How to Turn Your PlayStation 3 Off During a Game Install

A PS3 controller's PS button lets you shut down the system.

When you insert a disc for the first time your PlayStation 3, game data files are sometimes installed to your PS3 hard drive and update patches are downloaded. A larger file can take several minutes to complete, and you may need to cancel it if you’re in a hurry to unplug the device. Games purchased from the PS3 marketplace also download and install automatically in the background, and they can slow down connection speed during online play. To shut off a system full of sluggish installs, you have to use the right procedure to avoid data corruption on the hard drive.

Instructions

1. Navigate vertically across the XMB menu using your analog stick, searching for the “Network” heading, indicated by a symbol. The XMB menu is the main navigational menu on your PS3, appearing whenever you are not actively playing a game or watching a video.

2. Tap down on the analog stick once, moving the current selection to the “Download Management” heading, represented by a downward facing arrow.

3. Press the “X” button on your PS3 controller.

4. Highlight any current downloads and press the triangle button to cancel the download. Before you can shut off the system, you should cancel any current network activity associated with the installation.

5. Press and hold the “PS” button. In a few seconds, a menu with basic system options appears on the screen. If the PS menu does not appear after three or more seconds, then your system is undergoing a full firmware update. Unlike game downloads and installations, major system updates cannot be cancelled and you cannot shutdown the system during these updates.

6. Highlight “Turn Off” with your analog stick and press the “X” button. Any remaining installation processes are canceled and the system is shut down safely.

Tips & Warnings

• If your system is unresponsive, you can press and hold the power button on the front of the unit for a forced reboot. This works similarly to holding the PS button. You may lose unsaved game data. The power button is also deactivated during a firmware update, and it will not respond during a major system update.

• Never unplug your system during an update or installation. If the system is completely unresponsive or if you need to cancel a firmware update, contact Sony customer service at 1 [phone].

References

• PlayStation 3 User Guide: Background Download
• PlayStation 3 User Guide: About the XMB (Cross Media Bar) Menu
• PlayStation 3: Features
• PlayStation 3 User Guide: System Update

Resources

• Sony eSupport: Contact Us