There are two ways to free up PS5 storage, and the difference between them matters. You can delete a game, or you can move it to a USB drive. Either way you keep access to the game, but only one of them saves you from downloading it again. On top of that there is a third point, and it’s the reason people’s fear of deleting is usually unfounded: on the PS5, saved data isn’t treated as part of the game.
Where to check how much space is left
From the home screen go to Settings and then to Storage. That is where you see how full the console is, and it is also where everything else starts, both deleting and moving data to USB.
What can be stored where
This is the table Sony itself publishes, and it answers most questions before you even ask them.
| Data type | USB extended storage | M.2 SSD | Cloud (PS Plus) | Regular USB drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game data (PS5 games) | Yes, but you can’t play them from there | Yes | No | No |
| Game data (PS4 games) | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Saved data (PS5 games) | No | No | Yes | No |
| Saved data (PS4 games) | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Screenshots and video clips | No | No | No | Yes |
Breakdown based on Sony’s storage management help page as of 11 September 2026. Two rows are worth remembering: PS5 games can’t be played from USB extended storage and saved data from PS5 games can’t go to a regular USB drive; the cloud is the only option.
Delete or move?
Deleting a game doesn’t mean losing access to it. Sony says so directly: you don’t lose access to deleted games and apps, and you can download your purchases again from your library at any time. What you do lose is time on the next download, which is no small thing with big games.
That’s why Sony offers moving games to USB extended storage as an alternative to deleting them, and recommends keeping games there that you have finished or haven’t launched in a while. So the difference is simple: archiving saves you a re-download, deleting doesn’t.
If downloads don’t work at all and storage doesn’t seem to be the cause, the problem may be on the network or service side. How to tell the difference is covered in the article on how to spot a PSN outage.
How to delete a game
- Settings, Storage, Console Storage, Games and Apps.
- Select the data you want to remove.
- Confirm with Delete.
A useful detail that plenty of people miss: if a game has a Customize option next to its name, you can delete just part of it. For example unused add-ons or a campaign you’ve finished, while the rest stays playable. With big games that have a separate multiplayer part, this often solves the whole problem in one step. For a hint at which titles tend to eat the most space, see the list of the best PS5 games.
How to move games to USB
- Open Game Library, highlight the data you want to move and press the options button.
- Select Move Games and Apps.
- If you have both an M.2 SSD and a USB drive, switch to the Movable to USB Extended Storage tab.
- Confirm with Move.
To bring a PS5 game back to the console, go to Games home, Game Library, the Installed tab, highlight the game stored on USB, press the options button and choose Copy.
PS5 games can’t be played from USB, PS4 games can
Sony puts it plainly: PS5 games can’t be launched directly from USB extended storage, and you need to copy them back to console storage before you play. For PS5 games, USB is a storeroom, not a second drive.
With PS4 games it’s the other way around. You can play them from USB extended storage, and you can even set USB as the default install location for PS4 games in Settings, under Installation Location. If you have a large library from the previous generation on your PS5, this frees up the most space in one go. What carries over from the older console to the new one is described in the article on transferring games and data from PS4 to PS5, and which of those games will actually run is covered in the article on whether PS4 games work on PS5.
USB drive requirements
- SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps or faster.
- Capacity of at least 250 GB and at most 8 TB.
- No USB hub. The drive has to be connected directly, to a USB Type-C or USB Type-A port.
- Only one extended storage drive at a time. You can have more drives connected, but you can only use one at a time.
Sony adds that it doesn’t guarantee every device will work. Formatting is done in Settings, Storage, USB Extended Storage, Format as USB Extended Storage, and it erases all data on the drive with no way to recover it. A drive that has already been formatted as extended storage on a PS4 or another PS5 doesn’t need to be reformatted; just plug it in. Don’t turn off the console or unplug the drive while it’s formatting.
To disconnect the drive, go to Settings, Storage, USB Extended Storage, Safely Remove from PS5. If the console is off, wait until the light goes out completely. According to Sony, disconnecting incorrectly can lead to data loss or corruption and can even damage the console or the drive. What’s worth buying for the console and what isn’t is covered in the article on PS5 accessories.
Saved data is handled separately from games
This is where people hesitate for no reason. On the PS5, saved data is a separate data type in a separate menu, specifically in Settings under Saved Data and Game/App Settings. Games, meanwhile, are deleted somewhere else entirely, in Settings, Storage, Console Storage, Games and Apps. So saved data is managed outside the game deletion menu and has to be deleted there separately.
How to handle it depends on the generation:
- Saved data from PS5 games can only be backed up to the cloud, and that requires a PS Plus membership. Path: Saved Data and Game/App Settings, Saved Data (PS5), Upload or Delete from Console Storage. Cloud capacity is 100 GB for PS5 data and 100 GB for PS4 data, with an extra limit of 1,000 files for PS4. Which subscription includes cloud storage is shown in the overview of PS Plus tiers.
- Saved data from PS4 games can also be copied to a regular USB drive: Saved Data (PS4), Upload or Delete from Console Storage, Copy to USB Drive, pick the game, tick the files and confirm with Copy. To load it back, use Copy or Delete from USB Drive.
- Without PS Plus, there is only one way left to back up saved data on PS5: a full console backup via Settings, System, System Software, Back Up and Restore. The backup includes games and apps, saved data, screenshots, video clips and settings, but not games stored on USB extended storage or on the M.2 SSD. The drive must be FAT32 or exFAT.
Where to start when your storage is full
An order that makes sense based on how much space each step frees up for how much effort:
- Parts of games via Customize. The smallest change, often with the biggest effect on huge multiplayer games.
- PS4 games to USB. You can play them from there, so it costs you nothing.
- Finished PS5 games to USB. They take up space on the drive, but they stay at home, so coming back to them doesn’t mean downloading.
- Deleting subscription games. The subscription library changes anyway, so these titles hurt the least. How it works is described in the article on free games in PS Plus.
- Screenshots and video clips to a regular USB drive. The only category Sony allows on a regular USB drive without restrictions.
What isn’t worth deleting: games you plan to play this week. Re-downloading a big game over an evening is a worse deal than an hour spent tidying up the rest of your library.
FAQ
On the home screen, open Settings and go to Storage. From there you can also reach console storage, where games and apps are deleted, and USB extended storage, where an external drive is formatted and safely removed.
On the PS5, saved data is a separate data type in a separate menu, outside the game deletion menu, and it is deleted there separately. The only real certainty is a backup, though: saved data from PS5 games to the cloud with PS Plus, saved data from PS4 games also to a regular USB drive.
PS4 games yes, PS5 games no. According to Sony, a PS5 game has to be copied from USB extended storage back to console storage before you can play it. For PS4 games you can even set USB as the default install location.
SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps or faster, capacity from 250 GB to 8 TB, connected directly to the console without a USB hub. Only one extended storage drive can be active at a time. Sony also points out that it doesn’t guarantee every device will work.
Yes, permanently. Sony states that formatting a USB drive erases all saved data and data deleted this way can’t be recovered. A drive that has already been formatted as extended storage on a PS4 or another PS5 doesn’t need to be formatted again, though.
Sony adjusts cloud storage capacity and external drive requirements from time to time, so check them in Sony’s help pages before you buy a drive. More console guides are in the PlayStation section on Gamers Together, including what to do when your PS5 won’t turn on. Information verified as of 9 August 2026.