To move a PS4 RPG save to a PS5, first copy it to the PS5 using Data Transfer, PlayStation Plus cloud storage, or a USB flash drive. Then check whether the RPG’s native PS5 version has its own import or carry-over option: Sony’s console transfer alone does not convert a PS4 save into a PS5-version save. If you only want to keep playing the PS4 version on your PS5, you can use the save once it is on the console without converting it.
What do you need before transferring a PS4 RPG save?
There are two separate jobs: move the PS4 save file onto the PS5, then, if you want to play the native PS5 version, import that file using a tool provided by the game’s developer. Sony provides the first set of tools. The second step depends on the specific RPG.
Before choosing a method, check the following:
- Same PlayStation Network account: Sign in on both consoles with the account associated with the save. Using another account can prevent a clean transfer or leave you unable to access the save.
- Access to the PS4, or an earlier cloud upload: Data Transfer and USB copying require the source PS4 to be available and powered on. Cloud download can work without the PS4 if the save was uploaded before the console became unavailable.
- A destination PS5 with room for the data: Saves are usually much smaller than game installs, but Data Transfer can also move PS5-playable games and apps. The game files, rather than the save files, are often the larger part of that job.
- The right version of the game: A PS4 save on PS5 can be used by the PS4 version running through backward compatibility. The PS5 version is a separate game at the system level unless its developer supplies a way to carry progress over.
- A verified copy before you retire the PS4: Keep the source save and PS4 install until you have launched the PS5 version and confirmed that the expected progress is there.
Sony’s current support instructions, retrieved in October 2026, list three ways to move PS4 saves: console Data Transfer, PlayStation Plus cloud storage, and USB storage. The methods differ in what they move and whether the PS4 must still be available:
| Method | What moves | What you need | Can it work if the PS4 is unavailable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS5 Data Transfer | PS4 saves and PS5-playable game installs; during initial setup, it can also move user/account information and console settings | Both consoles powered on and connected to the same network | No |
| PlayStation Plus cloud storage | Saved data | An active PlayStation Plus membership and a save already uploaded to cloud storage | Yes, if the save was uploaded earlier |
| USB flash drive | PS4 saved data | A compatible USB flash drive and access to the PS4 to copy the save | No |
Which transfer method should you use?
Choose Data Transfer if both consoles are available and you want the most complete move. Choose cloud storage if the PS4 is packed away but the save is already online. Choose USB if you can use the PS4 and want a no-subscription way to copy saves only.
Use Data Transfer to move saves and eligible game installs
Data Transfer is the most comprehensive option, but what it includes depends on whether you are transferring during the PS5’s initial setup or afterward. During initial setup, a PS4 can send saved data for games playable on PS5, PS5-playable games, user and account information for users who have signed in on that PS4, and certain console settings such as language, login, and power saving. After setup, a PS4 can send the logged-in user’s saved data and PS5-playable games; user information and console settings are not included.
Data Transfer copies rather than wipes the source, according to Sony’s instructions. It does not move data stored on extended storage as part of the save transfer. If you also want PS4 game installs held on a USB extended-storage drive, that is a separate route: connect the drive to the PS5 to access the game data, then use one of the save-transfer methods above.
Use PlayStation Plus cloud storage if the PS4 is out of reach
Cloud storage moves saves, not game installs. It requires an active PlayStation Plus membership, and the save needs to have been uploaded from the PS4 first. An automatic upload may already exist, but confirm that the copy in online storage is the latest one before relying on it.
Use a USB flash drive for a saves-only copy without Plus
A regular compatible USB flash drive is the official no-subscription option for PS4 saves. Sony does not allow copying native PS5 saved data from a PS5 to USB, so this method applies to the PS4 save you are bringing over, not to later exporting a PS5-version save.
How do you transfer a save with PS5 Data Transfer?
Prepare both consoles before starting. Sony warns that turning either console off during transfer can damage or lose data, and advises against changing network settings or running internet connection tests while it is in progress.
Prepare the PS4 and PS5
- On the PS4, sign in to the same PlayStation Network account you use on the destination PS5.
- Update both consoles to the latest system software.
- Synchronize trophy information on the PS4. Sony’s instructions point users to the trophy page; Eurogamer’s 2020 guide describes pressing Options on the PS4 and choosing Sync with PlayStation Network.
- Connect both consoles to the same network and leave them powered on. Wi-Fi works. If both consoles normally use Wi-Fi, Sony says connecting them with a commercially available LAN cable can make the transfer faster. If both are already wired to the router, a separate console-to-console cable is not required.
