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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteUse the PS5’s built-in Back Up Your PS5 tool and a separate FAT32- or exFAT-formatted USB drive before you reset the console. Select saved data (and any other categories you need), wait for the second restart and “Backup complete” message, then keep that drive untouched until you have confirmed the restore. A USB drive that is already formatted as PS5 extended storage is not suitable for this backup. The backup protects ordinary console data, but Sony does not promise that a jailbreak, exploit entry point, modified firmware, encryption keys, licenses or another altered system state will survive a reset or system update.
What the PS5 backup actually does
Back Up Your PS5 creates a console backup on a USB storage device. Depending on the categories you select, it can include:
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- Games and apps installed on the internal console storage
- Saved data
- Screenshots and video clips
- System settings
The backup is intended for restoring normal PS5 console data after a reset or when replacing a console. It is not a forensic image of every item on the storage device and is not documented as a way to preserve a modified operating environment.
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What is not included
- Trophy status is excluded. Sync trophies separately before the reset.
- Games and apps stored on a USB extended-storage drive or an M.2 SSD are not copied into this backup. Reconnect those drives or reinstall the software separately.
- Sony’s documentation does not guarantee preservation of jailbreak files, exploit entry points, modified firmware, encryption keys, licenses or other altered system state.
Choose the right USB drive
Sony lists FAT32 and exFAT as supported formats for the USB device used by the backup workflow. A portable USB hard drive or flash drive is suitable when it is formatted in one of those file systems and has enough free space for the categories you select.
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Do not confuse backup media with PS5 extended storage
PS5 extended storage is configured for running or moving games and uses a different format and purpose. A drive that the console has already configured as extended storage cannot be used for Back Up Your PS5 until it is reformatted for ordinary USB storage. Reformatting erases the contents, so copy any games or other files you need before changing the format. Do not assume that plugging an extended-storage drive into the backup screen makes it a backup device.
Prepare the drive without risking existing files
- Copy anything important from the USB drive to another location.
- Format the drive as FAT32 or exFAT using a computer or another supported device.
- Eject it safely, then connect it directly to a PS5 USB port.
Formatting can erase the drive. If the PS5 does not recognize it, remove hubs and adapters, reconnect it directly, and confirm that the format is FAT32 or exFAT.
Back up PS5 saves and settings step by step
- Connect the FAT32- or exFAT-formatted USB drive to the PS5.
- Open Settings > System > System Software > Back Up and Restore > Back Up Your PS5.
- Review the categories shown by the console. Select saved data at minimum. Add games and apps, screenshots and video clips, and settings if you want those items available after restoration.
- Select Next.
- Add a description if you need to identify this backup later, then select Back Up.
- Allow the PS5 to restart and begin copying. Do not turn off the console, unplug the USB drive or interrupt power.
- Wait for the “Backup complete” screen and the second restart. Select OK only after that process has finished and the console has returned to the home screen.
Sony’s warning is explicit: “Don’t turn off your PS5® console while backing up or restoring data.” An interrupted operation can leave you without a usable backup, so avoid starting it when a power interruption is likely.
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Verify and protect the backup before changing the console
The PS5 reports completion on screen, but completion is not a substitute for preserving the media. Leave the backup on the original USB drive, do not reformat it and do not use the drive for unrelated storage until the reset or update has been tested.
Record what you selected
Write down the backup date, the description you entered and the categories included. If games or apps were on extended storage or an M.2 SSD, record where those drives are and keep them with the console. This prevents you from treating an intentionally excluded game installation as missing saved data.
Sync trophies separately
Trophies are not part of the USB backup. Before resetting, sign in to the PlayStation account that owns the trophies and update trophy status through the console’s normal trophy-sync function. If the console has not been connected to PlayStation services, do not assume its unsynced trophy progress will be recoverable from the USB backup.
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Keep account access available
Backup data is linked to the PlayStation account. If you never signed in to PlayStation services, restoration is limited to the same console. Restoring to another console requires the same PlayStation account, so make sure you know the account credentials before beginning a reset.
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A restore is destructive: the current data on the console is erased, and Sony says erased data cannot be restored. Treat the USB copy as your last independent recovery point. Keep it untouched until the restored console has booted, your account is available and the saves you need are visible and usable.
System-software version requirement
The console receiving the restore must be running the same system-software version or a newer version than the one installed when the backup was made. A restore can therefore fail or be unavailable if you attempt it on older system software. Check the installed version before you reset, and do not downgrade the receiving console below the backup’s version.
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Console Sharing and Offline Play
Restoring disables Console Sharing and Offline Play. After restoration, open the relevant account settings and re-enable that option if you use the console for offline access or share games with other users on the device.
Restoring the backup after a reset
Only start this process when you accept that restoration will replace the current console data. Keep the USB drive connected directly to the console and use the PS5’s restore workflow under Settings > System > System Software > Back Up and Restore. Select the option to restore from the USB backup, choose the backup by its description and date, and follow the on-screen confirmation prompts.
