The most complete move is PS5’s built-in Data Transfer: sign in to the same PlayStation account on both consoles, update their system software, synchronize trophies on the PS4, put both consoles on the same network, and follow the transfer wizard. It can bring over user and account information during PS5 setup, compatible PS4 saves, and PS4 games that run on PS5.
You do not have to use that wizard for every item. Digital games can be downloaded again from your PS5 Game Library, disc games can be installed from their PS4 discs, PS4 games can remain on a compatible USB extended-storage drive, and saves can be moved through PlayStation Plus cloud storage or a USB drive. The important limitation is game-specific: a PS4 save is not guaranteed to import into a game’s native PS5 version.
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Choose the right transfer path
Use the direct transfer when both consoles are available and you want to move several kinds of data at once. Use one of the separate paths when the PS4 is unavailable, you only need saves, or your game library is already on another form of storage.
| Method | Must the PS4 be available? | PlayStation Plus required? | What moves | Important requirements or limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS5 Data Transfer | Yes | No | User and account information during initial setup, compatible PS4 saves, and compatible PS4 games | Both consoles use the same network; Ethernet can be faster than Wi-Fi. The PS5 restarts during the process. |
| Digital redownload | No, after the purchase account is available | No | Digital games | Sign in to the purchasing account on PS5 and download from Game Library. Saves use a separate method. |
| PS4 game disc | No | No | The game installation from the disc | The disc must be inserted to play. An eligible disc-to-PS5 upgrade requires a PS5 with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive. |
| USB extended storage | No, once the drive is available | No | PS4 game installations | Supported capacity is 250 GB to 8 TB. PS4 games can be played directly from the drive. |
| PlayStation Plus cloud storage | Needed to upload the save, not to download it later | Yes | PS4 saved data | Upload on PS4, then download on PS5. Sony lists up to 100 GB of PS4 saved-data cloud storage. |
| USB save export | Needed to copy the save to USB | No | PS4 saved data | Copy the PS4 save to a USB drive, then copy it to PS5. PS5 saved data cannot be copied from PS5 to USB. |
None of these methods overrides a game publisher’s save-conversion rules. A title may accept a PS4 save only in its PS4 build, only after an in-game import, or not at all in its native PS5 build.
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Prepare both consoles before moving anything
Use the same PlayStation account
Sign in to the PS4 with the account you intend to use on the PS5. The account is what associates digital purchases and the destination user with the transfer. If you complete setup first and then run Data Transfer, PS4 saved-data transfer is limited to the user signed in on the destination PS5.
Update system software
Install the available system-software updates on both consoles before starting. An out-of-date console can prevent the transfer screen or compatible-data list from matching what is available on the other console.
Synchronize trophies manually
Open the trophy area on the PS4 and manually synchronize your trophies before migration. Trophy synchronization is a separate account operation; do not assume that moving game files also performs it.
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Put both consoles on one network
Connect both consoles to the same modem or router, using Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Sony says a LAN cable can make the transfer faster than Wi-Fi; a suitable cable is sold separately. Keep the consoles on that network for the entire operation.
Check power and space
Keep both consoles connected to power and make room on the PS5 for the games and saves you select. The transfer does not merge data already on the PS5: existing PS5 game or save data is not transferred from the PS4 and remains governed by what is already on the destination console.
Run the direct PS4-to-PS5 transfer during setup
This route is best when you have both consoles beside you and want the PS5 to discover the old console automatically.
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- Start the PS5’s initial setup and sign in with the same PlayStation account used on the PS4.
- When the setup asks about data transfer, leave the PS4 powered on and connected to the same modem or router as the PS5.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to select the PS4 and the compatible users, saves, and games to move.
- Confirm the transfer. The PS5 restarts while the transfer is in progress; some game data can continue transferring after the restart.
- Leave both consoles powered on and connected until the PS5 reports that the operation is complete.
Do not power off either console, change network settings, or run an internet-connection test while the transfer is running. Sony warns that those actions can damage or lose data.
Start Data Transfer after PS5 setup
If the PS5 is already configured, you can launch the same feature from Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer > Continue.
- Update both consoles and sign in to the same PlayStation account.
- Connect the PS4 and PS5 to the same network, preferably with Ethernet if you want the wired-speed advantage Sony describes.
- On the PS5, open the Data Transfer path above and choose the PS4 when it appears.
- Select the eligible user, saved data, and games, then confirm.
- Keep the consoles powered and leave their network settings unchanged until the process finishes.
After initial setup, the transfer can move PS4 saves only for the user currently signed in on the destination PS5. User and account information is included as part of initial setup, not as a way to add a second PS4 user later through this menu.
Understand what the built-in transfer includes
User and account information
During initial PS5 setup, the transfer can include user and account information from the PS4. This is useful when several people use the old console and you want their eligible profiles represented on the new one. The account used for digital purchases still needs to be the account you sign into on PS5.
Saved data
The transfer can include saves for games that are playable on PS5. A save is not the same thing as a game installation: moving a save does not install a missing digital game, and installing a game does not automatically make an incompatible save readable by a native PS5 version.
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Games that are playable on PS5 can be selected for transfer. The transfer list does not include every PS4 title automatically, because compatibility is title-specific. Existing data on the PS5 is not sent back, replaced, or combined as part of this process.
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Move digital PS4 games without copying their installations
For a digital purchase, sign in on the PS5 with the account that owns the game, open Game Library, find the title, and choose the download option. This avoids waiting for a console-to-console copy of the installation, although the PS5 must download the game again.
Redownloading the game does not move its save. Use Data Transfer, PlayStation Plus cloud storage, or the PS4-save USB route for that part. If a game is absent from the library, verify that the PS5 is using the purchasing account and that the title is among the PS4 games supported on PS5.
