Red Dead Redemption 2: you can move the PS4 save to a PS5 using PlayStation’s console-to-console transfer, PlayStation Plus cloud storage, or a FAT/exFAT USB drive. The documented scenario is then playing the PS4 edition on PS5 through backward compatibility. This is not proof of a separate native-PS5 save-import feature.
Grand Theft Auto IV: the official PlayStation transfer information available here does not establish that GTA IV is playable on PS5 or that its save can be imported. Moving a file cannot make an unsupported game run, so treat GTA IV as a compatibility question first.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 Brand New Factory Sealed | $23.80 | Buy on Amazon |
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![Red Dead Redemption 2 - Playstation 4 (PS4) [video game]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Nt8yEvQpL._SL160_.jpg)
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Red Dead Redemption 2 - Playstation 4 (PS4) [video game] | $25.79 | Buy on Amazon |
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What works for each game
| Game | What you can do | What is not established |
|---|---|---|
| Red Dead Redemption 2 | Move the PS4 saved data to PS5 by local network transfer, PlayStation Plus cloud storage, or a FAT/exFAT USB drive. Use the PS4 edition on PS5. | A distinct native-PS5 edition save-import process. PlayStation says cross-generation save migration is decided by each developer. |
| Grand Theft Auto IV | The general PS4-save transfer tools can move supported PS4 saves, but no title-specific GTA IV PS5 route is established by the official material covered here. | That GTA IV is playable on PS5, or that copying a GTA IV save will make it playable there. |
The key distinction is between moving a console save and importing a save into a different game edition. A PS5 can receive PS4 saved data, but the game still has to be supported on PS5 and recognize that data. PlayStation’s guidance says transfer between a PS4 version and a separate PS5 version is a developer decision that varies by title.
Before you start: check the three conditions that matter
1. The save must belong to the same PlayStation account
Use the account that created the save on the PS4. Cloud storage is account-based, and after-setup console transfer is limited to the saves of the user signed in on the destination PS5. A file copied under another account will not become that account’s progress.
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2. The PS5 must support the game you intend to launch
Save transfer is not a compatibility workaround. For RDR2, the advice below concerns the PS4 edition played on PS5 through backward compatibility. For GTA IV, the official transfer material reviewed does not name the game or establish PS5 support. Do not spend time moving a GTA IV file until you have separately confirmed that the game itself is available and playable on your particular PS5 setup.
3. Update both consoles and protect the original save
PlayStation’s network-transfer instructions call for current system software on the source and destination consoles. Keep the original PS4 save until you have launched the game and verified the expected progress on PS5. During a transfer, do not turn off either console or change network settings; PlayStation warns that doing so can damage or lose data.
Choose a transfer method
| Method | What you need | Best fit | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Console-to-console network transfer | Both consoles, the same network, the same account, and current system software. | You still have the PS4 and want to move data directly. | Both consoles must remain available and connected while the process runs. After initial PS5 setup, the transfer is limited to the logged-in user’s saves. |
| PlayStation Plus cloud storage | An active PlayStation Plus membership and a completed upload from the PS4. | You no longer want to keep both consoles together, or you prefer a remote copy. | On PS5, PS4 saves must be downloaded manually to console storage. Cloud capacity is 100 GB and 1,000 PS4 saved-data files, according to PlayStation’s support documentation. |
| USB drive | A commercially available USB drive formatted as FAT or exFAT. | You want an offline copy or do not have PlayStation Plus. | Do not use a drive configured as USB extended storage for this save-copy operation. The save must be copied from USB into PS5 console storage. |
None of these three methods guarantees that a PS4 save will import into a separate PS5 edition. They only move the saved-data file at the console level.
Method 1: transfer directly between PS4 and PS5
What the network method does
PlayStation supports transferring data when the PS4 and PS5 are connected to the same network. This is the most direct route when both consoles are in front of you. It can move the relevant PS4 saved data without first creating a cloud copy or preparing removable media.
During initial PS5 setup
- Connect the PS4 and PS5 to the same network.
