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How to Set up PS4 [PlayStation 4]: Step-by-Step Guide

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How to Set up PS4

PS4 or PlayStation 4 is a famous gaming console designed and developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It has the best interface for a smooth gaming experience. PS4 outplayed its competitor’s gaming console on various parameters. The Controller for the PlayStation 4 console is DualShock 4. It supports 4K HDR resolution. Every device has to be set up for its initial run. The procedure to set up PlayStation 4 (PS4) is simple and does not take much time. You can set up the PS4 console quickly with a step-by-step guide.

Set up PS4 – Table of Contents

What is in the Box?

  1. PS4™ main console
  2. 1 x DualShock®4 controller
  3. HDMI cable
  4. Power Supply Cable
  5. USB Cable
  6. Basic headphones and mic
  7. PS4™ Quick Start Guide
  8. Playstation® Plus & Playstation® Now coupons that can be redeemed online.
Setup PS4 what is in the box

Prerequisites

  • PS4™ console
  • At least one DualShock®4 controller in working condition
  • HDMI Cable
  • Micro USB cable
  • Power Supply Cable
  • Internet connection enabled on the PS4 via LAN cable connected to the router

For the first time, it is advisable to connect to the internet via a LAN cable, as the time zone and local time would be detected automatically by doing so.

It’s easy to set up Wi-Fi later on.

PS4 – Specification and Model

Setup PS4 Fat VariantOriginal PS4 (Fat)

Visually easy to detect from the trapezoid legs in the bottom and sharp edges in the console.

The power button is old school analog toggle switch.
Setup PS4 Slim VariantPS4 Slim

Easily can be identified by the rounded and smooth edges and matt finished plastic. The trapezoid legs would be missing as well.
Setup PS4 Pro variantPS4 Pro

Visually similar to PS4 Slim but has an extra groove running horizontally through the console. Now gets two grooves instead of a single groove.

The second, new groove now accommodates a wide ‘Power Button‘ and Disc ‘Eject‘ buttons that are tactile, soft, and easy to access by pressing either half of the entire groove.

The buttons now occupy the entire half of the groove.
All PS4™ variants launched by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE)

PlayStation 4 Hardware & Capabilities

Setup PS4 Pro variant
PS4 Pro
Setup PS4 Fat VariantSetup PS4 Slim Variant
PS4 Fat / PS4 Slim
Dimensions: 11.6 x 12.8 x 2.1Dimensions: 11.3 x 10.4 x 1.5
CPU: AMD Jaguar x86-64 8 Core processorCPU: AMD Jaguar x86-64 8 Core processor
GPU: Radeon GCN 2.0 Architecture with 36CU and 2304 cores clocked at 911MHzGPU: Radeon GCN 1.0 Architecture with 18CU and 1152 cores clocked at 800MHz
Computing Power: 4.2 TFLOPSComputing Power: 1.84 TFLOPS
RAM: 8GB GDDR5 with 1GB DDR3 for background tasksRAM: 8GB GDDR5 with 256MB DDR3 for background tasks
Network: Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.1Network: Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1, USB 3.0
Mass: 3.3 kgsMass: 2.1-2.5 kgs

Did you know what 1TFLOPS can do?

Sony PS4 computing power 1.84 TFLOPS

1 TFLOPS is an acronym for 1 Tera floating-point operation per second. One Tera equals 1 Trillion.

This would mean performing 1 Trillion addition, subtraction, division, or multiplication on any two floating-point variables in a second.

PS4 Pro console at its peak power, can churn around 4.2 TFLOPS.

That’s equivalent to 4.2 Trillion operations done on any given pair of floating-point variables.

Related: How to Update PlayStation 4

PlayStation 4 Model Identifier

All PS4 consoles have model identifiers that begin with three alphabets and a hyphen “CUH-“, followed by 4 numerical values and an alphabet at the end. You must know the model number to set up PS4.

A PS4 box with model identifier.
CUH is standard on all PS4 consoles… The first number 1 denotes this is the PS4 Original (Fat), and the 0 in next place denotes this was the hardware launched originally.

First Number in the 4-digit number

If the model number contains CUH-1XXX, this means the console you are holding is a PS4 Fat(Original). In case the number is CUH-2XXX, then this would be the PS4 Slim. CUH-7XXX would mean you are looking at a PlayStation 4 Pro.