- Do not run an internet connection test or change network settings while the transfer is underway.
If the destination PS5 has not been set up yet, follow the on-screen data-transfer stage during initial setup. Sony says a child account cannot use Data Transfer during the PS5’s initial setup; complete setup for that account first and then transfer, or use an adult account during initial setup and transfer both accounts then.
Start Data Transfer after PS5 setup
- Turn on the source PS4 and keep it signed in to the account that owns the save.
- On the PS5, open Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer > Continue.
- Follow the prompts while the PS5 searches for the PS4. When prompted, press the PS4’s power button for about one second, until it beeps. Guides from Eurogamer and How-To Geek describe a roughly five-minute window to do this.
- Select the saved data for the RPG. You can also select PS5-playable games and apps if you want them moved. After initial setup, the PS4 transfer is limited to saved data for the signed-in user.
- Start the transfer and leave both consoles on. The PS5 restarts during the process. Sony says you can use it after that restart while remaining game data continues to copy; check Control Center > Downloads/Uploads to see progress. A game can be launched when its thumbnail appears, even if other data is still copying.
Sony says that data already on the destination is skipped. If a matching game save is already on the PS5 and you are using USB instead, the USB copy can replace it; check which version you want before confirming an overwrite. Login passcodes transfer as well, and Sony says to enter the same passcode on the destination when prompted.
How do you move a PS4 save with PlayStation Plus cloud storage?
Upload the save from the PS4, then download it to PS5 console storage. Having a save in the cloud does not automatically apply it to the PS5 or to the PS5 version of the RPG.
Upload from the PS4
- On PS4, open Settings > Application Saved Data Management > Saved Data in System Storage > Upload to Online Storage.
- Select the RPG and the save files you want to upload. How-To Geek describes using Options > Select Multiple Applications to select files in a batch.
- Check that the most recent save is in online storage. If automatic upload was enabled, do not assume it completed after your last play session; confirm the date or file you intend to use.
Download to the PS5
- On PS5, open Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data (PS4) > Cloud Storage > Download to Console Storage.
- Select the RPG save and download it to console storage.
- Launch the PS4 version of the RPG to check that the save is available. If your goal is the native PS5 version, continue with the game-specific import step below.
How do you copy a PS4 save with a USB flash drive?
USB copying is useful when you can still access the PS4 but do not have PlayStation Plus. Use a regular USB flash drive, not a drive formatted as PS4 extended storage for game installs; How-To Geek notes that the PS4 will not copy saves to an extended-storage drive. IGN’s guide says the flash drive may need to be formatted as exFAT.
Copy the save from PS4 to USB
- Insert the flash drive into the PS4.
- Open Settings > Application Saved Data Management > Saved Data in System Storage > Copy to USB Storage Device.
- Select the RPG and the save files you want to copy, then confirm.
- Eject the drive safely through Settings > Devices > USB Storage Devices > Stop Using This USB Storage Device.
Copy the save from USB to PS5
- Insert the flash drive into the PS5.
- Open Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data (PS4) > USB Drive > Copy to Console Storage.
- Select the RPG save and copy it. If the game is not installed yet, How-To Geek says the file may appear under Non-Installed Game or App and can still be copied.
- Launch the PS4 version first if you want to confirm the copied save is readable before attempting the game’s PS5-version conversion.
How do you import the save into the RPG’s native PS5 version?
Once the PS4 save is on the PS5, install or upgrade to the native PS5 version, then follow that game’s own carry-over instructions. The PS5 system does not provide a universal PS4-to-PS5 game-save conversion tool: Dovetail Games stated in September 2025 that the two versions are treated as different games unless a developer has built a custom solution.
- Install the native PS5 version using the game hub upgrade prompt, the PlayStation Store, or the disc/licence route available for that title. Owning or installing a PS5 version does not by itself establish that the PS4 save is compatible.
- Sign in to the same PlayStation Network account associated with the PS4 save.
- Open the PS5 version and look for an in-game option such as Import, Carry Over, DATA CONVERT, or a one-time prompt. Follow the game’s current instructions; button names and menus can vary by title and patch.
- Load the resulting PS5 save and check details you recognize, such as the character’s location, party, quest progress, or play time.
- Keep the PS4 version and original save until you have verified the PS5 version’s progress. Only then uninstall the PS4 version if you need the storage space.
If you keep playing the PS4 version on your PS5 through backward compatibility, it can load the PS4 save directly once that save is on console storage. That does not mean the save has been converted for the native PS5 version.
