My PS5 has been doing this for about a month now. The disc eject button isn't even being pressed - it just randomly kicks out whatever game I'm playing, sometimes multiple times in a session. I've tried cleaning the sensors and checking for loose cables but nothing's worked. Is this a common hardware issue or am I doing something wrong?
That's pretty common with PS5s and usually points to the disc drive's sensor going bad or firmware getting glitchy. Try a full power cycle - unplug it for like 30 seconds and boot it fresh. If that doesn't work, check if there's a system software update available since sometimes those fix disc drive issues. If it keeps happening after that, the drive itself is probably failing and you'll need to either get it replaced under warranty if you're still covered, or swap the drive out (there are guides online for that, though it voids warranty).
The power cycle is worth trying, but if you've already done basic troubleshooting like cleaning sensors, you're probably looking at a hardware defect in the disc drive mechanism itself - this does happen to some units. Before going straight to Sony for a repair or replacement, try booting into safe mode and rebuilding the console database, since firmware corruption can occasionally cause sensor misreads. If that doesn't stick, unfortunately you'll likely need to contact support for warranty service, since the laser or sensor assembly wearing out isn't something you can fix yourself.
If it's been happening consistently for a month, you're likely dealing with a failing disc drive sensor rather than a software glitch. The disc ejection mechanism has a sensor that detects when the tray is fully seated, and when that sensor gets dirty or starts degrading, it can trigger random eject commands. Before you assume it's totally dead though, try one thing the others might've glossed over: boot into safe mode and rebuild your PS5's database. Hold the power button for about ten seconds until you hear a second beep, then select "Rebuild Database" from the safe mode menu. This occasionally fixes sensor read errors that a standard restart won't touch.
If rebuilding the database doesn't work, you're probably looking at a replacement disc drive unit or sending the console in for repair. One important thing to watch out for - don't keep testing it repeatedly by inserting discs and waiting for it to eject again. Every failed sensor read can stress the drive mechanism more, and you might end up with a stuck disc that's harder to retrieve than a repeatedly ejecting one. If you're still under warranty, Sony's repair is your best bet. Otherwise, disc drive replacement kits exist online, but they involve opening up the console and require some care to avoid damaging other components.
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