- Sign in to the same PlayStation account on both consoles.
- Keep both systems on and follow the PS5’s on-screen data-transfer process during setup.
- Select the saved data you want to move when the PS5 presents the available items.
- Leave both consoles alone until the process finishes. Do not power either system off or alter the network configuration.
The transfer applies to the user account signed in on the destination console. If several people used the PS4, repeat the process while the appropriate account is signed in, rather than assuming every user’s saves will be included automatically.
If the PS5 is already set up
- On the PS5, open Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to connect to the PS4 on the same network.
- Confirm the source and destination accounts, select the required saved data, and start the transfer.
- Do not turn off either console or change network settings until the PS5 reports completion.
Once the save is on the PS5, launch the corresponding supported game edition. For RDR2, select the PS4 edition running on PS5 and check whether the expected story or profile progress appears.
Method 2: use PlayStation Plus cloud storage
Upload the PS4 save
PlayStation Plus members can use cloud storage for PS4 saved data. PS4 saves can be configured to upload automatically, but an automatic upload is useful only after it has completed. Before switching consoles, leave the PS4 connected and confirm that the latest RDR2 save has reached cloud storage. If you have several profiles, check the account that owns the save; cloud data does not merge accounts.
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Download the save on PS5
- Sign in to the same PlayStation account used for the PS4 save.
- On PS5, open Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings.
- Choose Saved Data (PS4).
- Select Download or Delete from Cloud Storage.
- Choose the game and save file, then download it to PS5 console storage.
- Start the supported game edition and check the in-game load menu.
Unlike the network transfer, PS5 users must manually download PS4 cloud saves to console storage. Seeing a save in the cloud does not mean the game can use it until the download is complete.
Understand the cloud limits
PlayStation lists cloud limits of 100 GB of PS4 saved data and 1,000 PS4 saved-data files. These are total storage limits for PS4 saves, not the size of one RDR2 save and not a promise that every title supports cross-generation importing. If the account already contains many files, remove only data you have backed up and no longer need, or use network transfer or USB instead.
Method 3: copy the save with a USB drive
Prepare the correct kind of drive
Use a commercially available USB drive formatted as FAT or exFAT. This is different from a drive formatted as USB extended storage for installing games. The save-copy workflow uses the drive as removable media, then copies the file into PS5 console storage.
Copy from PS4
- Connect the FAT- or exFAT-formatted USB drive to the PS4.
- Open the PS4 saved-data management controls.
- Choose the option to copy saved data to a USB storage device.
- Select RDR2 and the required save files, then confirm the copy.
- Eject the drive safely after the copy completes.
Copying only the game’s save files is sufficient for this purpose; the game installation itself is not transferred by this procedure. Keep the original PS4 data until the PS5 copy has been tested.
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- Covers a huge range of 19th century American landscapes
- Play as Arthur Morgan, lead enforcer in the notorious Van der Linde gang
- Please note that although this game is Region Free or Region Unlocked and will work on all systems, this is the international version and may differ from the local version in age rating, labeling or instructions.
Copy to PS5 console storage
- Connect the USB drive to the PS5.
- Open Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings.
- Choose Saved Data (PS4).
- Select Copy or Delete from USB Drive.
- Select the RDR2 save and copy it to PS5 console storage.
- Disconnect the drive only after the copy has finished, then launch the supported game edition.
If the PS5 does not show the drive, check that it is formatted as FAT or exFAT and that it contains a PS4 saved-data copy. A USB drive being recognized for game storage does not automatically mean it is prepared for this save-transfer menu.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Using the transferred RDR2 save on PS5
Use the PS4 edition covered by the transfer guidance
The documented path is straightforward: move the PS4 save, install or access the PS4 edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS5 through backward compatibility, and load the save from inside the game. The presence of a file under Saved Data (PS4) does not by itself prove that a separate PS5 edition exists or that it accepts the file.