Examples show why you must check the specific RPG
Compatibility is title-specific. A free PS5 upgrade is not proof that save transfer is supported. Push Square’s list, last updated November 25, 2024, marks save transfer for some RPGs and not for others; it also leaves several cells unmarked, which is not enough to claim either yes or no.
| RPG | Save-transfer information in the cited title list | PS5 upgrade information in the cited title list |
|---|---|---|
| Final Fantasy VII Remake | Yes | Free upgrade: Yes |
| Nioh 2 | Yes | Free upgrade: Yes |
| Yakuza: Like a Dragon | No | Free upgrade: Yes |
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition / Anniversary Edition | No | Free upgrade: Yes |
| Atelier Ryza 2, Elden Ring, GreedFall, Like a Dragon: Ishin, Lost Judgment, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Not established by an unmarked save-transfer cell in that list | Free upgrade: Yes |
One concrete custom-import example is SCARLET NEXUS. Bandai Namco’s official product information says the game must be updated to Ver. 1.01 or higher; use DATA CONVERT from the PS4 title screen to upload, then choose DATA CONVERT on the PS5 version to download. The process overwrites an existing PS5 save, and transfer back from PS5 to PS4 is not supported.
Square Enix support also illustrates why a publisher-wide assumption is unsafe: its support pages include both a title with a one-time carry-over and a separate title whose saves are incompatible between consoles. The retrieved support-page text does not name those games in the article body, so use the support page for the exact RPG rather than generalizing from the publisher.
What can go wrong during a PS4-to-PS5 save transfer?
Most problems come from mixing up the console-copy step and the game-import step, or from moving the wrong file or account. Work through these checks before deleting data or repeating a transfer.
- The PS5 version starts without the expected progress: Verify that you launched the native PS5 SKU, not the PS4 version, and look for the game’s import or carry-over option. A save copied to PS5 storage does not prove the PS5 version has imported it.
- The save is missing from the transfer list: Check that the PS4 is on, both consoles are on the same network for Data Transfer, and the same account is signed in. After PS5 setup, Sony limits PS4 save transfer to the logged-in user’s data.
- The USB drive is not offered as a save destination: Use a regular flash drive rather than one formatted as extended storage for game installations. If necessary, check whether it needs exFAT formatting.
- The wrong save appears on the PS5: Verify the file on the PS4 or cloud before copying. Be cautious when replacing a same-game save on PS5, and confirm the intended save is present before accepting an overwrite.
- The transfer stops or reports a network problem: Keep both consoles powered on, do not change network settings, and do not run an internet connection test during transfer. Sony warns interruption can damage or lose data.
- You continued playing on PS4 after a one-time carry-over: Some games do not synchronize later PS4 progress back to the PS5 save. Square Enix’s support guidance for one such carry-over says the transfer can be done only once; later progress on PS4 will not carry over. Follow the exact game’s support instructions before trying to convert again.
- You need to move a native PS5 save later: Sony does not support copying PS5 saved data to USB. Sony’s stated options include PlayStation Plus cloud storage or Data Transfer to another PS5.
How long does a PS4-to-PS5 transfer take?
The time depends on what you move and the connection. Saves-only cloud and USB transfers are small compared with moving a large game library; Sony says a LAN cable can make console-to-console Data Transfer faster when the consoles otherwise connect wirelessly.
Networkustad’s 2026 how-to estimates that saves alone take minutes, while moving a 500GB game library over Ethernet may take a few hours and Wi-Fi can take much longer. That is a general estimate from that guide, not a Sony guarantee; the actual time varies with network conditions and the data selected.
When Data Transfer restarts the PS5, the remaining game data may still be copying. Sony says to check Control Center > Downloads/Uploads; a game can become playable when its thumbnail appears even before the full transfer has finished.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much PS4 save data can I keep in PlayStation Plus cloud storage?
Sony’s support information retrieved in October 2026 does not state a cloud-storage quota in gigabytes or a save-slot count. Check the current PlayStation Plus storage details for your account rather than relying on unofficial figures.
Can I move a PS4 save to another PS4 after copying it to PS5?
The PS5 Data Transfer process copies data; it does not erase the source PS4 save. A separate PS4-to-PS4 transfer or backup is still subject to that console’s account and storage rules.
Does a free PS5 upgrade mean my RPG save will carry over?
No. Upgrade availability and save compatibility are separate title-specific decisions. Check the RPG’s own support page or in-game instructions for the PS4-to-PS5 save procedure.