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Can You Transfer Cities: Skylines Saves and DLC Between Platforms?

Cities: Skylines game and DLC purchases are platform-bound under Paradox’s policy. Save transfer is not confirmed for every platform pairing, so verify before switching.
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DLC and game purchases do not transfer between platforms under Paradox Interactive’s published policy. If you move to a different platform, you should expect to buy the game and any DLC you want there again. Save transfers are less clear: community reports say console saves cannot be moved to PC, but an official rule covering every platform pairing and current version is not established.

Do Cities: Skylines purchases and DLC transfer?

No. Paradox’s Helpdesk says purchases cannot be transferred between platforms. Its example is a player who owns Cities: Skylines on PS4 and wants to play on PC: that player needs to buy the PC version. A Paradox account does not override this policy. Read Paradox’s platform-transfer policy (updated March 31, 2024).

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That policy means you should not expect DLC ownership to carry over either. Paradox’s Cities: Skylines add-ons catalog lists platform availability separately, including Steam, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Availability and product listings can change, so check the catalog and the destination storefront for the exact game edition and add-ons before buying.

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Can you transfer a city save?

There is no confirmed universal answer for every source and destination. Community discussions from 2020–2021 report that console saves cannot be transferred to PC, but those reports are not official policy and do not establish the current rules for every storefront, console generation, or version. Community discussions about save transfers should be treated as anecdotal rather than a guarantee.

#1 Best Overall
Cities: Skylines [Online Game Code]
  • Multi-tiered simulation: Playing as the mayor of your city you’ll be faced with balancing essential requirements such as education, water electricity, police, fire fighting, healthcare and much more along with your citys real economy system.
  • Extensive local traffic simulation: Colossal Orders extensive experience developing the Cities in Motion series is fully utilized in a fully fleshed out and well-crafted transport systems.
  • Districts and Policies: Be more than just an administrator from city hall. Designating parts of your city as a district results in the application of policies which results in you rising to the status of Mayor for your own city.
  • Extensive modding support: Build or improve on existing maps and structures. You can then import them into the game, share them as well as download the creations of other city builders on the Steam workshop.

The available evidence does not document an official cross-platform save-conversion workflow. If keeping a particular city matters, do not plan a platform switch around an assumed import option. Ask Paradox support about your exact source and destination before switching.

Check these details before changing platforms

  1. Write down the exact pairing. Specify the source and destination, such as Xbox to PC, PlayStation to PC, or one PC storefront to another. “PC” or “console” alone may not identify the relevant storefront or edition.
  2. Verify the destination version. Check that the game and the specific DLC you want are listed for that platform in the official add-ons catalog and available in its store.
  3. Back up the original save. Keep a separate copy before attempting any file-level workaround. The sources reviewed do not describe an official cross-platform conversion method.
  4. Get confirmation if the save is essential. Contact Paradox support with the exact game edition and platform pair. Do not assume that linked accounts or a purchase on the new platform will migrate progress.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

What to expect if you switch

Budget for a separate copy of the game and any desired DLC on the destination platform, as Paradox’s policy says purchases cannot move across platforms. Treat the save as separate unless support confirms an import route for your exact pairing. Buying the destination version does not itself transfer the old save or entitlements.

Best Value
Cities Skylines (PS4)
  • Build the city of your dreams: Plan road networks, bus lines and parks. Bring on a smog-filled industrial revolution or create a quiet beach town ideal for tourists powered by renewable energy. Bring education, healthcare and safety to your citizens. Build it your way!
  • Multi-tiered and challenging simulation: Playing as the mayor of your city, you'll be faced with balancing essential requirements such as education, water electricity, police, firefighting, healthcare and much more, along with your city's economy. Citizens within your city react fluidly, keeping you on your toes with ever-evolving demands. Extensive local traffic simulation: Managing traffic and the needs of your citizens to work and play will require the use of several interactive transport systems - use careful road planning alongside buses, trains, subways, and much more
  • Districts and policies: Be more than just another city hall official! Create a car-free downtown area, assign free public transport to your waterfront, or ban pets in suburbia. Designate parts of your city as a district in order to set policy at the local level, and give different parts of town their own personalities
  • After Dark included: Watch your city become an entirely different place at night: a day-night cycle will have your citizens seeking out places to unwind after work. Add in new policies and zones to create popular hotspots and provide enough taxis and trains to get to and from the clubs!
Rank #3
Cities Skylines: Parklife Edition (PlayStation 4) (PS4)
  • Build the city of your dreams: bring on a smog-filled industrial Revolution or create a quiet Beach town ideal for tourists powered by renewable energy. Build it your way!
  • Multi-tiered and challenging simulation: playing as the mayor of your city, you'll be faced with balancing essential requirements such as education, water electricity and much more, along with your city's economy.
  • extensive local traffic simulation: managing traffic and the needs of your citizens to work and play will require the use of several interactive transport systems.
  • districts and policies: be more than just another city Hall official! Create a car-free downtown area, assign free public transport to your waterfront, or ban pets in suburbia.
  • after Dark included: watch your city become an entirely different place at night: a day-night cycle will have your citizens seeking out places to unwind after work.use the new Park area tool to create Park districts wherever there is empty land, and new city services like Park maintenance, which boosts happiness and effectiveness and helps level up parks.customize your city with new buildings and assets, including a new sightseeing bus line, new service buildings, new unique buildings like Amusement parks, nature reserves, city parks and zoos.customize routes and set ticket prices for new Walking and sightseeing tours, among other tourism enhancements.take on three new city policies and eight new Park policies
Rank #2
Cities: Skylines II - PlayStation 5
  • Deep Simulation: Make choices that have ripple effects across the city. Intricate AI and economic systems mean players will need to strategize, problem solve and react to changes, challenges and opportunities.
  • Epic Scale, Endless Possibilities: Build a thriving metropolis without compromise. In Cities: Skylines II, players will be able to build sky-high and across the map to realize their dream city like never before.
  • Cities That Come Alive: Follow the lives of individual citizens, from love and loss to wealth and well-being. Player decisions will shape the lives of their city’s citizens.
  • A Dynamic World: Pick a map to set the climate and biome of the city. These natural forces will shape the growth of players’ cities as they contend with rising pollution, changeable weather and seasonal challenges.

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