If you were worried you'd have to start your backwards compatible PlayStation 4 games all over again on PS5, never fear. Via a backward compatibility help page on its website, Sony has confirmed that you can transfer your digital PS4 games as well as save data over to PS5.
According to the page, there are two ways you can get your existing PS4 games onto PS5. The first is a data transfer from your PS4 console to your PS5 console via a local WiFi connection. This method will probably be best if you want to move your PS4 collection across en masse, but it does require that you have both machines present. It may be quicker to choose this option if you have a slow Internet connection or are encumbered by data caps.
The second option is simpler: on your PS5, go to your games library and find the PS4 game you want to download. If you only want a specific handful of PS4 titles on your PS5, this might be the way to go, unless you have a slow connection. If you're a PlayStation Plus member, you can then download your game saves from the cloud, and you'll be good to go.
As expected, it seems that your PS4 games can come with you pretty easily to PS5. And the vast majority of PS4 titles are backwards compatible on PS5; check out this measly list of PS4 software currently unsupported on PS5.
Which PS4 games will you be transferring over to PS5? Tell us in the comments section below, and check out our PS5 backwards compatibility guide for more.
[source support.playstation.com]
Comments 61
Downloading saves from the PS Plus cloud storage to the PS5 is a super nice solution. Glad PS4 saves will work on the PS5.
I was worried at first as I've already wiped and boxed up my Pro ready to sell. But if you can download saves from the Plus cloud then that's all good. Rather not lose my Witcher 3 and Tsushima saves!
Why won't some saves work then? Thinking of Yakuza here.
@Deadlyblack doesn't affect me, but my brother in law will be very happy
@TheIdleCritic
I’m thinking they will, unless you get a ps5 version of a game which might treat data retrieval differently. I don’t know, but it would make most sense as it’s super easy to get the data on the ps5 itself, it just seems some games won’t use it properly.
@TheIdleCritic No idea
@TheIdleCritic different SKU? I guess there's nothing to say developers can't change the format to something not backwards compatible, but I can't see why you would unless you didn't know this feature was coming.
Unexpected, good job Sony.
"The first is a data transfer from your PS4 console to your PS5 console via a local WiFi connection"
That's a bizarre way to do it but at least we can.
I’m glad it’s possible to transfer my copy of P.T. to PS5. Hope there is still a new SH coming...
@thefourfoldroot @theheadofabroom Ahhhhhhhh sorry. My brain got a little muddled. I was thinking about transferring your Yakuza PS4 save to work on the upgraded PS5 version, which I guess is a little different to just being able to use your PS4 saves on a PS4 game on your PS5. Sorry.
Can I move my games to an external storage and connect that to my PS5? Any help please
Knew they had this on lock! Can’t have upgrades and BC without save transfers
💾💨
If you have an external save your games to the external plug it into PS5 copy to system. That surely the easiest way to get your games ?
Saves I guess still got use plus cloud unless can copy that to external as well.
This is a relief. Especially that I can do it without my ps4, as I plan to trade that in after launch when PS5s are easily available.
Perfect means I can continue my Spider-man playthrough on my PS5 or Little Hope...
Guess I better get a second DualSense or wait did DS4 work on PS5?
Hmm. This raises all sorts of questions particularly related to game transfers. A couple
1) What about games on external drives? Can't we just plug them straight into PS5 full of games?
2) If not will we now need 2 external drives, one for PS4 and one for PS5 while we switch everything across via Wifi? That sounds tedious. Not least that the games are now on the wrong drive.
The alternative is wipe the drive and re-download everything which is neither quick, nor convenient for those of us with large collections. My router is smoking at the idea of 4TB+ of downloads
Glad there's options for folks that need em. I plan on just unplugging my HDD and plugging into the 5,
@artemisthemp Yes, you can use a DS4 to play PS4 games on the new system, they just cant be used for PS5 games
@ORO_ERICIUS Yes, that was confirmed. You can also play Your PS4 gemes from it if You want. PS5 native games tho can only be storaged on external. To play them You'll have to copy to SSD.
@themightyant
You have to format an external drive the first time you use it on PS4 if I remember correctly, maybe it’s the same on PS5.
What about my external hard drive? Can't I simply plug it into the PS5 and access my current games there?
@Prime_Objective HAS it been confirmed? Source?
I 100% hope you are right
@TheIdleCritic
No problem, these things get confusing. Msny would say it’s Sony’s fault as we should be able to use cross save (like we could on VITA, PS3 and PS4), but the truth is the functionality is there to do so if the devs can be bothered. The fact some do snd some don’t is confusing to everyone.
I already have psplus so I think I'll just transfer it from there.
Looks like I’ll just WiFi it (or USB which is currently a strange omission, maybe ps5 doesn’t have the option to save to USB).
Not getting plus just to transfer information, and currently NOW is so much better than plus there really is no other incentive at all.
Why can't I simply plug my external hdd to PS5 to play my old games? I need TWO 4TB external hdd to do the system transfer? This makes no sense in 2020.
@Prime_Objective thank you very much mate. So the we can copy our Savegames to an external too to move them onto the PS5. Great!
'on your PS5, go to your games library and find the PS4 game you want to download.'
No no no, no. It's too complicated. Do I need a scr....scree...screwww?
@JJ2 lmao
@Luminous117 https://www.instructables.com/How-to-copy-a-PS4-game-save-to-a-external-drive/
@themightyant
https://www.gamesradar.com/ps5-hdd-ps4-games-backwards-compatibility/
Some short insights from the support article:
@Prime_Objective I think there are some crossed wires.
