Expect a few minutes if you are moving only saves, profiles, and settings; roughly 20 minutes to 2 hours for about 100 GB; and several hours for a 250–500 GB game library. Wired LAN is usually more consistent and often faster than Wi‑Fi, but there is no fixed official transfer time. The actual duration depends on the amount of selected data, local-network performance, the PS4’s hard drive, and the files being processed.
The ranges below are practical planning estimates, not Sony-published benchmarks.
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Estimated PS4-to-PS5 transfer times
| Data selected | Wired LAN | Wi‑Fi |
|---|---|---|
| 10–50 GB | Several minutes to roughly 30 minutes | Roughly 15 minutes to 1 hour |
| 100 GB | Roughly 20 minutes to 1 hour | Roughly 45 minutes to 2 hours |
| 250 GB | Roughly 45 minutes to 2 hours | Roughly 1.5 to 5 hours |
| 500 GB | Roughly 1.5 to 4 hours | Several hours, potentially most of a day |
These estimates can vary substantially. A save-only transfer may finish in minutes, while a nearly full PS4 with large games, clips, and screenshots can take many hours.
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- Amount of selected data: Transfer time is based on what you choose, not the PS4’s total storage capacity.
- Wi‑Fi or LAN: Wi‑Fi speed changes with distance, walls, interference, router quality, and congestion. Sony recommends a LAN connection when the consoles would otherwise transfer wirelessly.
- Storage performance: The PS4’s internal mechanical hard drive may become the bottleneck, even with Ethernet.
- File layout: Many individual files, game data, captures, and video clips can take longer to process than the raw gigabyte total suggests.
- Network activity: Other downloads and uploads can reduce available local-network performance.
The direct console transfer uses the local network. Your broadband plan’s advertised internet speed does not equal the PS4-to-PS5 transfer speed. A 1-Gbps internet connection does not guarantee a 1-Gbps local transfer, and the transfer can work even when internet service is temporarily slow as long as both consoles can communicate on the same network. See Sony’s transfer instructions.
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How to estimate the time more realistically
A useful planning formula is:
Transfer time ≈ selected data ÷ sustained local transfer rate, plus setup and processing overhead.
For illustration only, 100 GB at a sustained 100 Mbps would take about 2 hours 13 minutes in ideal network conditions, while 100 GB at 1 Gbps would take about 13 minutes. Real console transfers can take longer because of disk speed, file layout, verification, and protocol overhead.
Use the estimate shown on the PS5 as the best live prediction for your particular consoles. It may increase or change while the transfer runs.
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- Use wired LAN where practical. Connect both consoles to the same router with Ethernet cables. If both consoles are wired to the network, Sony says you do not need a separate cable connecting the consoles directly to each other.
- Transfer only what you need. Remove unwanted games, captures, and clips from the selection. A single 100-GB game can take longer than dozens of small saves.
- Pause competing network activity. Stop unnecessary downloads and uploads on the consoles and other devices.
- Use existing extended storage. If your PS4 games are already on a compatible USB extended-storage drive, connecting that drive to the PS5 may be more convenient than copying the entire internal library.
- Re-download selected digital games. With fast, uncapped internet, downloading only the games you want can be quicker than transferring a large library over poor Wi‑Fi.
Do not change network settings or run internet connection tests during the transfer. Sony warns that doing so may damage or lose data.
How to transfer data from PS4 to PS5
During initial PS5 setup, follow the on-screen data-transfer instructions. For a PS5 that has already been set up, Sony’s current menu path, documented as of August 16, 2026, is:
PS5 Home > Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer > Continue
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Prepare both consoles
- Sign in to the same PlayStation account on both consoles.
- Update both systems to the latest available system software.
- Synchronize your trophies on the PS4.
- Connect both consoles to the same local network.
- Prefer wired LAN if possible.
- Connect the PS5 to a TV or monitor so you can follow its prompts.
- Keep both consoles connected to stable power and switched on until the process finishes.
On the PS4, check the amount of storage in Settings > Storage > System Storage. Use this to identify what is worth moving, but estimate the transfer using the amount you actually select. Sony’s storage guidance also covers moving games between system storage and compatible extended USB storage.
What can be transferred?
During initial setup, the PS5 can transfer user and account information, compatible saved data, compatible PS4 games, screenshots, video clips, and selected console information. After setup, the available transfer is more limited: saved data for the signed-in user and compatible games can still be transferred, but user/account information and console settings are not transferred in the same way.
Data already present on the PS5 is not transferred again. Only one PS4 or PS5 source console can be transferred to one PS5 in a transfer operation. Child accounts may require Sony’s separate procedure.
Can you use the PS5 while data is transferring?
Yes, with limitations. The PS5 automatically restarts during the process. After that restart, some data—including game data—may continue transferring. A game can become playable before every selected file has finished copying. You can check progress through Control Center > Downloads/Uploads.
Playable does not mean fully transferred. Similarly, a separately downloaded game or update being complete is not the same as the PS4-to-PS5 transfer being complete.
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Faster alternatives to a full transfer
Re-download digital games
Digital games can be downloaded from the PS5 Game Library. This is often useful when you have fast internet and only want a few titles. It may be a poor choice with slow, capped, or metered broadband, and it does not replace moving or restoring your saves.
Install disc-based games
Insert a compatible PS4 game disc into the PS5 and install it. Updates may still be required. This is separate from transferring the PS4’s complete data set.
Use an existing USB extended-storage drive
A compatible PS4 extended-storage drive can be connected to the PS5 to access compatible PS4 games. Safely disconnect it from the PS4 first. Sony specifies a compatible SuperSpeed USB drive with a supported capacity of 250 GB to 8 TB for the PS4 extended-storage use case.
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Transfer only saved data
If preserving progress is the priority, use PlayStation Plus cloud storage or copy PS4 saved data to a USB drive and then to the PS5. These options avoid moving the entire installed game library. PlayStation Plus is an alternative, not a requirement for direct PS4-to-PS5 transfer.
If the transfer is slow or fails
The consoles cannot find each other
- Confirm that both consoles are powered on and signed in as required.
- Make sure both are connected to the same local network.
- Check whether the router is isolating wireless clients.
- Try wired LAN if Wi‑Fi discovery is unreliable.
The transfer is extremely slow
- Postpone other downloads and uploads.
- Switch both consoles to wired LAN.
- Move the consoles closer to the router if Wi‑Fi is unavoidable.
- Transfer essential saves and games first.
- Re-download digital games instead of copying the entire library.
- Use an existing compatible USB extended-storage drive for PS4 games.
The transfer appears stuck
Do not immediately power off either console. Sony warns that turning off the source or destination during transfer may damage or lose data. If the process genuinely fails, note the displayed error message, check PlayStation Network status and your local network, and retry using wired LAN with a smaller selection. If necessary, use cloud saves, USB saved-data transfer, re-downloads, or extended storage. Do not assume an interrupted transfer can always resume from the exact point where it stopped.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Sony: Transfer games and saved data from PS4 to PS5
- Sony: Connect PlayStation to the internet
- Sony: PS4 external storage support
- Sony: PlayStation storage solutions
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