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To watch Crunchyroll on a PS5, install the official Crunchyroll app from the PlayStation Store or Media Home, then sign in by scanning the QR code shown on the console. If QR sign-in is unavailable, use Crunchyroll’s browser-based Activate Device option and enter the code displayed by the PS5. You can watch a selection with a free membership, while PlayStation-billed Premium access is purchased through the PlayStation Store and charged to your PlayStation Wallet.
What you need before starting
You need a PS5 connected to the internet and access to the console’s PlayStation account. A Crunchyroll account is optional for viewing the service’s free selection, but you need to sign in to use an existing membership or connect the console to your account.
- Existing Crunchyroll account: Have the email address and password available, or be able to approve sign-in on a phone.
- Phone or tablet for QR sign-in: The device should have a working camera. If the Crunchyroll mobile app is installed, the QR scan can hand the approval to that app; otherwise, the scan opens a web page for login and device activation.
- Subscription decision: Know where your current Premium plan is billed. A plan billed directly by Crunchyroll and one bought through PlayStation are managed in different places.
If you are using someone else’s PS5, plan to deactivate the console from your Crunchyroll device list when you are finished. Deactivation signs out that console without disconnecting your other devices.
Install Crunchyroll on a PS5
The official PlayStation setup instructions document two installation routes. Use whichever path is easier to find on your console.
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Route 1: Find the app in PlayStation Store
- Open PlayStation Store from the PS5 home screen.
- Select Search.
- Switch the search category to Media.
- Search for Crunchyroll.
- Open the Crunchyroll result and choose Download.
Wait for the installation to finish, then open the app from the console. The app’s sign-in screen is where you will either scan a QR code or choose the manual activation route.
Route 2: Find the app through Media Home
- From the PS5 main screen, open Media Home.
- Choose All Apps.
- Find Crunchyroll in the app list.
- Select the app and choose Download.
This route is useful when you are already browsing entertainment apps rather than the game-focused PlayStation Store view.
Sign in by scanning the PS5 QR code
QR sign-in is the quickest documented way to connect an existing Crunchyroll account. Crunchyroll lists this flow for PS5 app version 02.001.004. The labels can change in later releases, but the essential sequence is the same: open the app, display the code, scan it, and approve the account connection.
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- On the sign-in screen, locate the QR code. Crunchyroll’s instructions state that a QR code appears on this screen.
- Open the camera on your phone or tablet and scan the displayed code.
- If the Crunchyroll mobile app is installed, follow the sign-in confirmation shown there.
- If the mobile app is not installed, the scan opens a web page. Log in to Crunchyroll in that browser and follow the activation prompt.
- Return to the PS5. Once the approval completes, the console should be connected to the account you authorized.
Use the account you actually intend to watch on the console. QR approval links the device to the account authenticated on the phone or browser; it does not create a separate PS5-only profile.
If the QR scan does not complete
- Make sure the code is fully visible on the television and scan the current code rather than an earlier image.
- Try the browser route when the phone does not have the Crunchyroll app. The scan is designed to open a web login and activation page in that situation.
- Close and reopen the Crunchyroll app on the PS5 to generate a fresh sign-in screen, then scan again.
- Check the app version if the QR option is missing. Crunchyroll specifically documents QR sign-in for PS5 app version 02.001.004; app navigation and compatibility can change as updates are released.
Link the console with manual Activate Device
Manual activation is the documented alternative when QR sign-in is inconvenient or unavailable. It uses a short code shown by the console and your Crunchyroll account’s Device Management page in a browser.
- Open Crunchyroll on the PS5 and reach the sign-in or activation screen.
- Note the activation code displayed by the console.
- On a phone or computer, sign in to your Crunchyroll account in a browser.
- Open Device Management in the account settings.
- Choose Activate Device.
- Enter the code shown on the PS5 and submit it.
- Return to the console and wait for the app to recognize the activation.
The code connects the particular PS5 app session to the account currently open in the browser. If you manage several devices, check the account identity in the browser before submitting the code so you do not attach the console to the wrong membership.
Choose between free viewing and Premium access
Crunchyroll says a free membership can watch a selection of episodes on PlayStation. The amount of content available through free access can vary by the service’s catalog and policies, so the app itself determines which episodes can be played without Premium.
