Moving from PS4 to PS5 isn’t about copying files; it’s about rescuing years of game progress. Sony offers four ways to do it, and they differ in what they transfer and how fast. Here’s which one to pick.
The four methods at a glance
| Method | What it transfers | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Network transfer (Wi-Fi or LAN) | games, saves, profiles and console settings | the main choice, the most complete migration |
| External USB drive | PS4 games stored on the drive, no formatting | if you already have PS4 games on an external drive |
| PlayStation Plus cloud | saves, 100 GB for both PS4 and PS5 | if you have an active subscription |
| Manual USB transfer | saves only | a backup when the network methods fail |
Network transfer: the recommended route
It transfers games, saves, user profiles and console settings in a single pass. It works between consoles on the same network over Wi-Fi or a LAN cable, and the cable is much faster. With tens of gigabytes, that’s a difference of hours.
- Update both consoles to the latest firmware. Mismatched versions are the most common reason the transfer won’t start.
- Sign in to the same account on both and connect them to the same network, ideally with a cable to the same router.
- Start the transfer wizard on the PS5 and choose what you want to move; you can pick games selectively.
- Leave the consoles running. The transfer runs in the background, and an interruption means starting over.
External drive: the fastest if you already have one
Plug an external drive with your PS4 games into the PS5 without reformatting and the games are available right away. It’s by far the easiest way to move a large PS4 library, because nothing gets transferred: only the console the drive is plugged into changes.
Cloud: the most reliable for saves
A PlayStation Plus subscription gives you 100 GB of cloud storage for PS4 and PS5 saves. It’s the most reliable method for exactly that one thing: saves are uploaded on one console and downloaded on the other, no matter whether both are in the same room.
What doesn’t transfer
- PS5 versions of games are downloaded again from the PlayStation Store. You have the license, not the data.
- Subscription games need an active membership on the new console too.
- Trophies don’t transfer, but they don’t need to: they’re tied to your account, not the console.
FAQ
The vast majority do. For discs, though, you need a console with a disc drive; see the PS5 edition comparison.
Network transfer over a LAN cable. Wi-Fi works too, but with large libraries the difference is measured in hours.
No. You plug the drive with your PS4 games straight into the PS5 and the games are available right away.
No. Trophies are tied to your PlayStation Network account, so they show up on any console you sign in to.
For cloud save backups, yes. Network transfer and the external drive work without a subscription.
Information verified as of 7 September 2026. The details of the process may change with system updates, but the principles of each method stay the same. More console guides: which PS5 edition to buy, when the PS6 comes out, GTA 5 cheats for PS5 and San Andreas codes. Everything else is in the PlayStation section.