Did you finally pull the trigger on a new PlayStation 5? There are some great-looking games for the PS5, but there are also plenty of PS4 games that will run better than ever on the new hardware. If you're halfway through a game on your old PlayStation 4, you will need to transfer your save to the new console if you want to pick up where you left off.
Sony offers a few ways to move your data from one console to another. In fact, it will prompt you to do so during the PS5 setup process. But if you skipped that at the time, you can re-start the process from the console's settings. Here are your options.
Transfer Games and Save Files Over Wi-Fi/Ethernet
(Credit: Sony)
In order to transfer your data, you will first need to connect the two consoles. This can be done by linking the PS4 and PS5 to the same Wi-Fi network. However, if you want faster speeds, you can instead connect them directly to your router with Ethernet cables. This will allow you to transfer both game and save data, preventing you from having to re-download them over the internet.
To transfer your data, boot up your PS4 console and make sure it’s using the latest version of the PlayStation software. From the main menu, head to Settings > System Software Update and choose Upgrade Now. On your PS5, make sure you're logged in using the same PlayStation Network account as your PS4. Head to Settings > System > System Software and select Data Transfer.
Follow the on-screen instructions to move everything over—you'll select what save data, game files, and apps you want to migrate. When you're ready to start the transfer, you are prompted to press the power button on your PS4, and both systems will restart.
(Credit: Sony)
You will see an estimated transfer time on the final setup screen. This wait time only applies to your game saves, not for the full transfer. Migrating full game files will happen in the background, once your PS5 is up and running. Your PS4 will continue to show the "Transferring" window while this happens. Be prepared to wait hours—or even days, especially if you are on Wi-Fi.
If you have an external drive connected to your PS4, that data won't migrate to your PS5 using this method. You can, however, plug that drive directly into your PS5 to pick up where you left off in those games, no waiting necessary. You won't get the faster loading times available from the PS5's SSD, but you likely don't want to waste precious drive space on old games, since PS5 games have to be installed on the internal SSD.
Transfer Game Saves With a USB Drive
(Credit: Sony)
If the network transfer is giving you trouble, or if you have save data you want to transfer from a PS4 at someone else's house, you can also back up your PS4 game saves to a USB flash drive. Plug the drive into your PS4, then go to Settings > Application Saved Data Management > Saved Data in System Storage and select Copy to USB Storage Device. Select the game saves you want to copy over, and repeat this process for any other games on your system.
When you're done, you can plug that flash drive into your PS5 and head to Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data (PS4) > USB Drive. Choose Copy to Console Storage and select the game saves you want to migrate. Press the Copy button, and things should move onto your console storage fairly quickly, allowing you to pick up right where you left off (provided you installed the game, of course).
Recommended by Our Editors
How to Stream PlayStation 5 Games to All Your Devices With Remote Play
13 PlayStation 5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Console
How to Capture and Share Screenshots or Video Clips on the PlayStation 5
Download Game Saves From PlayStation Plus
(Credit: Sony)
Sony's PlayStation Plus service offers some cloud backup options that regular owners don't get. So if you are a PS Plus subscriber, you can download those game saves from your existing cloud storage.
On your PS5, head to Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data (PS4) > Cloud Storage and choose Download to Console Storage. You should be able to select which game saves you want to download. If you don't see the games you're looking for, you need to upload that data from your old console.
You can do this under Settings > Application Saved Data Management > Saved Data in System Storage > Upload to Online Storage on the PS4. Then come back to the Cloud Storage page on your PS5 and try downloading the data again.
Like What You're Reading?
Sign up for Tips & Tricks newsletter for expert advice to get the most out of your technology.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Sign up for other newsletters
Whitson Gordon is a writer, gamer, and tech nerd who has been building PCs for 10 years. He eats potato chips with chopsticks so he doesn't get grease on his mechanical keyboard.
Read Whitson's full bio
Read the latest from Whitson Gordon
- Fix Buggy Hardware: How to Manually Update Your Drivers in Windows
- How to Uninstall a Windows Update If Your Computer Is Acting Up
- How to Update Your Computer's BIOS/UEFI
- Get Back Online: 13 Tips to Troubleshoot Your Internet Connection
- Computer Unresponsive? What to Do if Your Laptop Freezes
- More from Whitson Gordon