How to Transfer Games and Saves to a New PlayStation 5 (PS4 and PS5 Methods)

If both consoles work, use the PS5’s built-in Data Transfer over the same network. It is the broadest option: it can copy users, compatible saved data, settings, screenshots and video clips, and compatible game data. If the old console is unavailable, download saves from PlayStation Plus cloud storage—provided they were uploaded before the console stopped working. A FAT32 or exFAT USB drive can move PS4 saves, but Sony’s documented USB workflow does not export PS5 saves from a PS5.

Sync trophies and verify saves, game access and account sign-in on the new console before you reset, sell or give away the old one. Initialization deletes its saved information and cannot be undone.

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Choose the transfer method that fits your situation

Prepare both consoles before moving anything

Use the same PlayStation account

Sign in on the source console with the account you will use on the destination PS5. Account ownership is what makes your digital library and synchronized trophies available after you sign in on the new system. A PS4-to-PS5 transfer can include users who have signed in; after the PS5 has completed setup, Sony limits a PS4 transfer to the logged-in user’s saves.

Update system software

Install the latest available system software on both consoles before starting a direct transfer. Older software can prevent the transfer screen from appearing or interrupt the process.

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Synchronize trophies manually

Open the Trophies screen on the source console and choose the option to synchronize with PlayStation Network. Trophy information that has not synchronized is not protected by a console transfer; the PS4-to-PS4 process specifically excludes unsynchronized trophy information.

Check power, network and storage

• Keep both consoles connected to power for the entire transfer.
• Connect both to the same home network. Wireless works; Sony says a LAN cable can make the transfer faster when the consoles would otherwise use Wi-Fi.
• Leave enough free space on the destination for the saves and game data you select.
• If you are using USB, use a drive formatted as FAT32 or exFAT. Do not unplug it while data is being copied.

Transfer from a PS4 or PS5 directly to a new PS5

What the PS5 transfer includes

Run the transfer during PS5 setup

1. Sign in to the source console with the same account intended for the new PS5.
2. Update both consoles to the latest system software.
3. Synchronize trophies manually on the source.
4. Connect both consoles to the same network. Use a LAN cable if you want a potentially faster wired connection instead of Wi-Fi.
5. Turn on the new PS5 and follow the on-screen data-transfer instructions during initial setup. The PS5 searches the network for the source console.
6. Confirm the source console when it appears, select the data to copy and start the transfer.
7. Keep both consoles on. Do not change network settings, turn either system off or run an internet connection test while the transfer is in progress. Sony warns that interrupting these operations can damage or lose data.

Start a transfer after setup is complete

On the destination PS5, open Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer > Continue, then follow the prompts to find the source console and choose the content. The same account, current system software, same-network connection and trophy synchronization requirements apply.

What to expect while it finishes

The destination PS5 restarts automatically. Some game data can continue copying afterward, and a game may appear playable before every file has finished transferring. Let the process complete before disconnecting storage or shutting down either console.

Digital games that were not copied can be downloaded from Game Library after you sign in. For disc games, insert the original disc and install them. If the games are on an existing compatible USB extended-storage drive, safely turn off the old console, connect that drive to the new PS5 and allow the console to recognize it.

Transfer between two PS4 consoles

Sony also supports a direct wired or wireless transfer between two PS4 systems. Both PS4 consoles need the latest system software. The process can move existing users and settings, installed games, saved data, screenshots and video clips. The source PS4 is not affected, but data already on the destination PS4 is deleted as part of the transfer.

There are three notable exclusions: saves belonging to users who never signed in to PlayStation cannot be moved, unsynchronized trophy information is omitted, and passwords are not transferred. Each password must be entered again on the destination. Synchronize trophies and record any credentials you will need before starting.

Use PlayStation Plus cloud storage when the old console is unavailable

Understand downloaded versus streamed game saves

For a downloaded PlayStation Plus game, saved data remains on the console until you upload it. For a streamed game, PlayStation stores the save separately. Sony states that saved data is not automatically transferred between streamed and downloaded versions, but it can be moved through PlayStation Plus cloud storage. If you change from streaming to a downloaded copy, or the reverse, use the cloud upload-and-download process rather than assuming the game will see the same local save.

Cloud storage requires an active PlayStation Plus membership. Sony’s current storage overview lists 100 GB of cloud storage for members; plan features can change, so check the storage shown on your account before relying on it for a large migration.

Upload a PS4 save from a working source PS5

1. On the source PS5, sign in to the PlayStation Plus account that owns the save.
2. Open Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data (PS4) > Upload or Delete from Console Storage > Upload to Cloud Storage.
3. Select the game and save files, then confirm the upload. Wait for it to finish before closing the game or turning off the console.
4. On the destination PS5, sign in with the same account.
5. Open the corresponding cloud-storage controls, choose the saved data and select the download option. If the destination already has a newer local save, check the timestamps before replacing it.

The same principle applies when the source is a PS4: upload its local save to PlayStation Plus cloud storage first, then download it from the destination PS5’s saved-data controls. A cloud copy cannot be created after the source console is lost unless another copy of that save exists.

