With a majority of PlayStation 4 content confirmed to be compatible with PlayStation 5, Sony offers several methods to ensure that your old data and games can make the trip on your next-gen console..
There are four different methods that can be used to bring your games to the PS5, although only one will be enough for a successful transfer.
These methods use your data transfer option to connect your PS4 and PS5 directly to send the data, by inserting your PS4 discs into the PS5, connecting an external HDD with the data from the PS4 on it, or re-downloading your games via the PlayStation Store..
Here's what you need to know about each of the options.
Data transfer
The main purpose of the data transfer will be to move games, save data and other compatible options from PS4 to PS5..
You will first have to make sure that the PS4 and PS5 are up to date on the latest version, then connect with the same PSN account for each console and make sure you are connected to the same network. It is possible to reduce the transfer time by linking the connection of the two consoles with an Ethernet cable using Wi-Fi.
Once the connection is made, it is possible to follow the instructions given on the PS5 console, which is the device on which the transfer will be initiated. When the transfer begins, it is still possible to use the PS5 while it is in progress in the background on the PS4.
Use discs
If you have any PS4 games that are left unused in your collection, all you need to do is insert the disc into the PS5. It will then install automatically as it would have done on the PS4. In addition, the installation time will be reduced compared to that of the PS4 thanks to the SSD storage in the new system.
On the other hand, it will always be necessary to save the data to the cloud or transfer them to an HDD drive to keep your progress if you do not use the data transfer method.
Using an external HDD
If some PS4 game data is already saved to an external HDD, just disconnect it from the PS4 and put it on the PS5. It will certainly need to be formatted to make it compatible with the next-gen console, but this should not affect the data on the disk.
Sony recommends backing up all PS4 games to an external drive to ensure that the internal SSD has room to run PS5 games that are optimized for its system. PS4 games running on an external HDD drive will still have improved performance even without using the SSD directly.
Redownload everything via PlayStation Store
As long as you log into the same PSN account used on the PS4 with the PS5 installed, you will have access to all of your PS4 purchases in PlayStation Store.
Once logged in you will be able to download your games individually from PlayStation Store, or simply go to your Games Library section and download multiple titles at a time from your Purchases section.
Transferring game saves
If you want to transfer game saves, you will need to either use data transfer or the cloud save feature that is included with PS Plus.
In order to use cloud saves, which will automatically give you access to your saved data uploaded to your account, you will need a current PS Plus subscription. Simply download the PSN save data to your PS4 and then upload it to your PS5 once this step is completed.
Alternatively, you can also copy your save data to USB stick or external HDD drive and transfer it to your PS5 this way.