How to Transfer Games and Saves From PS4 to PS5

Upgrading from a PS4 to a PS5 does not mean leaving your games and hard-earned progress behind. Sony built a transfer tool into the PS5 setup that moves games, saves, settings, and profiles across your home network, and there are also manual methods using external drives and the cloud. This guide walks through each option so you can pick the one that fits your situation.

Quick Answer

To transfer games and saves from PS4 to PS5, sign in to both consoles with the same PlayStation Network account, connect them to the same network (ideally by Ethernet), and use the PS5’s Data Transfer tool in Settings, System, System Software, Data Transfer. Alternatively, move PS4 games on an external hard drive by simply plugging it into the PS5, and move saves with PlayStation Plus cloud storage or a USB drive. The network transfer is the most complete single method.

Method 1: The Built-In Data Transfer (Most Complete)

This transfers user profiles, settings, save data, and game installs in one go:

1. Update both consoles to their latest system software.
2. Sign in to the same PSN account on both consoles.
3. Connect both to the same home network. Wired Ethernet for both is strongly recommended; Wi-Fi works but can take hours for big libraries.
4. On the PS5, go to Settings, System, System Software, Data Transfer, and choose Continue.
5. When prompted, press the power button on the PS4 for one second, until it beeps, to make it discoverable.
6. Select the PS4 when it appears on the PS5, choose which users, saves, and games to transfer, and start.
7. Leave both consoles alone until the PS5 restarts into normal use. You can use the PS5 for other things during part of the transfer, as the screen explains.

Sony’s own official data transfer guide mirrors this process and includes notes for transferring during the initial console setup instead.

Method 2: External Hard Drive for PS4 Games

If your PS4 games already live on a USB external drive, the transfer is almost laughably simple: unplug the drive from the PS4 and plug it into the PS5. The games appear in your library and play immediately, because the PS5 reads the same extended storage format. If your PS4 games are on the PS4’s internal drive, you can copy them to a USB drive first from the PS4’s storage settings. Remember that this method moves games only, not saves, so pair it with a save transfer below.

Method 3: Cloud Saves With PlayStation Plus

If you have PlayStation Plus, your saves may already be safe in the cloud. On the PS4, go to Settings, Application Saved Data Management, and upload your saves to Online Storage if auto-upload was not on. On the PS5, download them from Settings, Saved Data and Game/App Settings, Saved Data (PS4), Cloud Storage. This is also the cleanest method if your PS4 is already packed away. Our detailed guide on backing up PS5 save data to the cloud and USB covers the sync settings that keep this automatic in future.

Method 4: USB Drive for Saves (No Subscription)

Without Plus, copy saves from the PS4 using a USB stick: Settings, Application Saved Data Management, Saved Data in System Storage, Copy to USB Storage Device. Then on the PS5, go to Saved Data (PS4), USB Drive, and copy them to console storage. It is manual and game-by-game, but free and reliable. Do it before you sell or wipe the PS4, because once the old console is gone, un-backed-up saves are gone with it.

What About PS5 Versions of Your Games?

Many PS4 games have free or paid PS5 upgrades. After transferring, check the PlayStation Store page for each favourite: if a PS5 version exists, you can usually download it using your PS4 disc or digital licence. Save files sometimes transfer into the PS5 version automatically, sometimes through an in-game import option, and sometimes not at all. Delete the PS4 version only after confirming the PS5 version runs and your progress is where you expect. Trophy lists usually continue on the same list for upgraded games, though a few titles use separate lists.

Mistakes That Cause Lost Progress

• Selling the PS4 before checking the transfer. Always boot a few transferred games on the PS5 and confirm saves load before the old console leaves your home.
• Transferring over weak Wi-Fi. A large library on Wi-Fi can take most of a day and is more likely to stall. Use cables, or move games by drive instead.
• Using different accounts on each console. Saves and licences are tied to the account. Both consoles must use the same PSN account for a clean transfer.
• Assuming PS5 upgrades import saves automatically. Some do, some need an in-game upload from the PS4 version first. Check before deleting anything.
• Interrupting the transfer. Turning either console off mid-transfer can corrupt the process. Start it when you can leave both machines alone.

What Does Not Transfer (And What to Do About It)

A few things stay behind no matter which method you use. PS4 themes do not apply to the PS5 interface. Some games were never made compatible with PS5 at all — Sony’s list is very short, but if a favourite refuses to appear, check whether it is one of the unsupported titles. Captured screenshots and videos do not ride along with the standard data transfer; copy them to a USB drive from the PS4’s Media Gallery if you want to keep them. Controller pairings and Bluetooth devices need to be set up fresh on the new console, which takes a minute per device. None of these are deal-breakers, but knowing them in advance saves the “where did it go?” moment after setup.

Preparing the PS4 Before It Goes

Once the transfer is verified on the PS5, prepare the old console for its next life. If you are selling or giving it away, deactivate it as your primary PS4 first, then initialise it to wipe your account and data completely. Keep the console until the PS5 has run your top games without complaint — a week of normal use is a sensible probation period. If you are keeping the PS4 for another room, nothing needs wiping at all; your account can exist on both consoles, with one set as primary for sharing benefits. Either way, the transfer itself does not harm the PS4, so there is no rush to decide.

Conclusion

For most people, the built-in network transfer does everything in one pass, and an external drive makes PS4 games portable in seconds. Cloud and USB save transfers cover everyone else, including those whose PS4 is already boxed up. Whichever route you choose, verify your favourite games load with your progress intact before you retire the old console, and your entire PS4 history comes with you to the new generation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a PS4 to PS5 transfer take?

It depends entirely on how much data you move and your connection type. Saves alone take minutes. A 500GB game library over Ethernet may take a few hours; over Wi-Fi it can take much longer.

Can I transfer if my PS4 is broken?

If the PS4 cannot turn on, the network transfer is impossible. Your remaining hope is PlayStation Plus cloud saves uploaded earlier, or saves on a USB drive. Games themselves can always be redownloaded from your library.

Do digital PS4 games need to be downloaded again?

Not if you transfer them or bring them on an external drive. If you skip both, you can redownload them free from your PS5 library because the licence is on your account.

Will my PS4 themes and settings transfer too?

The full data transfer moves user settings and profiles, but PS4 themes do not apply on PS5 because the PS5 interface does not support themes in the same way.

Can I keep playing the PS4 after transferring?

Yes. Transferring copies your data; it does not wipe the PS4. You can keep using both consoles, though cloud save sync works best when you mainly play on one.