To reset Gran Turismo 7 progress, you must delete your save data from the PlayStation console’s Settings menu and prevent the game from restoring it from the cloud; simply deleting local files won’t work because the game automatically re-downloads your progress from Polyphony Digital’s servers. The only way to get a genuinely clean slate is to disable cloud sync before deletion, or, if that fails, start over on a new PlayStation account.
How to reset Gran Turismo 7 progress: what actually works
Gran Turismo 7 has no in-game reset option, and that’s by design. The game uses an always-online architecture that stores your career progress, credits, and garage on Polyphony Digital’s servers, not just on your console. When you delete your local save data and relaunch the game, it checks the server and pulls down the cloud save, restoring everything you tried to erase. To truly reset, you need to interrupt that sync process before the game can re-download your data.
Key takeaways
- Deleting local save data alone won’t reset your progress because the cloud save auto-restores on relaunch.
- You must disable automatic cloud sync in your PlayStation system settings before deleting the save data.
- If the cloud save persists, the only guaranteed reset is creating a new PlayStation account and starting the game fresh on that profile.
Why a simple save delete won’t reset your game
Gran Turismo 7 is built around persistent online connectivity. Every time you finish a race, earn credits, or buy a car, that data is uploaded to Polyphony Digital’s servers. Your console’s local save is essentially a cache of that server data. When you delete the local file, the game treats it as a missing or corrupted file and automatically re-downloads the full save from the cloud. This is why the official recovery process for corrupted data tells you to delete the save and then restart the game, it expects the server to restore your progress, not wipe it.
How to delete your save data and prevent cloud restoration
To reset Gran Turismo 7 progress, you need to stop the cloud sync before you delete anything. Follow these steps in order:
- On your PlayStation console, go to Settings, then select Saved Data and Game/App Settings.
- Find Auto-Sync and disable it for Gran Turismo 7. This prevents the console from uploading or downloading save data for the game.
- Go back to Settings, select Storage, then Saved Data, and find Gran Turismo 7.
- Delete the save data from the console storage. Confirm the deletion when prompted.
- Relaunch Gran Turismo 7. With auto-sync disabled, the game should not restore your old progress, and you’ll start from the beginning.
If you re-enable auto-sync later, the game may upload your new, fresh save to the cloud, which is fine. But if you leave it disabled, your reset stays permanent.
The official corrupted save recovery process
Polyphony Digital documents a specific recovery method for corrupted save data, and it’s important to understand why this does not reset your progress. If you see a corrupted saved data error message, the official instructions say to close the game and delete the saved data from your PlayStation console from “Settings.” After the saved data is successfully deleted, restart Gran Turismo 7. The saved data will be automatically re-downloaded from the Gran Turismo 7 servers, so check if the issue is resolved. This process is for recovery and does not reset your progress to a new game, it restores your existing save from the cloud. So if you’re trying to wipe your career, this official method will only give you back the same progress you wanted to delete.
The nuclear option: starting over with a new account
If the cloud save persists despite disabling auto-sync and deleting local data, the only guaranteed way to get a completely clean slate is to create a new PlayStation account and play Gran Turismo 7 on that profile. This bypasses the server-side save entirely because your progress is tied to your account, not the console. The tradeoff is significant: your new account will not have access to any PlayStation Plus benefits associated with your old account, so if you use PS Plus for online multiplayer or monthly games, you’ll need to either subscribe again on the new account or keep your old account active for those features. You’ll also lose all trophies, credits, and cars tied to your original profile.
Before you reset: back up your garage
Resetting Gran Turismo 7 progress is irreversible, so take a moment to preserve anything you care about. If you have custom car liveries, tuned setups, replays of your best races, or photos you’ve taken in Scapes mode, export them externally. Replays and photos can be saved to a USB drive or shared to social media from the game’s gallery. Car setups and liveries can be shared to the community hub, which keeps them accessible even after your local save is gone. Once you delete the save data, there is no way to recover any of it, so back up anything you might want later.
