Gamers are still having trouble getting their hands on a PlayStation 5. However, those lucky enough to find one in-store or online will want to transfer their old PS4 data over to their brand new console. Since new and upcoming video games still exist in limbo between PS5 exclusivity and PS4/PS5 compatibility, players sticking with their older console won’t want to start over once they finally upgrade. Here’s how to transfer data from your PS4 to PS5.
How to transfer data from your PS4 to PS5
First and foremost, you’ll want to update your PS4 and PS5 to the latest system software. These are usually automatic, but you can check on the status of your PS4 system software by going to Settings > System Software Update. If you’re up to date, you’ll be notified as such.
Now that both systems are up to date, here’s how to connect your PS4 to your PS5:
- On your PS4, sign in to the same account you plan to use on your PS5.
- Connect both consoles to the same network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable. However, connecting is easier to do over Wi-Fi, as you’ll want an Ethernet cable to connect the two systems.
- (Optional) Connect your two systems with an Ethernet cable. An Ethernet connection makes the transfer faster but isn’t necessary. Everything can be done over Wi-Fi.
If you’re setting up a brand new PS5 for the first time, you’ll be prompted to transfer your data during the set-up process. However, you can skip this step initially and transfer data later on. Depending on the data size, this transfer may take several hours. You might want to initiate it before bed that night or work the following day.
To initiate a data transfer manually from your PS5, go to Settings > System Software > Data Transfer. Follow these steps to complete your transfer.
- Select Continue from the Data Transfer screen.
- Select which PS4 you’d like to transfer data from. If it’s the only one in your home, this is self-explanatory. If you have multiple PS4s connected to the network or have had others connected in the past, you’ll need to know your PS4’s ID.
- To learn your PS4’s ID go to Settings > System > System Information. Here, you’ll see your PS4’s name. By default, it should be “PS4” followed by a series of numbers. You can rename your PS4 from here to quickly find it for the data transfer.
- When your PS5 reads “Prepare for Data Transfer,” press and hold the Power button on your PS4 until you hear a beep (it should be about one second).
- Read and understand the precautions, then begin the transfer.
Your PS5 will restart to initiate, but you can still play games and use your PS5 while the transfer happens in the background. As we said, this may take several hours, so don’t expect to hop back into your favorite PS4 games like Ghost of Tsushima right away.
PS4 disks and games on extended storage
Modern gamers have come to learn the benefits of extended storage. Thankfully, you can easily play PS4 games saved on an extended storage device by plugging it into your PS5. However, games like Chivalry 2 or Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War that offer free PS5 upgrades will be saved to your main console storage. Make sure you’re moving the PS4 version back to extended storage, or delete it. You can still move PS5 games to extended storage, so we recommend moving ones you’re not currently playing.
For PS4 disks, all you have to do is insert the disk into your PS5, and it will download to your system storage. Of course, this depends on if you have the disk version of PS5 or the digital.
You can also download games you’ve purchased from the PlayStation Store in the past. You don’t have to download them back to your PS4 and batch with the data transfer. So if you got your hands on Rocket League back when it was free on PSN in 2015, you could download it again to your PS5.
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