Second Number in the 4-digit number

The Second Number signifies the update or revisions made in console hardware.

For example, CUH-10XX, we can tell that the 1 indicates the console is a PS4 Fat console, the next digit 0 tells us this is the launch model. If it’s CUH-11XX, we can tell that the 1 in the first place means the console is a PS4 Fat, and the next digit 1 means it’s the first major hardware update on the PS4 Fat after the launch model.

Last two digits in the 4-digit model number

The last two digits in the 4-digit model number signify the market console was released for.

For example, CUH-1000 is the PS4 Fat original console released for Japan, CUH-1001 is for the U.S. and Canada, and so on;

Last Alphabet Suffix

All models have ‘A’ or a ‘B’ suffix, which refers to the hard drive configuration. If the suffix is A, it means the console has a 500GB internal hard disk and B would mean it has a 1000GB (1TB) internal hard drive.

TV Wiring Diagram

Setup PS4 console, wiring diagram for TV output

Set up PS4: How-To Guide

Time needed: 15 minutes


A Step-by-Step How-to guide to set up PS4 has to be done for first-time use.

  1. Unbox the PS4


    Open the box carefully, in case you have bought the PS4™ console recently.

    Place the contents side-by-side, adjacent to each other, and cross-check if our ‘Prerequisite‘ checklist items are met with or compare the content of the box with the content shown in the ‘What’s in the Box‘ section.

    Setup PS4 unboxing

  2. Complete the connection as shown in the TV Wiring Diagram section


    Remove the console from the wrap and place it close to the TV on a level surface, such as a table.

    Connect the power supply to a wall outlet and the other end to your PS4 console rear power input.

    Also, plug in the HDMI from the HDMI Out port on the PS4 to the HDMI In port on the TV.

    Refer to this diagram in ‘TV Wiring Diagram‘ for clarity on the location of ports.

    Connect PS4 to TV

  3. Press the Power button on the PS4 console to boot up


    Make sure that the connections on the PS4 console are correct.

    Locate the power button on the PlayStation 4 console and press the Power button to boot up the PS4 for the first time.

    Based on the variant of the PS4 you bought, the location of the power button would differ.

    Look at the below image to find the exact location of the power button, we have shown power button locations. Starting from the top, we have PS4 Fat model, followed by PS4 Slim and then PS4 Pro console.

    Setup PS4 power button location in all PS4 models

  4. Connect your controller to PlayStation 4 through USB cable


    Once you boot up the console, you will see the boot up splash screen with the Playstation logo on it.

    Once the boot-up is complete, you will be prompt to connect your DualShock®4 controller to your PS4 console using the Micro USB cable provided with the box.

    Prompt to connect DualShock®4 controller to PS4 console

  5. Connect the Controller to the PS4 console using the Micro USB cable


    Insert the Type A USB end to the female USB port on the front side of the PS4 console and the Micro USB end to the front / top side of the DualShock®4 controller, as shown in the figure.

    Connect DualShock®4 controller to PS4 console with Micro USB cable

  6. Press the PS button on your Controller to proceed with the setup


    After connecting the DualShock®4 controller to the PS4 console,
    Press the ‘PS’ button, which is located between the analog sticks.

    Press PS button on the controller to continue with the setup

  7. Select the preferred language


    On the DualShock®4 controller, use the directional keys ↑ ↓ on the D-Pad to highlight the languages.

    Once your choice is highlighted, Press the ???? key on the controller to choose the highlighted option.

    Choose language in PS4

  8. Press ‘Next’ to Proceed


    On the next screen, use the directional keys on the D-Pad to highlight the ‘Next’ button, and press the ???? key on the controller to proceed.

    On the next screen highlight Next button to proceed with next steps

  9. Check Wi-Fi Network


    On this screen, all available Wi-Fi networks would try to load.

    “Note: We have used the LAN port to connect to a router.”

    Highlight the ‘Cancel‘ button with directional keys, and press the ???? key on the controller to proceed with the setup.

    Setup PS4 check network splash

  10. Connect PS camera


    A prompt would tell you to connect a PS camera if you have got one with your new PS4 console.

