If your game offers a PS5 upgrade, open its game hub on a signed-in PS5, choose the upgrade offer, review the terms, and select Download (or buy it at the displayed discount). A physical PS4 copy requires a PS5 with a disc drive and the disc must stay inserted whenever you play the installed PS5 version. A digital PS4 license can be upgraded from either PS5 model. The offer may be free, paid, or time-limited depending on the title.
First, identify the copy and the offer
There is no single, console-wide “free remaster” entitlement. Each publisher and game defines its own PS4-to-PS5 terms. On the game’s hub, the current offer determines whether the PS5 build costs nothing, requires a purchase, or is available only for a limited period. Backward compatibility does not create an upgrade entitlement by itself.
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| What you own | Where you can claim the upgrade | What you need to keep playing |
|---|---|---|
| Physical PS4 game disc | A PS5 model with a working disc drive; insert the disc and open the game hub | The same PS4 disc inserted for every session of the PS5 digital game |
| Digital PS4 license | Either PS5 model; use PlayStation Store or Search, then open the PS5 game hub | The account that owns the digital license signed in on the console |
| PS4 game obtained as a PlayStation Plus benefit | Only if Sony specifically lists an upgrade entitlement for that title | Whatever license terms Sony lists for that game |
A physical copy also has a region condition: the disc and the PlayStation account must be from the same country or region. A disc imported from another market can therefore fail to show the expected offer even when the game is otherwise eligible.
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The title must have a PS5 offer
Insert the disc or locate the digital game, open its game hub, and look for an explicit PS5 upgrade offer. The fact that the PS4 game runs on PS5 is not enough. Sony describes the PS5 as backward compatible with the overwhelming majority of PS4 games, but compatibility means the PS4 build runs; it does not promise a remaster or native PS5 version. Some backward-compatible games may also have missing functions or errors.
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“Free” is specific to the game
Read the price and any date or time-limit language shown on the hub. One title can offer a no-cost upgrade while another asks for a payment, and an offer can change or expire. Do not assume that owning the PS4 release guarantees a permanent free entitlement.
Confirm the account and region
- For a digital copy, sign in with the PlayStation account that owns the PS4 license.
- For a disc, use an account whose country or region matches the disc’s market.
- A PS4 game claimed through PlayStation Plus is not eligible unless Sony expressly says that it is.
Confirm the hardware for a disc
PS4 game discs cannot be used with the PS5 Digital Edition. If your copy is on Blu-ray, you need a PS5 with a disc drive; the digital-only console has no way to authenticate the disc.
Install the upgrade from a physical PS4 disc
Use this route when you own the game on a PS4 disc. The disc is both the proof of ownership for the upgrade and the licence check used when you launch the PS5 version.
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- Sign in on a PS5 with a disc drive. Use the account whose country or region matches the disc.
- Insert the PS4 disc. The PS4 version normally begins installing. Sony notes that an update may be required; allow that installation or update to complete as prompted.
- Open the game’s hub. From the game screen, select the title so its hub and available editions are displayed.
- Select the PS5 upgrade offer. Check whether the displayed terms say free, show a charge, or include a time limit. The hub’s wording and price are the controlling terms for that title.
- Review the terms and choose the displayed action. Select Download when the upgrade is free. If the offer is discounted rather than free, select the purchase option and complete the transaction shown on screen.
- Wait for the PS5 version to install. The console may retain the PS4 installation as well, so check which edition is being downloaded before starting a long play session.
- Keep the disc inserted when you play. After the download, the PS5 digital game launches only while the matching PS4 disc is inserted. Remove it and the console cannot verify the entitlement.
The disc requirement applies even though the upgraded software is downloaded to storage. The disc is not converted into a standalone digital licence, transferred to another account, or made unnecessary by completing the download.
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Install the upgrade from a digital PS4 licence
Digital ownership follows the account rather than a physical medium, so either PS5 model can use this process.
- Sign in to the owning account. Use the account that purchased or otherwise owns the digital PS4 licence.
- Find the PS5 edition. Search for the game or open PlayStation Store and locate the title. Select the game to open its hub.
- Choose the upgrade offer. The hub shows whether the PS5 version is free, requires payment, or is subject to a limited-time condition.
- Review and accept the displayed terms. Select Download for a free entitlement. If a discounted purchase is shown, complete that purchase instead.
- Let installation finish. Sony’s digital-game instructions use Game Library: select the game and choose Download; installation then proceeds automatically.
Because there is no disc check on a digital licence, the PS5 version can be started from the owning account after installation. Other account and console-sharing permissions still follow the normal licence rules shown by the platform.
Tell the PS5 version from the PS4 version
Both editions can appear in Game Library, and selecting the wrong tile can make it seem that the upgrade did not work. Use the built-in version selector:
- Open Game Library.
- Highlight the game and press X.
- Select the ellipsis (…).
- Choose the PS4 or PS5 version.
The PS4 build has “PS4” beside its title. The PS5 build displays only the game title, without the PS4 label. Select the PS5 entry when you want the remaster or native PS5 release. If the game is disc-based, leave the PS4 disc in the drive after making that selection.
