To factory reset your PS4, follow these steps:
1. **Backup Your Data (Optional)**: If you want to keep your game saves, screenshots, and other data, make sure to back them up. You can do this by uploading your saves to the PlayStation Plus cloud storage or by copying them to a USB storage device.
2. **Sign Out of Your Account**: Before initiating the factory reset, sign out of your PlayStation Network (PSN) account. This ensures that your account isn't tied to the console after the reset.
3. **Access Safe Mode**: Turn off your PS4 completely. Once it's off, press and hold the power button. You'll hear the initial beep when you first press the button, then another beep after about 7 seconds. Release the power button after the second beep. This should boot your PS4 into Safe Mode.
4. **Initiate the Factory Reset**: In Safe Mode, connect your DualShock 4 controller to the PS4 using a USB cable. Then, select the "Initialize PS4 (Reinstall System Software)" option. This will completely wipe your PS4's hard drive and reinstall the system software, effectively resetting it to factory settings.
5. **Follow On-Screen Instructions**: Confirm your decision to initialize the PS4 and follow any additional on-screen instructions. You may be asked to confirm a few times to ensure you understand that all data will be deleted.
6. **Wait for the Process to Complete**: The initialization process may take some time, so be patient. Once it's finished, your PS4 will restart and prompt you to set it up again, just like when you first bought it.
7. **Set Up Your PS4**: Follow the on-screen prompts to set up your PS4 again. You'll need to go through the initial setup process, including connecting to the internet, signing in to your PSN account (if desired), and configuring your settings.
That's it! Your PS4 should now be reset to factory settings, ready for you to set up as if it were brand new. Remember that this process will delete all data on your PS4, so make sure to back up anything important before proceeding.