PS5 Pro crashes have a short list of causes in the owner guides, and two of them are specific enough to test. An error beginning CE relates to a console error, a crash, an installation failure, storage trouble or data corruption, and CE-100028-1 in particular means not enough storage. The second is an M.2 drive: owners found that an additional SSD they had installed was causing crashes, and that copying games back to the internal storage solved the problem. Heat is the third, since a console that overheats will shut itself down, and a hard crash with a frozen screen on a hot console is the typical pattern. Update the system software, rebuild the database from Safe Mode, check storage, and test without the M.2 drive.
Differential
Likely causes of “PlayStation 5 Pro games crash, freeze or close”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
An M.2 drive that causes crashes
What separates it Crashes began after the drive was installed
How to confirm Copy games to the internal SSD and test without the drive
- 2
A full internal SSD
What separates it CE-100028-1 and crashes during installation
How to confirm Free space
- 3
Overheating
What separates it The console freezes or shuts down when hot
How to confirm Give it airflow and clean the vents
- 4
Corrupted data
What separates it Crashes in one game only
How to confirm Rebuild the database in Safe Mode and reinstall the game
- 5
An outdated system or game
What separates it Crashes after an update
How to confirm Update the system software and the game
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The CE error code and when it appeared
- Whether an M.2 drive is fitted
- The console's temperature and location
- Which game crashes
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedNote the CE code
ReversibleCE codes begin the error and name the area; write the full code down before you do anything else.
Update the system software and the game
ReversibleSettings, System, System Software for the console, and the game's own update from its options menu.
Rebuild the database in Safe Mode
ReversibleSwitch off, hold the power button until the second beep, choose Rebuild Database; it does not delete games or saves.
Test without the M.2 drive
ReversibleCopy games to the internal SSD and remove the extra drive; owners found an installed SSD was causing crashes.
Cool the console
ReversibleClear the vents, give it clearance and keep storage free; a hot console crashes before it fails.
Reinstall the game that crashes
ReversibleIf one game only crashes, delete and reinstall it, and report it to the developer if it persists.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- How the CE family works
- Errors starting CE cover a wide range, and the digits after it identify the cause; CE-100028-1 is the storage one.
- Why hard crashes cluster on a hot console
- When the console overheats it can freeze before it shuts down, so a freeze with a loud fan is a heat problem, not a game problem.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If crashes continue after a database rebuild and without the M.2 drive, contact PlayStation support
- !If one game only crashes, report it to the developer
- !If the console will not start after a crash, use Safe Mode
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Will Rebuild Database delete my saves?+
No, it rebuilds the game library index only.
Should I initialise the PS5 Pro?+
Only as a last step after backing up saves to the cloud.