No. A save stored on an original PlayStation 2 memory card cannot be plugged into, read by, or directly imported by a PlayStation 5. PS5 does not run original PS2 software, and Sony provides no PS2-memory-card conversion tool. You can move a save only when the game is running as a supported PS4 or PS5 release and the save is already in that console’s format.
Why an original PS2 save does not work on PS5
A physical PS2 memory card contains data in the PlayStation 2’s own memory-card format. The PS5 has no memory-card slot, no supported reader for that format, and no system menu that imports a raw PS2 card image. Connecting a USB card reader or copying files from a computer does not change that incompatibility: the PS5 still would not recognize the data as a valid PS4 or PS5 save.
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The console-compatibility limitation is just as important. In Sony Interactive Entertainment’s PS5 Ultimate FAQ (2020), the answer to “Can I play original PlayStation, PS2, or PS3 games on PS5?” is: “No, PS5 will play PS5 games and more than 99% of PS4 games, including PlayStation VR games, only.” Sony described that figure as more than 99% of the 4,000-plus PS4 games. Original PS2 discs and original PS2 software are outside the PS5’s supported game library.
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That means there is no Sony-supported path of inserting a PS2 card, selecting an import option, and continuing the same save on PS5. The storage size of the card is not the deciding factor; the save format and the game version are.
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What can transfer to a PS5
Sony’s transfer features handle PS4 and PS5 saved-data formats. A compatible PS4 save can be moved from a PS4 to a PS5 in three ways: a same-network console transfer, export to a compatible USB drive and import on PS5, or PlayStation Plus cloud storage. All of these methods require the save to belong to a supported PS4 or PS5 game release.
| Transfer route | What the source must be | What you need | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Same-network transfer | PS4 saved data | PS4 and PS5 connected to the same network, with the same PlayStation account | Moves supported console data; it does not interpret a PS2 memory-card image |
| USB export and import | PS4 saved data exported by the PS4 system | A compatible USB drive and both consoles | A USB drive cannot turn an original PS2 card file into a PS4 save |
| PlayStation Plus cloud storage | PS4 or PS5 saved data | An active PlayStation Plus membership and the same account on both consoles | Cloud storage accepts supported PS4/PS5 saves, not raw PS2 memory-card data |
Sony describes the console transfer function as copying data from a PlayStation 4 or another PlayStation 5 to a PS5. During initial PS5 setup, the system can guide you through that process. A transfer started after setup is still possible, but Sony notes that post-setup transfers have user and data-type limits. If a title or user does not appear as eligible, use the USB or cloud route for the supported save instead of expecting the transfer screen to convert it.
How to move a compatible PS4 save for a PS2-era game
Many games that first appeared on PS2 have later editions for PS4 or PS5. Treat that later edition as a separate product with its own save format. The steps below apply when you already have a PS4-format save for that supported edition.
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Option 1: Transfer over the same network
- Sign in to the same PlayStation Network account on the PS4 and PS5. The account match matters because a save is associated with its user profile.
- Connect both consoles to the same home network. A wired connection can be useful when transferring a large amount of data, but the essential requirement is that both systems can see each other on the network.
- On PS5, open Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer. Follow the on-screen instructions to select the PS4 and the saved data you want to copy.
- Leave both consoles powered on until the transfer completes. Do not treat a PS2 memory-card file as an eligible item; only data the PS4 exposes in its supported saved-data categories can be selected.
This route is convenient when the PS4 is available and the save is already on its internal storage. It does not help if all you possess is a physical PS2 card.
Option 2: Export from PS4 to a USB drive
- Insert a compatible USB drive into the PS4. The drive must be prepared in a format the console accepts for saved-data copying.
- On PS4, go to Settings > Application Saved Data Management > Saved Data in System Storage > Copy to USB Storage Device.
- Select the game and save files, then choose Copy. The PS4 creates the console’s supported saved-data structure on the drive.
- Eject the drive safely from the PS4 and connect it to the PS5.
- On PS5, open Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data (PS4) > USB Drive. Select the files and choose the copy command to place them on PS5 console storage.
The USB method is a transport mechanism, not a converter. A computer-created folder, a disc image, or a file copied directly from a PS2 card will not become valid PS4 saved data merely because it is placed on the same drive.
Option 3: Use PlayStation Plus cloud storage
PlayStation Plus membership is required for Sony’s cloud-save storage. The PS4 save must first be uploaded under the same account, and the PS5 must then download it to local console storage.
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- Use gift card funds to contribute towards PlayStationPlus memberships.
- On PS4, open Settings > Application Saved Data Management > Saved Data in System Storage > Upload to Online Storage. Select the supported game save and upload it.
- On PS5, open Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings.
- Choose Saved Data (PS4), then select Download or Delete from Cloud Storage.
- Choose Download to Console Storage, select the game save, and confirm the download.
- Launch the PS4 version of the game on PS5 and check that the title recognizes the downloaded save. A remastered or separately published PS5 version may use a different save system.