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Understand the three different upgrade situations
Native PS5 upgrade
This is a separate PS5 build offered from the game hub. It may include a remaster or other PS5-specific version, but the exact features are title-dependent. The offer’s price and terms, not the fact that you own the PS4 game, determine eligibility.
Ordinary PS4 backward compatibility
The PS5 can run the PS4 build for most PS4 games. That is useful when no PS5 offer exists, but it is not the same as downloading a PS5 remaster. A compatible PS4 game can still have missing functions or errors, and it will remain the PS4 version in the library.
Free, paid, or time-limited entitlement
Some hubs show a zero-price download; others show a purchase price or a discounted upgrade. A limited-time offer can stop being available after its stated period. Capture the terms shown on the hub before confirming, particularly when the offer is not free.
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What to do when the upgrade offer is missing
Work through these checks in order. Each one addresses a different reason the hub may not show the expected option.
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- Verify that the title actually has an upgrade. Backward compatibility alone does not guarantee a remaster or PS5 offer.
- Check the console model. A physical disc requires a PS5 with a disc drive. The PS5 Digital Edition cannot read the source disc.
- Use the correct account. For a digital game, switch to the account that owns the licence. For a disc, confirm that the account’s country or region matches the disc.
- Insert the correct disc and open the hub. The PS4 disc must be present while you inspect the offer; do not rely only on a previously installed PS4 copy.
- Read the displayed price and date conditions. The offer may be paid or expired rather than absent because of a console fault.
- Check the installed edition. If both versions are present, use Game Library’s ellipsis menu to select the PS5 entry instead of launching the PS4 build.
- Keep the disc inserted after installation. A downloaded PS5 version from a disc entitlement will not start without the matching disc.
If these checks do not produce an offer, the most likely explanation is that the specific game or licence type is not included. A PlayStation Plus version is excluded unless Sony has made an exception for that title.
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PS5 console with a disc drive
Sony lists a PlayStation 5 Console – 1TB disc model that plays PS4 and PS5 games on Blu-ray discs and also supports digital downloads. This is the direct hardware fit if your starting point is a physical PS4 library: it can authenticate the disc for an upgrade while still giving you access to digital games.
Adding a separately sold disc drive
Sony also documents a separately sold PS5 Disc Drive for compatible CFI-2000 and CFI-7000 model groups. Internet pairing is required during setup. Check the exact CFI model compatibility before buying; a drive intended for one model group should not be assumed to fit every PS5.
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A PS5 Digital Edition is suitable for a digital PS4 licence and its PS5 upgrade, because no disc authentication is needed. It cannot, however, use a PS4 disc as the source of an upgrade or as the licence check for play.
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Physical versus digital: the practical trade-offs
| Decision point | Physical PS4 copy | Digital PS4 licence |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible console | PS5 with a disc drive | Either PS5 model |
| How the offer is found | Insert the disc, then open the game hub | Use Store or Search, then open the game hub |
| Account condition | Account region must match the disc’s country or region | Sign in to the account that owns the licence |
| How installation starts | Disc installation may begin; an update may be required, then select the PS5 offer | Game Library or the game hub offers Download; installation proceeds automatically |
| Authentication after upgrading | Matching PS4 disc must remain inserted for every play session | No disc is required; access follows the digital licence |
| What “free” means | Only the title’s current hub offer establishes whether the upgrade is free, paid, discounted, or time-limited | |
Common mistakes that look like failed upgrades
Launching the PS4 build
Having both editions installed does not mean the console will always open the PS5 build. Use the version selector and look for the label: “PS4” marks the older build, while the PS5 version shows only the game title.
Removing the disc after downloading
Download completion is not the end of the physical-disc process. The downloaded PS5 software remains tied to the disc, so removing it causes the launch check to fail.
Assuming every compatible game has a remaster
Backward compatibility lets a PS4 game run; it does not promise a remastered edition. Always look for a specific PS5 offer on the hub.
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A physical disc and account from different countries or regions may not qualify for the offer. This is a licensing condition, not evidence that the disc drive or installation is defective.
Treating a PlayStation Plus copy like a purchase
PS4 games redeemed as a PlayStation Plus benefit are not eligible by default. Only a title-specific Sony statement can make such a copy qualify.
A short decision checklist
- Disc or digital? A disc needs a drive; a digital licence needs the owning account.
- Offer present? The game hub must show a PS5 upgrade, with its current price and any time limit.
- Correct region? A physical disc and account must match country or region.
- Correct edition? Select the PS5 entry through Game Library rather than assuming the first tile is the remaster.
- Ongoing authentication? Keep the source disc inserted for every session when the entitlement came from a physical copy.
What you should expect after installation
A successful free upgrade gives you the PS5 software listed by the game hub, not a universal conversion of every PS4 title you own. The PS4 installation may remain available, and you can switch between editions from Game Library. Physical ownership continues to require the source disc, while digital ownership remains associated with the account that received the entitlement. If the hub showed a payment or an expiration condition, those terms remain part of the title’s offer even after installation.
Quick Recap
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