uses the Settings/home screen methods outlined above
- Saving data should remain on internal storage for reliability
So in summary – enjoy your external drive‘s massive space for games/updates themselves, but keep saves on internal hardware so they remain properly associated.
Furthermore, because extended storage maintains a continuous connection, rebuilding your database (Settings > Initialization) can help resolve any weirdness. Rebuilding scans drive contents and fixes errors.
Okay, that about wraps things up! Let‘s recap the key takeaways:
- Newer PlayStation games require tons of GBs for installation
- Always start deletions by removing games themselves from Settings or home screen
- Remember to clear saved data, updates, and other relics
- Deleting is reversible if you change your mind later
- External USB storage helps tremendously
Phew! Still have questions about removing games from your console or properly handling PS4 storage? Ask away in the comments!