- Confirm that the PS5 system software is the same version or newer than the version used for the backup.
- Connect the untouched USB backup drive.
- Open Settings > System > System Software > Back Up and Restore and choose the restore option.
- Select the intended backup and read the data-erasure warning.
- Confirm only when you are prepared for the existing console data to be erased.
- Leave the PS5 powered and the USB drive connected through every restart.
- After the home screen returns, sign in to the required PlayStation account, check saved data and settings, reconnect any excluded extended-storage or M.2 drive, and verify the games that matter to you.
- Re-enable Console Sharing and Offline Play if required.
Do not delete the USB backup immediately after the first successful boot. Open the games associated with the saves you care about, confirm the expected progress is present and check that your account and settings work. Keep the backup until those checks are complete.
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Modified-console limits: what Sony does and does not promise
The official backup and restore procedure documents ordinary PS5 console data. It does not promise that a jailbreak, an exploit entry point, modified firmware, encryption keys, licenses or another altered system state will be copied or remain usable after a reset, restore or update.
A normal data backup should therefore not be treated as a proven copy of a modified system. A reset may return the console to a state in which an exploit is unavailable; an update may change the software conditions on which a particular modification depends. The result can vary by console hardware, installed system-software version and the exact modification. No general backup instruction can establish that a particular exploit will survive.
Use version-specific documentation
Before updating or resetting a modified PS5, identify the exact hardware model and system-software version. Consult documentation written for that combination and follow its warnings about update order, recovery mode and exploit availability. If the documentation does not explicitly confirm that your altered state can be restored, assume the USB backup protects only the ordinary data categories listed by Sony.
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Plan for two different outcomes:
- Data recovery: saved data, selected settings and any included media can be restored through Sony’s documented workflow, subject to account and version requirements.
- Modification recovery: jailbreak files, exploit access, firmware changes, keys and licenses are not guaranteed by that workflow and may require a separate, version-specific procedure—or may not be recoverable at all.
Keeping those outcomes separate prevents a completed data restore from being mistaken for proof that the modified environment survived.
Quick Recap
USB backup, extended storage, M.2 storage and cloud saves
| Storage method | What it is for | What to expect before a reset |
|---|---|---|
| FAT32/exFAT USB backup | PS5’s Back Up Your PS5 archive | Can include selected saved data, games and apps, screenshots/video clips and settings. Keep the drive untouched until restoration is verified. |
| USB extended storage | Storing and moving PS5 games and apps | Not backup media. It is excluded from the PS5 backup and must be reconnected separately. |
| M.2 SSD | Additional internal-style game storage | Excluded from the backup. Preserve the drive and reinstall or reconnect it according to the console’s procedure. |
| PlayStation Plus cloud saves | Online saved-data synchronization for eligible games | Availability depends on the account, game and current regional service terms. Verify eligibility and synchronization separately; it is not a replacement for a verified USB backup when performing a risky reset. |
Troubleshooting common backup and restore problems
The PS5 says there is no usable USB device
- Confirm the drive is FAT32 or exFAT, not PS5 extended storage.
- Connect it directly to the console rather than through a hub.
- Safely eject it from the computer, reconnect it and try another USB port.
- Back up the drive’s existing files and reformat it if the file system is unsupported or damaged.
The backup stops or the console does not reach “Backup complete”
- Do not unplug the drive while the PS5 is operating.
- Check the USB cable, available power and free space, then retry after restarting the console.
- If the same drive repeatedly fails, use another FAT32- or exFAT-formatted device rather than relying on an incomplete archive.
The restore option rejects the backup
- Check that the receiving PS5 is running the same or newer system-software version.
- Use the PlayStation account associated with the backup when restoring to another console.
- Confirm that the USB drive still contains the original backup and has not been reformatted.
- Remember that games on extended storage or an M.2 SSD are not inside the archive.
The saves appear missing after restoration
- Confirm that saved data was selected during backup; selecting only games and apps does not create a save-data copy.
- Sign in to the account linked to the backup.
- Check the game’s own save-data list after the console finishes indexing and reconnect any separately stored drive.
- Do not erase the USB backup while investigating.
Pre-reset checklist for a modified PS5
- Identify the exact hardware model and installed system-software version.
- Read version-specific guidance for the modification before choosing reset or update.
- Prepare a separate FAT32- or exFAT-formatted USB drive; do not use a drive configured as extended storage.
- Run Settings > System > System Software > Back Up and Restore > Back Up Your PS5.
- Include saved data and any other categories you need.
- Wait for the “Backup complete” screen and the second restart.
- Sync trophies separately.
- Preserve the USB backup and confirm that you can access the required PlayStation account.
- Record any games on extended storage or an M.2 SSD for separate reconnection or installation.
- Proceed only after accepting that Sony does not guarantee recovery of the jailbreak or other modified system state.
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