How to Transfer Your PS4 Game Data to a PS5 Platforms PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 by Abbas Alley - May 14, 2023 The PlayStation 5’s backward compatibility means you can enjoy almost the entire PS4 library on the newer system, taking advantage of better visuals and loading times. Sony provides several ways to move your PS4 games and save data to the PS5. We’ll explain them here so you can move your data easily and enjoy your PS4 collection on PS5. Before Transferring Your PS4 Data to PS5 Before you move your PS4’s data over to the PS5, there are a few quick actions to take on your PS4. First, make sure you’re signed into the same PlayStation Network account on both consoles. You can transfer data for multiple accounts if you need, but you have to do these one at a time. Next, make sure you’ve updated the system software on your PS4. Go to Settings > System Software Update to check for the latest version. Finally, you should sync your trophy data with PlayStation Network so you don’t lose any of those. To do this, go to Trophies from the PS4’s main screen, press Options on your controller, and hit Sync with PlayStation Network. Your PS Plus membership carries over from PS4 to PS5, so you don’t need to do anything specific with that. 1. Transfer Your PS4 Data Over Your Network The primary way to move PS4 data to your PS5 is by connecting them both to your network and using the PS5’s transfer utility. We recommend doing this first, since it covers the most ground, including letting you transfer save data. To start, you’ll need to turn on both your PS4 and PS5 and make sure they’re connected to your home network. For best results, you should connect both devices to your router with their own Ethernet cables. If this isn’t possible, you can connect both machines to Wi-Fi, then connect your PS4 to your PS5 using an Ethernet cable. This will provide speeds as fast as if they were both wired to your network. You can proceed with both consoles connected wirelessly, but note that this increases the time it takes to transfer. Once both systems are ready, walk through these steps: On your PS5, go to Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer > Continue. If needed, pick the PS4 you want to move data from (in most cases, there will only be one and you won’t see this step). You’ll see a Prepare for Data Transfer message on your PS5. Once this appears, hold the power button on your PS4 until you hear a beep. After your systems recognize each other, pick the data that you want to move from your PS4 to your PS5. You’ll be able to choose save data first, followed by game data. Review the transfer time that shows, then hit Start Transfer. Wait for the transfer to complete. Once your system restarts, you’re ready to use the transferred data on your PS5. Some games may still download in the background after this.
