Fix: Dead Island 2 Crashing or Not Loading on PS5, Xbox Series X/S

Dead Island 2, a 2023 action role-playing game developed by Dambuster Studios and published by Deep Silver, serves as the sequel to the 2011 video game Dead Island and represents the third major installment in the Dead Island series. The game is now accessible on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Series S platforms. Meanwhile, multiple players face the Dead Island 2 Crashing or Not Loading issue on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles.

It’s also worth mentioning that even console games are prone to crashes and launching issues, just like PC games whatsoever. Though PC games are highly prone to crashes compared to PlayStation and Xbox consoles, unfortunate players mostly encounter such an issue. Talking about the possible reasons behind such an issue, the chances are high that somehow your console firmware, any incorrect settings, or the corrupted game data is causing it.

1. Check System Updates

Before getting into other workarounds, checking for system updates on the PlayStation or Xbox console is recommended. Sometimes an outdated system build can cause several issues.

For PlayStation:

Go to the Settings menu on the PlayStation console.
Select System Software Update > Make sure to check for available updates and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the update process.
Once done, reboot the system to apply changes.

For Xbox:

Press the Home button on the Xbox console to open the Dashboard menu.
Now, select Settings from the bottom of the menu > Select All Settings.
Choose to System > Select Updates.
Select Update Console (if available) > Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the update process.
Once done, make sure to restart the console to apply changes.

2. Delete Saved Game Data

Well, corrupted or missing game data can also cause multiple issues with crashing the PlayStation console. We’ll recommend you delete the saved game data on the PS5 or Xbox console to check for the issue.

For PS5:

Go to the Settings menu > Select Storage.
Choose Saved Data > Select Dead Island 2.
Press the Options button on the controller > Select the saved game data files (one or multiple).
Hit Delete and confirm the task to complete it.
Once done, make sure to reboot the console to apply changes.

All the Dead Island 2 game files which are locally saved will be deleted from your PlayStation console. But don’t worry. Since you’re online, all saved game data will be there. This should fix Dead Island 2 Crashing on PS5 or Xbox Consoles.

For Xbox Cloud Saves:

From the Home menu, select My games & apps.
Make sure to highlight the Dead Island 2 game > Press the Menu button on your controller.
Then select Manage game & add-ons.
Select the Saved data box then choose the Dead Island 2 data that you want to delete.
Confirm the deleting process and wait for it.
Once done, reboot the console to apply changes.

For Xbox Local Saves:

If in case, your game files or data remain on the console storage then you can try following the steps below.

Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the Guide menu.
Select Profile & system > Settings > System > Storage.
On the Manage storage devices screen, select
- Clear local saved games: This deletes games saved to your hard drive, but they’ll still be saved to the cloud.

Additionally, you can follow the steps below:

Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the Guide menu.
Select Profile & system > Settings > System > Storage.
Here you can select your internal storage > Choose to Uninstall things.
You’ll be redirected to the Free up space screen where you can remove any game or app. Simply select the Dead Island 2 game data that you wish to remove.
Finally, select Remove selected and reboot the console once completed.

3. Check for Game Updates

It’s always better to check for game updates and install the latest update on the console. An outdated game version can cause several compatibility issues rather than bugs. To do so:

For Xbox:

Press the Xbox button on your controller.
Next, choose My games & apps > Select See all.
Select Manage and then Updates.
If there is an update available, your console will automatically start downloading & installing the new patch.

For PlayStation:

Go to Library and select the game you want to update.
Press the Options button on the controller and select Check for Update.
If an update is available, follow the instructions to install the update.

4. Rebuild Database on PS5

Rebuilding the database on your PlayStation console can quickly resolve potential issues or errors. To do so:

Switch off your console completely. Unplug the power cable from the console and wait for around 2-3 minutes.
Now, plug in the power cable, and turn it on to clear the Cached Data automatically from the system.

Check whether this issue has been fixed with the Dead Island 2 game or not. If not, follow the next steps below.

Now, press and hold the Power button on the PlayStation console until you hear 2 beeps. [The second beep will sound after seven seconds]
The console will boot in the Safe Mode > Connect the controller to the USB with the console and press the PS Button on the controller.
Next, you’ll get an option called Rebuild Database.
Select Rebuild Database and confirm the task.
It may take some time depending on the hard drive data size. Have some patience.
Once done, just reboot the system normally.

5. Reinstall Dead Island 2

If in case, the crashing problem persists with the Dead Island 2 game then make sure to uninstall and reinstall the game on the console. It should gonna fix the issue. To do so:

For PS5:

Go to Settings > Select Storage.
Select Dead Island 2 game from the list and then Hit Delete.
Once the game is deleted, download and install it again from the respective store.

For Xbox:

Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu.
Select My games & apps > Hit See all > Choose to Games.
Then select the Ready to install tab > Select Queue.
Select the Dead Island 2 game that you’re trying to reinstall.
Now, press the Menu button on your controller.
Select Manage game & add-ons or Manage app.
Choose Dead Island 2 > Select Uninstall all.
Make sure to select Uninstall all to confirm the task.
Wait for the uninstallation process to complete.
Reboot the system to apply changes.
Then press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu again.
Hit My games & apps > Select See all > Go to Games.
Select the Ready to install tab > Hit Install for Dead Island 2.
Wait for the installation process and then restart the console.

This method may help you to fix Dead Island 2 Crashing on PS5 or Xbox Consoles.

6. Reset the Console

If none of the workarounds come in handy for you, try performing the factory reset to your console to check for the issue.

For PlayStation:

Go to the Settings menu on the PlayStation console.
Select the Initialization tab > Select Initialize PS5.
From the next page, choose Full.
Now, your PlayStation 5 will automatically start wiping itself to restore the factory defaults. This process may take a couple of hours depending on the installed data on the storage.
Let the process be completed. Once done, make sure to reboot the system.

For Xbox:

Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide menu.
Select Profile & system > Go to Settings > Select System.
Go to Console info > Select Reset console.
You’ll get a prompt like Reset your console?
Here you should select Reset and remove everything. [This will delete all user data including accounts, saved games, settings, all installed apps & games, etc]
- Although you can choose to Reset and keep my games & apps, it may not gonna resolve the issue in most cases.
After you select the option, your Xbox console starts deleting and resetting the system to the factory default settings.
Wait for the process to get completed then reboot the console.

That’s it, guys. We assume this guide was helpful to you. For additional queries, you can comment below.

Fix: Dead Island 2 Crashing or Not Loading on PS5, Xbox Series X/S