    “Note: We do not have a PS Camera.”

    Use the directional key on the DualShock®4 controller and highlight the ‘Skip’ button. once highlighted, press the ???? key on the controller to proceed with the rest of the setup process.

    Setup PS4 prompt to connect PS Camera

  11. Set your Time Zone


    On this screen, you will be given a list of time zones.

    Use the directional keys on the DualShock®4 controller to highlight the time zone.

    Once the desired option is highlighted, press the ???? key on the controller to make the selection.

    This screen allows you to select your time zone

  12. Set the Local Time


    This screen allows you to set the current time.

    Use the directional keys ← → to switch between the fields MM/DD/YYYY-HH/MM/AM.

    As you highlight a particular field, you can use directional keys ↑ ↓ to change its value.

    Once the changes made are satisfactory, use the directional keys to scroll and highlight the ‘Next‘ button, and press the ???? key on the controller to save the changes made.

    Setup PS4, set time screen

  13. Choose Power Save Settings


    This screen would let you set the console sleep, app sleep, and other power-saving settings from this screen.

    Use the analog stick or directional keys in the D-Pad, highlight and select the ‘General Applications’ tab and press the ???? key on the controller to enter the next settings screen.

    Setup PS4 power settings

  14. Check the Power Saving Settings in this screen and Proceed


    On the General Applications power settings screen, cross-check all the power settings value and alter if needed.

    Use the Analog-stick left or directional keys to highlight the ‘Next’ button and press the ???? key on the controller to proceed to the next step.

    Check General power settings

  15. Accept End User License Agreement


    On this screen, review and accept the ‘End User License Agreement’, to continue with the setup process.

    End user license agreement setup PS4 first bootup

  16. Press ‘Start Now’ to continue to the home page


    Use the direction keys and the analog stick to highlight the ‘Start Now‘ button, and press the ???? button on the DualShock®4 controller to continue to the home screen of your PS4 console.

    Setup PS4 the basic setup is complete now

  17. Select User to continue to the home page of the PS4


    Use the analog stick and directional keys on the D-Pad of the DualShock®4 controller to highlight the desired user, and press ???? on the controller to continue using the PS4 with the user profile chosen on this screen.

    Setup PS4 choose user screen

  18. Wait for the home screen to load completely.


    Once the user is selected, the System would load files associated with the selected user.
    This would not take very long. Once the home screen loads, it would look as shown below.

    Setup PS4 first time home screen load

  19. Use Controller to browse through Apps


    On your DualShock 4 controller, use an analog stick and directional keys ← → on the D-Pad to browse through the installed apps and games tiles.

    Scroll app tiles using analog stick left

  20. Open Function Area or Function Screen


    On DualShock 4 controller, tilt analog sticks up or use the direction key ↑ on the D-Pad to view the Function Screen or Function Area.

    Setup PS4 open the top settings menu, by pressing directional key ↑

  21. Highlight Notification icon ???? and select


    Tilt analog stick left or right, or use the directional keys ← → on the D-Pad of your controller to highlight the notification icon. Once highlighted, tap the ???? button on the controller to view all notifications.

    Once the notification icon bubble ???? on the system settings menu is highlighted, press ???? on controller

  22. Wait to see if a System software update is found


    Sony releases fixes in software on a regular basis through over-the-air updates.

    If you have purchased a PS4 that was assembled in the factory a month back, the chances are that you may have to install an update even then because Sony releases an update every week.

    If the console is able to find any updates, it will download as shown below.

    Wait on this screen to see if your console is able to find if there are updates available on the Sony Server.

    Highlight the download progress item, and press the ???? button on the controller to see more options related to download on a separate screen.

    Screen showing all the notifications

  23. Open Download status bar in Notifications Function Screen


    Wait for the download to finish.

    Once you opened the Download progress, this screen would shown additional info related to the selected download

  24. Wait for the system to prepare files for the installation

    Once the download is complete, the system would copy files needed to a temporary location on the hard drive.

    This may take longer, as the system would need to inflate and deflate some files to be used.