Sony states that PS5 saved data can auto-sync with cloud storage. PS4 saved data is auto-uploaded when configured, but it must be manually downloaded to PS5 console storage before the PS5 can use it. Cloud capacity is up to 100 GB for PS5 saved data and up to 100 GB for PS4 saved data. The PS4 portion is limited to 1,000 saved-data files.
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A digital classic, remaster, or port can look like the same game while using an entirely new save format. If the release is labeled as a PS4 game, its saves normally follow the PS4 saved-data workflow; if it is a PS5 game, it follows the PS5 workflow. That does not establish a conversion path from the original PS2 card.
Cross-version migration is title-specific. Some publishers provide an in-game import utility, a one-time upgrade process, or a separate save-transfer screen; others do not. Check the support information for the exact release and region you own. Verify all of these details before deleting the old save:
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- Whether your copy is the PS4 edition, PS5 edition, remaster, or a streamed version.
- Whether the publisher explicitly supports importing an original PS2 save or only moving a PS4 save between consoles.
- Whether a PS4 save can be upgraded to the PS5 edition, and whether the upgrade is one-way.
- Whether the same game title has separate save slots for disc, digital, classic, and remastered releases.
If the title’s documentation does not mention PS2-memory-card import, assume that the original card is not supported. A modern release may still allow you to start a new game, but that is different from continuing the old PS2 save.
PlayStation Plus streaming versus downloaded games
PlayStation Plus streaming introduces another save-location distinction. Sony says a streamed game’s save is stored in PlayStation streaming storage, while a downloaded game’s save is stored on the PS5 or PS4 console. The two save locations do not automatically merge.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsTo move between those versions, copy the save through online/cloud storage when Sony and the particular title support that path:
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- Finish or save the game in the version you are currently using.
- Open the saved-data controls for the console and upload the supported save to PlayStation Plus cloud storage.
- Switch to the downloaded version, then use Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings and download the applicable PS4 or PS5 save to console storage.
- Start the game and confirm that the correct edition sees the downloaded file. Keep the cloud copy until you have verified the result.
This procedure transfers a supported modern save. It does not provide a hidden route from an original PS2 memory card to a streamed or downloaded PS5 game.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The old PS3 memory-card workflow is not a PS5 solution
Sony’s PS3 user guide documented a dedicated memory-card adaptor that copied PS2 memory-card data into a virtual internal PS2 memory card on a PS3. That was a legacy PS3 feature built around PS3’s PS2 support. It demonstrates that PS2 card data used a distinct system; it is not evidence of a PS5 import function.
Buying a PS2-to-USB adaptor, copying a card image to a flash drive, or first moving the data through a PS3 therefore does not create a Sony-supported PS5 workflow. Unless the game publisher supplies a separate conversion utility for a specific modern release, the PS2 card remains usable only with hardware and software that support that card format.
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The save does not appear on PS5
- Confirm that you selected Saved Data (PS4), not Saved Data (PS5), in Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings.
- Check that the PS5 user is signed in to the same PlayStation account that created or uploaded the save.
- Confirm that the installed game is the same edition as the save. A PS4 save may not be recognized by a separate PS5 release.
- If using cloud storage, download the file to console storage; leaving it in the cloud is not enough for a PS4 game running locally.
The USB drive shows no files
- Re-copy the save from the PS4 using Settings > Application Saved Data Management. Do not drag files to the drive with a computer.
- Reconnect the drive directly to the PS5 and open the PS4 saved-data USB menu.
- Keep the original PS4 copy and the USB copy until the game launches successfully on PS5.
The network transfer cannot find the PS4
- Make sure both consoles are online on the same local network rather than isolated guest networks.
- Sign in to the same account on both systems and restart the transfer wizard from the PS5 data-transfer menu.
- Use USB or PlayStation Plus cloud storage if the post-setup transfer does not offer the user or data type you need.
The game still starts without the old progress
First identify the exact software edition. A PS2 original, a PS4 port, a PS5 remaster, and a streamed catalog version can have different save identifiers even when their titles are nearly identical. If the PS4 save is visible in PS5 storage but the game ignores it, look for the publisher’s title-specific migration instructions rather than repeatedly copying the same file.
A practical decision checklist
- Only an original PS2 memory card: there is no direct Sony-supported PS5 import.
- A PS4 console with a PS4 edition save: use same-network transfer, PS4-to-USB export, or PlayStation Plus cloud storage.
- A PS2 game sold as a PS4 or PS5 release: check that release’s own save-transfer rules; do not assume PS2-card compatibility.
- A streamed PlayStation Plus game: treat streaming storage and console storage as separate locations and move the supported save through cloud storage.
- An old PS3 adaptor setup: regard it as a PS3-era workflow, not a bridge to PS5.
Bottom line
PS5 cannot read or directly import an original PS2 memory-card save, and it does not play original PS2 software. The workable path is to obtain a supported PS4 or PS5 edition of the game and move that edition’s save with network transfer, a PS4-created USB backup, or PlayStation Plus cloud storage. Cloud membership can transfer compatible PS4/PS5 saves, but it cannot convert a PS2 memory-card file. For remasters, ports, and streamed titles, the exact game release determines whether any additional migration option exists.
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