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How to transfer PS4 games and saved data to PS5
If you’ve just got your hands on a PlayStation 5, congratulations, but don’t sell your PS4 just yet. You should transfer all your saved data so you can pick up games right where you left off on your new console. Here are all the ways to transfer your PS4 games and saved data to the PS5.
QUICK ANSWER
To transfer your PS4 games and saved data to a PS5:
- Connect both consoles to the same Wi-Fi network wirelessly or with a LAN cable.
- Navigate to Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer on your PS5. Select your PS4 from the list of detected devices to begin the data transfer.
How to transfer PS4 games and saved data to PS5
There are four ways to transfer your PS4 games and saved data: via Wi-Fi, LAN, extended storage, or PS Plus cloud storage.
Transferring data won’t overwrite or delete data on either console, but you might want to back it up (if possible) just in case something goes wrong. You’ll also want to synchronize your trophy information to keep a record of all your gaming achievements. Press the Options button while viewing Trophies and select Sync with PlayStation Network.
You can watch the official video from Sony for an overview of transferring data between consoles, then read on for all the details.
Transfer by network connection
The easiest way to transfer data is over a Wi-Fi network. Connect your PS5 console and PS4 consoles to the same network from the consoles’ Settings menus. You can connect to a router wirelessly, or to speed things up, use LAN (Ethernet) cables.
When connecting your consoles to the same network wirelessly, you can optionally directly link your PS5 and PS4 consoles via Ethernet for faster transfer speeds. If both consoles are connected to the router using LAN cables, you don’t need to connect the PlayStation consoles with one.
During the transfer, it helps if your TV has more than one HDMI port so that you can switch between inputs to monitor progress on either console. If your TV only has one free HDMI port, you might use a second display, or simply leave both consoles on while unplugging their HDMI cords when you need to alternate.
When you first set up your PS5 console, there should be onscreen instructions for the data transfer process. If you skipped that initially, you can find the option again by navigating to Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer. Tap Continue when you’re ready to begin. During the transfer, don’t unplug data or power cables, as doing so may cause serious problems.
When your PS5 shows the message Prepare for Data Transfer, press and hold the power button on your PS4 console for one second (or until you hear a beep). On your PS5, select the data you want to transfer. In most cases, this will be saved data and any downloaded games you’re currently playing. Start the transfer and wait until the process is finished.
Your PS5 console will automatically restart near the end. After this, you’ll find all the games and save files from your PS4 on your PS5.
Transfer by PS cloud server
If you subscribe to PlayStation Plus, you can take advantage of Sony’s cloud servers to store and download data. This method involves uploading your PS4 data to the cloud and then downloading it your PS5.
On your PS4, navigate to Settings > Application Data Management > Saved Data in System Storage > Upload to Online Storage. Select the games and files you’d like to upload and select Yes to overwrite (if necessary). You can save up to 100GB of PS4 data, and up to 1,000 saved data files.
Once your PS4 has finished uploading, turn on your PS5 and go to Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings. Select Saved Data (PS4) and choose Cloud Storage to see everything you’ve stored. Select the files and games you want to download, and then choose Download to Console Storage.
For PS5 games, if you select Sync Saved Data > View Sync Status, you can check the status for each game. Alternately, you can highlight a game from the home library, press the options button, and then select Check Sync Status of Saved Data.
Transfer using an extended storage device
Instead of re-downloading a PS4 game to your PS5’s internal storage, you can play any PS4 games installed on an external storage device by connecting it to your PS5.
Before disconnecting the extended storage from your PS4, select Settings > Devices > USB Storage Devices and choose Stop. You can now safely remove the cable and plug it into your PS5.
You can also move games between your extended storage and PS5 internal storage. Go to your Game Library, highlight the data you want to move, press the options button, and then select Move Games and Apps.
Read more: The best hard drives and SSDs for the PS5
FAQs
To transfer game captures from PS4 to iPhone, you can find any images or videos of your gameplay in the PlayStation mobile app. These are synced to your PS account for up to 14 days.
If you don’t have a LAN cable, the fastest way to transfer saved data between two PS4 consoles is by using an external hard drive or USB stick. Download the data from one console, then plug it in to upload to another. Alternately, you can download your saved data to a second PS4 from the cloud if you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber.