Red Dead Redemption 2: you can move a PS4 save to a PS5 using PlayStation’s console-to-console transfer, PlayStation Plus cloud storage, or a FAT/exFAT USB drive. The supported scenario covered here is then playing the PS4 edition on PS5 through backward compatibility. Moving the file does not prove that a separate native PS5 edition can import it.
Grand Theft Auto IV: the official PlayStation transfer material available for this guide does not establish that GTA IV is playable on PS5 or that it has a supported PS4-to-PS5 save-transfer path. A copied save cannot make an incompatible game run.
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What “transfer a save to PS5” actually means
There are two different operations that are often confused:
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- Console-level transfer: copying PS4 saved data from a PS4, cloud storage, or a USB drive into PS5 console storage.
- Game-edition migration: importing a PS4 save into a distinct PS5 edition of the same game.
PlayStation treats the second operation as a title-specific developer decision. Its general guidance says: “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 October 9, 2020 article PS4 games on PS5: Your top questions answered, is why a save appearing in PS5 storage should not automatically be described as a PS5-edition import.
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For Red Dead Redemption 2, the documented route is to transfer the PS4 save and use it with the PS4 edition running on PS5. The supplied official material does not establish a separate native PS5-edition save-import procedure for RDR2. GTA IV must be considered separately because the retrieved official transfer material does not establish PS5 compatibility for that game.
Red Dead Redemption 2: the supported PS4-save route
If your RDR2 progress is from the PS4 edition, first move that PS4 saved data to PS5 using one of the three PlayStation methods below. Then launch the corresponding PS4 edition on the PS5 and check for the transferred save. This is a console save transfer, not evidence of a distinct native PS5 version or a guaranteed cross-generation migration feature.
What you need
- The PS4 console or storage location that contains the RDR2 save.
- A PS5 on which you will use the same PlayStation account associated with that save.
- For network transfer, both consoles connected to the same network.
- For cloud transfer, an active PlayStation Plus membership and a save uploaded to cloud storage.
- For USB transfer, a commercially available USB drive formatted as FAT or exFAT. A drive configured as USB extended storage is not the same thing for this procedure.
- Current system software on the consoles is recommended for a console-to-console transfer.
Keep the account requirement in mind: after the initial PS5 setup, PlayStation limits PS4 saved-data transfer to the saves belonging to the user signed in on the destination PS5. A save from a different account will not become usable merely because its file is present on the console.
Compare the three PS4-save transfer methods
| Method | PlayStation Plus | Additional hardware | Connection or format | Destination action | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Console-to-console network transfer | Not required | Both the source PS4 and destination PS5 | Both consoles on the same network | Follow the PS5 data-transfer process | Do not turn off either console or change network settings while the transfer is running |
| PlayStation Plus cloud storage | Required | None beyond the consoles | PS4 save uploaded to cloud storage | Manually download the PS4 save to PS5 console storage | The save must belong to the same PlayStation account |
| USB drive | Not required | Commercially available USB drive | FAT or exFAT; not USB extended storage | Copy the save from USB Drive to PS5 console storage | The drive must contain the selected PS4 saved-data files |
None of these platform-level methods independently guarantees that a title has a PS4-to-PS5-edition import. They only place PS4 saved data on the destination console.
Method 1: transfer directly between PS4 and PS5 over a network
This is the most direct option when both consoles are available at the same time and can join the same network.
During initial PS5 setup
- Keep the PS4 powered on and connect it and the PS5 to the same network.
- Sign in to the PS5 with the PlayStation account whose saves you intend to use.
- When the PS5’s initial setup presents the data-transfer process, follow the on-screen instructions and select the PS4 saved data you want to move.
- Leave both consoles on and connected until the process completes.
After the PS5 has already been set up
- Connect the PS4 and PS5 to the same network and make sure both consoles use current system software.
- On the PS5, open Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to identify the source PS4 and select the saved data to transfer.
- Allow the transfer to finish without powering off either console or changing network settings.
PlayStation warns that interrupting the process or changing network settings during transfer can damage or lose data. After setup, the saved data that can be transferred is limited to the logged-in destination user’s saves, so confirm the account before starting rather than troubleshooting an account mismatch afterward.
When network transfer is the best choice
- You have both consoles in the same place.
- You do not have PlayStation Plus and do not want to use a USB drive.
- You want to move several PS4 saves in one console-level operation.
The transfer mechanism is not a title-specific RDR2 feature. It is PlayStation’s general PS4-to-PS5 data-transfer process, after which you use the PS4 edition of RDR2 on PS5.
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Method 2: use PlayStation Plus cloud storage
Cloud storage is useful when the PS4 and PS5 are not beside each other. PlayStation Plus members can use cloud storage for PS4 saves. PS4 saved data can upload automatically, but the PS5 requires you to manually download the selected save to PS5 console storage.
Prepare the save on the PS4
- Verify that the RDR2 save is associated with the PlayStation account you will use on PS5.
- Make sure the save has uploaded to PlayStation Plus cloud storage. Automatic upload is available for PS4 games when configured, but do not assume a current local save is already in the cloud; check the upload status using your normal PS4 saved-data management controls.
- Keep the PS4 account and PS5 account identical. Cloud saves are account-specific.
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 > Saved Data (PS4) > Download or Delete from Cloud Storage.
- Choose the RDR2 save and download it to PS5 console storage.
- Launch the PS4 edition of RDR2 on PS5 and look for the transferred progress.
PlayStation’s current support figures list 100 GB of PS4 saved data and 1,000 PS4 saved-data files as cloud-storage limits. Those are total platform limits, not the size of one RDR2 save and not a promise that every game supports a PS5-edition import.
When cloud storage is the best choice
- You have PlayStation Plus but no compatible USB drive.
- The PS4 is unavailable at the same location as the PS5.
- You want a remote copy of the PS4 save before changing consoles.
If the save does not appear, first check that you downloaded it rather than only leaving it in cloud storage. On PS5, cloud presence alone does not place the file in console storage for the game to read.
Method 3: copy the PS4 save with a USB drive
A USB transfer avoids PlayStation Plus and does not require both consoles to be connected to the same network. Use a commercially available USB drive formatted as FAT or exFAT. Do not confuse this with a drive formatted as USB extended storage for installing games; PlayStation’s saved-data procedure uses a FAT or exFAT drive.
Copy the save from PS4
- Connect the FAT- or exFAT-formatted USB drive to the PS4.
- Open the PS4 saved-data management controls and choose the option to copy saved data to a USB storage device.
- Select Red Dead Redemption 2 and the save files you want to carry over.
- Wait for the copy to complete before removing the drive.
Copy the save to PS5
- Connect the USB drive to the PS5.
- Open Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data (PS4) > Copy or Delete from USB Drive.
- Select Red Dead Redemption 2 and the relevant files.
- Copy them to PS5 console storage.
- Launch the PS4 edition of RDR2 on PS5 and check for the save.
When USB is the best choice
- You do not have PlayStation Plus.
- The consoles cannot share a network.
- You prefer a removable copy that you can keep separately from either console.
USB is optional, not a requirement. Network transfer and cloud storage perform the same basic console-level job through different routes.
After the RDR2 transfer: launch the correct edition
A save copied to PS5 storage is only useful when the console can run the game edition that created it. For the scenario documented here, launch the PS4 edition of Red Dead Redemption 2 on PS5 through backward compatibility.
Do not describe this as proof that a separate native PS5 edition imports the PS4 file. PlayStation’s cross-generational guidance makes edition-to-edition migration a developer decision, and the material available for RDR2 does not establish a distinct native PS5 save-import process.
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If the transferred RDR2 save is not listed
- Confirm that the PS5 is signed in to the same PlayStation account used on the PS4.
- For cloud transfer, verify that the save was downloaded to PS5 console storage, not merely left in cloud storage.
- For USB transfer, confirm that the drive is FAT or exFAT and that the files were copied through the Saved Data (PS4) controls.
- For network transfer, verify that the process completed and that neither console was powered off or disconnected during it.
- Check that you launched the PS4 edition on PS5, rather than assuming a different edition will read the file.
These checks address the documented transfer requirements. They cannot create a title-specific import feature that the game does not provide.
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The official PlayStation transfer sources used for this guide explain how PS4 saved data can move to a PS5 for games that are playable on PS5. They do not name Grand Theft Auto IV or establish that GTA IV is compatible with PS5. They also do not provide a GTA IV save-import procedure.
Consequently, you should not treat any of the following as a confirmed GTA IV solution:
- Copying a PS4 save to PS5 with network transfer.
- Downloading a save from PlayStation Plus cloud storage.
- Copying a save from a FAT or exFAT USB drive.
- Installing a moved save and expecting it to make GTA IV playable.
The limitation is about game compatibility before it is about file movement. PlayStation can place supported PS4 saved data on PS5, but a save file cannot supply a missing PS5-compatible game or establish that GTA IV recognizes that file on the console. The available official evidence therefore does not establish a supported GTA IV-to-PS5 route, and no promise of playability or save import should be made from these generic transfer steps.
What to do if your goal is GTA IV progress
- Identify the exact platform and edition that currently contains the GTA IV save.
- Confirm through an official, title-specific compatibility statement that GTA IV can run on PS5.
- Only if the game is confirmed playable should you look for a documented save-import method for that edition.
The PlayStation-wide transfer instructions alone do not satisfy those conditions, so they are not a verified GTA IV answer.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhich transfer method should you choose?
| Your situation | Most suitable documented method | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Both consoles are available and connected to one network | Console-to-console transfer | It requires no PlayStation Plus membership or USB drive |
| You have PlayStation Plus and the consoles are in different places | Cloud storage | The PS4 save can be uploaded and the PS5 can download it later |
| You do not have PlayStation Plus | USB drive | A FAT/exFAT drive provides a direct removable-save route |
| You want to transfer only selected files | Cloud or USB | Both methods let you select the relevant saved-data files rather than relying on a broad console transfer |
For RDR2, all three methods lead to the same documented endpoint: PS4 saved data on PS5 console storage, followed by use of the PS4 edition on PS5. For GTA IV, none of them establishes that the game can run or that its save can be imported.
Common mistakes to avoid
Assuming a copied file equals a PS5-edition migration
Storage transfer and game-edition migration are separate operations. A PS4 save can be present on PS5 without being accepted by a distinct PS5 edition. Always identify the edition you intend to launch.
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- 【Easy to Use, Plug and Play】-- No need to install any software, just plug the USB flash drive into your computer USB port or other device with USB port to get it work
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- 【Led Indicator】-- The red light flash when have data transfer. You can easily know whether the drive is working. When you connect your capture card or cassette player to record, the indicator light will be on to better remind the work status
Using the wrong account
Cloud saves and post-setup PS4 transfers are tied to the signed-in PlayStation user. Switching accounts can make a correctly transferred file appear missing.
Using USB extended storage instead of FAT or exFAT
The USB saved-data procedure requires a commercially available drive formatted as FAT or exFAT. A drive prepared as USB extended storage is intended for a different PS5 function.
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Turning off a console during network transfer
PlayStation cautions that powering off either console or changing network settings during the transfer can damage or lose data. Leave the setup untouched until it reports completion.
Expecting cloud storage to download automatically on PS5
For PS4 games, cloud saves may upload automatically, but PS5 users must manually download the selected PS4 save to PS5 console storage through the Saved Data (PS4) menu.
Using RDR2 instructions as proof for GTA IV
RDR2 has a documented PS4-save route for the PS4 edition on PS5. The retrieved official material does not establish an equivalent GTA IV compatibility or import route, so the two games cannot be presented as having the same outcome.
Bottom line for each game
Red Dead Redemption 2
Move the PS4 save by network transfer, PlayStation Plus cloud storage, or a FAT/exFAT USB drive. On PS5, use the PS4 edition of RDR2 through backward compatibility. Treat any separate PS5-edition import as unestablished by the available official material.
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Grand Theft Auto IV
The available official PlayStation transfer sources do not establish PS5 compatibility or a supported GTA IV save-transfer path. Do not promise that transferring a file will make GTA IV playable on PS5.
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