Do not confuse console transfer with edition migration
PlayStation’s official wording is explicit: “Please note that the ability to transfer game saves between a PS4 version and a PS5 version of the same game is a developer decision, and will vary title by title for cross-generational games.” That statement, published in PlayStation.Blog’s “PS4 games on PS5: Your top questions answered” on October 9, 2020, is why a generic PS4-to-PS5 transfer guide cannot promise a native-PS5 RDR2 import.
If RDR2 does not show the save
- Confirm that the PS5 is signed in to the account that created the PS4 save.
- Check that you copied the data under Saved Data (PS4), not only the game installation.
- Launch the PS4 edition on PS5 rather than assuming a different edition will read the file.
- If you used cloud storage, verify that the file was downloaded from Download or Delete from Cloud Storage to console storage.
- If you used USB, repeat the copy from Copy or Delete from USB Drive and verify that the drive is FAT or exFAT.
- Keep the PS4 original available so you can create a fresh copy if the first transfer was interrupted.
What the GTA IV situation means
A moved save is not a compatibility fix
The official PlayStation transfer sources covered here describe moving PS4 saved data for games that can be played on PS5. They do not name Grand Theft Auto IV or establish a supported GTA IV PS5 version. Therefore, copying a GTA IV save by network, cloud, or USB cannot be presented as a working PS5 solution.
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- First establish whether your PS5 can launch the relevant GTA IV game edition. The transfer documents alone do not answer that question.
- If the game is not supported, stop there: a save file on PS5 storage will not add the missing game compatibility.
- If you have independent confirmation of a supported edition, check that edition’s own save-import rules. A generic PS4 save copy still does not guarantee recognition by a separate PS5 edition.
- Only then choose network transfer, cloud storage, or USB for the file itself.
This bounded conclusion is deliberately narrower than an exhaustive compatibility list: the retrieved official PlayStation material does not provide a direct GTA IV compatibility statement or a title-specific save-transfer procedure.
Troubleshooting by symptom
The transfer stops or reports an error
Keep both consoles powered on, signed in, and connected to the same network. Do not change network settings during the operation. Restart the process from the original PS4 if necessary, and retain the untouched source save. A cloud or USB copy can serve as an alternative if the local transfer repeatedly fails.
The cloud save is missing
Check the PlayStation account first. Then confirm that the PS4 actually uploaded the latest file and that the PS5 is looking under Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data (PS4) > Download or Delete from Cloud Storage. Cloud storage is not automatically copied into PS5 console storage.
The USB drive is not listed
Verify that the drive is FAT or exFAT rather than USB extended storage, and that the PS4 save was copied to it through the PS4 saved-data controls. Reconnect the drive and open Copy or Delete from USB Drive under Saved Data (PS4) on PS5.
The game loads but the old progress is absent
Check the account, the edition, and the save location in that order. For RDR2, test the PS4 edition on PS5. For GTA IV, do not infer compatibility from the fact that a file was copied; the available official evidence does not establish that the game can use it on PS5.
A practical checklist
- Keep the PS4 save until the PS5 version has loaded the expected progress.
- Sign in with the same PlayStation account on both systems.
- Install current system software before a console-to-console transfer.
- For network transfer, place both consoles on the same network and leave network settings unchanged.
- For cloud transfer, remember that PS4 saves must be manually downloaded to PS5 storage.
- For USB transfer, use FAT or exFAT removable media, not USB extended storage.
- On PS5, use the Saved Data (PS4) menus for PS4 saves.
- For RDR2, launch the PS4 edition covered by the backward-compatibility scenario.
- For GTA IV, verify game compatibility before treating save transfer as an option.
- Never assume that a console-level copy equals a developer-supported PS4-to-PS5 edition import.
Bottom line for both saves
RDR2’s PS4 save can be moved to PS5 through PlayStation’s standard transfer tools and used with the PS4 edition on PS5. Network transfer is convenient when both consoles are available; cloud storage avoids moving hardware but requires PlayStation Plus and a manual PS5 download; USB is an offline alternative that requires FAT or exFAT media.
GTA IV requires a different answer. The official transfer information available here does not establish PS5 compatibility or a supported GTA IV save-import route, so do not promise that transferring its file will make the game playable.
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