    This progress bar would show files being copied required for the install

  25. Tap ???? button on controller once status in the download bar turns to ‘Ready to Install


    The status in the download progress bar would turn to ‘Ready to Install‘. Press the ???? button on the controller to begin the system update process.
    Use the analog stick or directional keys on the DualShock®4 controller, to highlight the ‘Next’ button on this screen, and press the ???? button on the controller, to confirm the choice.

    After installation files are copied, the status would turn to 'Ready to Install'

  26. Select ‘Update’ on this screen to start the system software update on your PS4 console


    Use the analog stick or directional key on the DualShock®4 controller to highlight the ‘Update’ button and use the ???? button on the controller to lock the choice.


    This is the final prompt to update the PS4 System Software, highlight and select Update

  27. Wait for the PS4™ console to Reboot


    The system would try to reboot the PS4™ console, wait until it does so.

    Splash screen indicating PS4 console restart in progress

  28. Wait for the system to reboot and finish copying and moving files


    Once the PS4™ console reboots, you will see a splash screen with a progress bar, showing the changes being done to the file system.

    Wait for the entire process to end, and the system would reboot again.

    After a reboot, this progress splash screen would be loaded

  29. Wait for PS4 console to reboot after Update has been installed successfully


    Once the update is successful, the PS4 console would restart for the first time. Wait for the splash screen with PlayStation logo to change to the usual blue screen of the PS4 user interface.

    After the update the console would reboot and you would see a splash with PS logo

  30. Wait for the Database to rebuild


    When you are booting for the first time after the update is done. The system would need to scan through the entire hard disk content to generate thumbnails of videos, music, apps and games found on the hard disk. This would take much time, as our PS4™ console is brand new.

    This screen would show that the system is rebuilding database of games, apps and files on the disk.

  31. Choose User on this screen to assign the DualShock®4 controller


    Choose the default user created by the system. And assign the user to the DualShock®4 controller connected now to the PS4™ console.

    Select the default user icon created by the system, to enter the home screen

  32. PSN Login Prompt


    On this screen, highlight the Next button and press the ???? button on the controller to continue.

    This screen would prompt you to login to PSN

  33. Wait for PSN server to Respond


    In this screen, wait until the PSN server responds to the login request.

    Splash screen waiting for PSN login screen to load

  34. Use the On-Screen keyboard to enter the PSN credentials.


    Use the on-screen keyboard and type in your PSN credential for the PS4 set up.

    If you haven’t created one yet, use your smartphone or browser to create one easily.

    If you already have an existing PSN used on an older Playstation console, you can use that to log in as well.

    Enter your PSN login details

  35. Press Cancel to skip transfer data.


    On this screen, highlight the Cancel button, and press the ???? button on the controller to skip this step.

    Skip data transfer, by highlighting and selecting Cancel button on this screen.

  36. All Done! The set up of PS4 is completed.


    Now the PS4™ home screen would load for the first time after the update has finished.

    Now you can start using your PS4™ console by using any Blu-Ray game discs that came bundled with the console or bought separately.

    Or you can also use the PSN network to download and restore any previous purchases made on it.

    All done, enjoy playing games on PS4 with the game discs that you own.

Set up PS4 – FAQs

Can’t I just turn it on and enjoy gaming right away?

When you turn on a PS4 for the first time out of the box, it is required to set up the PlayStation 4 (PS4) to start playing the games.

Will I be able to download all my previous purchases made on my PSN account?

You would need to sign in to the PSN account, which was used to make game purchases and sync download the game data from the PSN account to this PS4 console.
Please ensure that you have fast internet, as the PS4 games are usually quite large.
Games like “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare are almost 175GB in size.”

Is a PS4 console still worth buying in 2022?

Yes, there are plenty of reasons to buy a PS4 Fat, PS4 Pro console in 2022. Firstly, the PlayStation platform is all about exclusives. You can still buy a PS4 console in 2022 and get spoiled for so many title choices. If you are concerned about whether the PS4 graphics would seem outdated, then you should know that hardware capabilities won’t affect gameplay or user experience. A PS4 Pro can still run games at 4k at 60 frames per second (FPS), which is great value for money, as it sells for $100-150 cheaper than a PS5. You can easily save at least $150 if you opt for refurbished or used consoles.

To read more articles related to PS4 console visit GamingConsoleTips Website

For the official news and info related to set up PS4 console, visit the Official Playstation webpage

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