Move PS4 saves with a USB drive

Copy a PS4 save to USB

1. Format or use a USB drive as FAT32 or exFAT. Back up anything already on the drive before formatting.
2. On the source PS4, open the saved-data management area and choose the option to copy saved data from system storage to a USB storage device.
3. Select the game and save files, then wait for the copy to finish before removing the drive.
4. Connect the drive to the destination PS5 and open its saved-data settings.
5. Choose the option to copy or import PS4 saved data from the USB drive into the PS5’s PS4 saved-data storage.

This USB route applies to PS4 saved data. Sony’s documented PS5 workflow does not provide an export of PS5 saves from a PS5 to USB, so a PS5 save needs direct console transfer or PlayStation Plus cloud storage.

Use a full PS4 backup instead of selected saves

A full PS4 backup is useful when you want games, applications, saved data, screenshots, video clips and settings together. The USB drive must be FAT32 or exFAT and have at least twice the space required by the backup file. Restoring the backup erases data on the destination PS4, cannot be undone, and an interrupted backup can cause data loss or corruption.

If the PS4 user never signed in to PlayStation Network, Sony permits that backup to be restored only to the original PS4. To restore it to a different PS4, sign in before creating the backup. A selected-save USB copy and a full-system backup are different operations; choose the smaller selected-save method when you only need progress.

Move installed games with USB extended storage

A compatible SuperSpeed USB drive from 250 GB to 8 TB can store compatible PS4 and PS5 games. Connect an existing extended-storage drive to the new PS5 and let the console index its contents rather than copying every installation over the network.

• PS4 games: compatible titles can be played directly from the external drive.
• PS5 games: the drive can store the installation, but the game must be copied back to the PS5’s internal SSD before it can run.
• Saves: installed game files and saved progress are separate. Moving a game installation does not automatically move its save; use direct transfer, cloud storage or the PS4 USB-save method appropriate to that save.

Redownloading digital games from Game Library is an alternative when your internet connection is more convenient than moving installations. Disc games still require their disc for installation or play as applicable.

Verify the new console before wiping the old one

1. Open the new PS5 with the same account and confirm that your user profile is present.
2. Open each important game and check that the expected save appears. For a PS4 game running on PS5, verify the PS4 saved-data entry rather than looking only for a PS5 save.
3. Open your trophy list and confirm that the synchronized trophies are visible.
4. Check Game Library for digital purchases and test one or two games. For disc titles, insert the disc and confirm installation works.
5. Reconnect any USB extended-storage drive and confirm that the expected game installations are recognized.
6. Only after these checks should you prepare the old console for disposal or sale.

Reset or sell the old PlayStation safely

Follow Sony’s recommended order: record the console’s serial number, remove USB devices and discs, complete the backup or transfer, synchronize trophies, and remove any M.2 SSD you intend to keep. Then use the system’s reset or initialize command. Initialization deletes saved information and cannot be undone, so do not use it until the new console has passed the verification checks above.

Troubleshoot common transfer problems

The PS5 cannot find the old console

• Confirm that both systems are signed in and running current system software.
• Put both consoles on the same network; a guest network or separate Wi-Fi bands can prevent discovery.
• Restart both consoles and begin the Data Transfer screen again.
• Use a LAN cable connection if Wi-Fi discovery or speed remains unreliable.

The transfer appears stuck or a game is only partly usable

Do not power off either console or run an internet connection test during the transfer. The destination may restart and continue moving game data afterward, and a title can be marked playable before all files arrive. Give the process time to finish, then check the transfer notification or game installation status.

A save is missing on the new PS5

• Confirm that you are using the same PlayStation account that created or uploaded the save.
• For cloud storage, verify that the source upload completed and download the correct timestamped file.
• For a PS4 save, check the PS4 saved-data area on the PS5; it is not the same location as native PS5 saved data.
• If the save existed only on an unavailable console and was never uploaded or copied, there is no supported way to recreate that local file.

The new PS5 shows the game but not the progress

Game installation and saved data are separate. Reinstalling or moving a game from USB does not bring its progress with it. Import the appropriate save using direct transfer, PlayStation Plus cloud storage or PS4 USB, depending on the source and save format.

The USB drive is rejected

For PS4 saves and backups, confirm that the drive is FAT32 or exFAT and that it has enough free capacity. For game storage, use a compatible SuperSpeed USB drive within Sony’s 250 GB to 8 TB range. A drive used as extended storage for games is not automatically a PS4-save backup; use the saved-data or backup function that created the files.

The practical decision rule

Use direct PS5 Data Transfer whenever both consoles work because it moves the widest range of users, saves, settings and compatible game data in one operation. Use PlayStation Plus cloud storage when the old console is unavailable but the source saves were synchronized. Use USB for PS4 saves when no cloud copy exists, and use USB extended storage for installed games—not as a substitute for moving saved progress. In every case, synchronize trophies and verify the new console before initializing the old one.

Quick Recap

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PlayStation®5 Digital Edition (slim)

Model Number CFI-2000; Vertical Stand sold seperately

$598.99

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