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For paid access purchased on the console, Crunchyroll’s PlayStation subscription information identifies Mega Fan as the plan currently offered through PlayStation Store. The purchase is charged to the PlayStation Wallet associated with the PlayStation account.
| Access route | What you can watch | Where payment is handled |
|---|---|---|
| Free Crunchyroll membership | A selection of episodes available without a paid plan | No PlayStation subscription purchase is required |
| Premium bought through PlayStation | Access supplied by the Mega Fan plan offered in PlayStation Store | PlayStation Wallet and PlayStation account settings |
| Premium billed elsewhere | Use the Premium access attached to the existing Crunchyroll account | The provider that currently bills the membership |
If your account already has Premium billed outside PlayStation, Crunchyroll says you must cancel that plan and wait for the current billing period to end before subscribing through PlayStation. This prevents two separate billing arrangements from running at the same time. You can still sign in on the PS5 during the existing period; the change concerns where a future subscription is purchased and managed.
Understand who bills your subscription
The place where you started the subscription controls its renewal, payment method, and cancellation. Signing into the same Crunchyroll account on a PS5 does not move an existing subscription to PlayStation billing.
| Where the plan was purchased | Payment source | How cancellation is handled |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation Store | PlayStation Wallet | Use PlayStation account subscription settings |
| Another Crunchyroll billing route | The original provider | Cancel through that provider after signing into the associated account |
Deleting the Crunchyroll app from the PS5, signing out of the app, or removing a payment method does not cancel a subscription. Cancellation depends on the billing provider. Before removing the app or changing payment details, identify the provider shown for your membership and use that provider’s account settings.
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A PS5 in a guest room, shared household, or public setting may remain listed as an authorized Crunchyroll device after you leave. Crunchyroll’s Device Management instructions let you remove that individual console.
- Sign in to your Crunchyroll account in a browser.
- Open Device Management.
- Find the PS5 you no longer want connected.
- Choose the option to deactivate that device.
Deactivating a listed device logs out that device while leaving your other connected devices signed in. Use this when you want to protect your account on a shared PS5 without forcing a sign-out on your phone, tablet, or another television.
Check for Crunchyroll app updates
If the app behaves differently from the instructions or a sign-in option is missing, check for an update from inside the PS5 app:
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- Open Crunchyroll on the PS5.
- Press the Options button on the controller.
- Choose Check for Updates.
After an update completes, reopen the app and check the sign-in screen again. Crunchyroll’s documented QR compatibility detail is version 02.001.004, while menu labels and supported flows may change in later app releases.
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Fix the most common account-linking problems
The console shows a QR code but the phone opens the wrong account
Sign out of the Crunchyroll mobile app or browser session that opened after scanning, then authenticate with the account that owns the membership you want on the PS5. Scan the current QR code again after returning to the console’s sign-in screen.
The phone has no Crunchyroll app
You do not need the mobile app for the documented QR route. Scan the code with the phone’s camera, let it open the web page, log in there, and complete device activation in the browser.
You prefer not to use a QR code
Use manual activation instead. Keep the PS5 activation code visible, open Device Management in a browser, select Activate Device, and submit the code while signed in to the correct account.
The PS5 remains linked to another household member
Open Device Management for the account currently connected to the console and deactivate the PS5. Then open Crunchyroll on the console and complete QR sign-in or manual activation with the intended account.
Premium access is not appearing
First verify that the PS5 is signed in to the same Crunchyroll account used for the subscription. Next identify the billing provider. A PlayStation purchase is tied to the PlayStation Wallet and PlayStation account, while a plan billed elsewhere remains managed by its original provider. If you are moving an existing plan to PlayStation, Crunchyroll requires the old plan to be canceled and its current billing period to finish before a PlayStation subscription is started.
You deleted the app expecting the subscription to stop
Reinstalling or deleting the app does not change the membership. Sign in to the account or billing provider that originally charged you and cancel from its subscription settings. Removing a payment method also does not substitute for cancellation.
Quick Recap
QR sign-in or manual activation: which should you use?
| Situation | Best documented route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You have your phone nearby and want the fastest setup | QR sign-in | The PS5 displays a code and the phone confirms the account or opens the web activation page. |
| You cannot use the phone camera or QR flow | Manual Activate Device | The console code can be entered from Device Management in any signed-in browser. |
| You are connecting a shared or temporary PS5 | Either route, followed by deactivation | Device Management can sign out that console without disconnecting other devices. |
Complete setup checklist
- Install Crunchyroll through PlayStation Store > Search > Media, or through Media Home > All Apps.
- Open the app and display the sign-in QR code.
- Scan it with a phone, approve in the Crunchyroll app, or complete the browser login that opens after scanning.
- If QR sign-in is unsuitable, use Device Management > Activate Device and enter the PS5 code.
- Confirm that the console is connected to the intended Crunchyroll account.
- Check whether your access is free, billed directly by Crunchyroll, or billed through PlayStation.
- For a shared console, deactivate the PS5 from Device Management when finished.
- Use Options > Check for Updates inside the PS5 app if the menus or sign-in flow do not match these steps.
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