Install a PS4 disc game on PS5
Insert the PS4 game disc into the PS5 and allow the console to install the game. The disc normally remains necessary to start the game, because it acts as the ownership check.
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Disc ownership matters for an upgrade as well. For eligible PS4 disc upgrades, Sony states: “If players originally purchased a PS4 game disc, the PS5 console with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive is required to upgrade to the PS5 version of the game and transfer their saves over.” A PS5 model without that disc drive cannot read the qualifying PS4 disc, so it cannot perform that disc-based upgrade route.
Reuse a PS4 USB extended-storage drive
If your PS4 used a USB extended-storage drive for game installations, disconnect it safely from the PS4 and connect it to the PS5. Sony’s supported range is 250 GB minimum to 8 TB maximum. PS4 games stored there can be played directly from the USB extended storage instead of occupying the PS5’s internal drive.
This path moves installed PS4 game data, not the user profile or saved data. Keep the save-transfer plan separate: use Data Transfer, cloud storage, or a USB save export for saves. The drive’s game library also remains subject to PS5 compatibility; an installation for a PS4-only exception will not become a playable PS5 title merely because the drive is connected.
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Move saves with PlayStation Plus cloud storage
Cloud storage is useful when you want to transfer saves without moving the whole game installation.
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- On the PS5, sign in with the same PlayStation account and open the saved-data controls for PS4 games.
- Download the required saves from online storage to the PS5.
Sony lists up to 100 GB of PS4 saved-data cloud storage for PlayStation Plus. This method requires the subscription and an upload from the PS4; downloading the already-uploaded save on PS5 is the retrieval step, not a replacement for the initial upload.
Export PS4 saves to a USB drive
A USB save export is the non-subscription alternative when you can still use the PS4 but do not want to transfer games or use cloud storage.
- On the PS4, copy the selected PS4 saved data to a USB drive.
- Eject the drive from the PS4 and connect it to the PS5.
- Use the PS5’s saved-data controls to copy the PS4 save from the USB drive to the console.
This route is specifically for PS4 saves. Sony notes that PS5 saved data cannot be copied from a PS5 to USB, so a USB drive is not a general-purpose backup path for native PS5 saves.
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Most PS4 games run on PS5, but not every one
Sony’s current compatibility support information says the overwhelming majority of the 4,000+ PS4 games are playable on PS5. A small set of PS4-only games and functions are exceptions, so check the individual title before deleting the PS4 installation or assuming its save will be usable.
Running the PS4 build is different from running the native PS5 build
A PS4 save can work when you launch the PS4 version on PS5 and still fail to appear when you launch a separate native PS5 version. Sony’s PlayStation Blog FAQ explains 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.”
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That means there are three distinct questions for each game:
- Can the PS4 game itself run on PS5?
- Can the PS4 save be read by that PS4 build on PS5?
- Does the developer provide an import or conversion path into the native PS5 build?
Answer the third question before removing the PS4 version, deleting its save, or paying for an upgrade. The publisher’s instructions for the individual game take precedence over the console-level transfer options.
Pick a method by your situation
You have both consoles and a large library
Use Data Transfer for user information, saves, and the PS4 games you want immediately. A wired connection is the speed-oriented choice when both consoles can reach the same router by Ethernet. Keep a separate compatibility list for titles that have native PS5 versions.
You only need a few digital games
Sign in to the purchasing account and download those games from Game Library. This is simpler than copying installations, but plan a separate save transfer.
Your games are already on USB extended storage
Connect the 250 GB-to-8 TB supported drive to PS5 and play the compatible PS4 games directly from it. Move saves independently.
You need saves but not game installations
Choose PlayStation Plus cloud storage if you have the subscription and can upload from the PS4. Choose USB save export if you want a local, non-subscription route.
You bought a PS4 game on disc and want its PS5 upgrade
Confirm that the title offers a disc upgrade and use a PS5 with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive. Keep the disc because it is required for the disc-based ownership check.
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The PS5 does not find the PS4
- Confirm both consoles are signed in to the intended PlayStation account.
- Install current system-software updates on both machines.
- Verify that both are connected to the same modem or router, rather than separate guest or unrelated networks.
- Open Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer > Continue on a PS5 whose initial setup is already complete.
The transfer stops or appears stalled
- Do not switch either console off.
- Do not change Wi-Fi, Ethernet, or router settings while the operation is active.
- Do not run an internet-connection test during the transfer.
- If speed is the issue, use Ethernet on the same network; Sony identifies a LAN cable as a faster option than Wi-Fi.
A game is missing after migration
- For a digital title, check the purchasing account’s Game Library and download it.
- For a disc title, insert the PS4 disc and install it.
- For a title stored on USB extended storage, connect the supported drive and check whether the game is among the PS4 titles playable on PS5.
The save is present but the PS5 version cannot see it
Launch the PS4 build first to determine whether the save itself is usable on PS5. If the native PS5 build still does not list it, look for the game developer’s title-specific import procedure. Console Data Transfer cannot force a conversion that the developer has not implemented.
A disc upgrade is unavailable
Check whether the purchase was a qualifying PS4 disc and whether the PS5 has an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive. Sony’s disc-upgrade requirement does not apply to a PS5 model that cannot read the original disc.
Quick Recap
Verify the move before retiring the PS4
- Sign in on PS5 with each account that needs access and confirm the expected user is present.
- Open several transferred or downloaded games and check that their saves appear in the correct profile.
- For a game with both PS4 and PS5 builds, test the PS4 build before attempting the native PS5 version.
- Confirm that disc games launch with the disc inserted and that USB-stored games are visible when the drive is connected.
- Keep the PS4 and its saves available until every important title has passed its own save-compatibility check.
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