Oro_ericus's original question was "Can I move my games to an external storage (on PS4) and connect that to my PS5?" I think he is asking the same as me, whether we can just unplug the PS4 external HDD full of games and plug it into PS5.
Well, b/c mode on paper sounds much like to be expected-with possible boost mode ala the ps4 pro. The list of non working titles is encouraging albeit they're covering themselves saying to boot the ps4 game up first before buying any dlc.
The only strange thing is, didn't Mark Cerny say ps4 games would also be playable from an external HDD like you can currently on ps4 (if you're logged in obv.)?
Wonder why that isn't mentioned?
@Luminous117 simply one time use a usb stick for the savegames to move them accross easy
Woo hoo more Skyrim!
@Deadlyblack Exactly. I started playing Skyrim VR not too long ago, and i really don't want to think about starting allover.. Great solution, although i wasn't expecting anything less tbh
@Luminous117 Buy a USB drive?
@wiiware Like any other sane person would..😜
@stu123 that's because the new Xbox is essentially a spec boost on the old Xbox. The PS5 is its own thing
@stu123 you can as we are all talking about that in many comments now
@stu123
I believe Mark Cerny said that you can store your ps4 games, and play them on the PS5, with an external drive.
This article might be more about how to transfer PS4 games without using an external drive, not about Wi-Fi transfer or online store download being the only methods.
Asking the same question as many. Seeking clarification. I thought they said you could plug in your HDD that you use for PS4 into the PS5 and play off of that. Would that mean that those games could not utilize the "boost" mode? I mean with only 700 gb or less, my PS4 games will not fit.
@redd214 Their is so many games on my Hard drive and don't think the File system will work with PS5 else OMG that's gonna be awesome
Moving all games on the internal storage to extended storage/HDD now then 😎
...except Shadow Complex Remastered 😜
So I guess on Day 1 I will transfer via WiFi connection from my PS4 1TB and 1TB Extended Storage to my PS5's 2TB SSD external storage? I'm hoping that's possible...
Sorry I'm probably being stupid but does this finally clarify if PS4 games could be saved to a USB and then transferred to a PS5?
I'm hoping to sell my PS4 next week before the trade-in values go through the floor, this has been holding me back...
@Juvenlast Wondering this too. The help page says this: "You can access PS4 games on a PS5 console directly from a PS5 extended storage drive. "
It's worth noting that's under the heading "Transfer digital games from a PS4 console to a PS5 console"
I can't see anything else about just being able to plug out our external drives and plugging them in to PS5 though.
https://support.playstation.com/s/article/backward-compatibility?language=en_US&lan=
EDIT: This on the blogpost -
How do PS4 game transfers and game saves work between the two consoles?
You can transfer digital games, game data, and game saves from a PS4 console to a PS5 console using LAN cables, or by connecting wirelessly (WiFi). If you’ve already stored PS4 games and game data in the external USB storage device connected to your PS4, you can bring them over to PS5 with that external USB storage device. And if you are a PS Plus member, you can also sync PS4 game saves on PS5 through cloud storage.
@MemSec exactly, glad p.t. will be safe and sound.
Can you transfer PT?
Gonna have GT Sport installed directly I have no other games that need to be installed right away, except for the one I am playing at the time next to GT Sport!
Sega can't get Yakuza Like A Dragon to work like this why, exactly ?
@FedoraTheAura yeah you're not alone, I don't have Plus either and I already backuped the saves to a USB stick, so I'll just have to wait and see I guess. No info on that anywhere.
I’m a bit confused - the only reference to saves is this:
“Transfer digital games from a PS4 console to a PS5 console.
You can transfer digital games and saved data from a PS4 console to a PS5 console using WiFi data transfer.”
Does that mean you can only transfer saves for digital games (not for disc games)?
The more I read into this the more worrying it is.
Sony has said it’s developers decisions whether PS4 saves will work on PS5.
So there could be a lot of developers that might not get any financial benefit of working to allow saves to transfer, so they might not bother...
I don't want to sound like a broken record But I wish I could have all my PS1 + PS2 + PS3 + PS4 Saves and Discs just all work on the PS5 Oh well nice dream that will never happen.
@FedoraTheAura
PS4 game saves will work on the PS5 if it’s the PS4 version of the game via back-compat. If you have a PS5 upgraded version there is no guarantee it will work and will depend on the developers. This is nothing new and is not a Sony only thing. I purchased The Witcher 3 Game of the Year addition on Xbox store, I soon had to get a refund as it does not support the standard Witcher 3 game save (I had been playing on GamePass). It has to do with the format and data that gets recorded in a save. Developers could probably get around this with a conversion tool or a online progress save similar to MMO’s or warfare etc. but that would still not be a guarantee. As for developers having an incentive, I guess if they are offering a free upgrade we can’t complain. But if there is a game you want to play that is getting a free upgrade you could just hold off buying it until it does, that’s my plan with yakuza and cyberpunk. So by the time the upgrade comes out the games will be cheaper, win win.
Ps slightly off topic but any chance we can get some info on how PSVR will work? How do we get these special cables mentioned? Will I need to keep swapping cables around to use the psvr like I do currently to be able to get 4K 10bit hdr? <— (I got the PSVR at launch so my one has the old breakout box that doesn’t support 4K 10bit hdr, so on my pro I need to keep swapping hdmi cables.)
That's a relief, having to start over again would be too time consuming haha.
Sweet. Ill be bringing all the soulsborne games and on release day the set will be complete with the arrival of Demon's Souls. Hyped doesn't even come close to my level of excitement.
I have the vast majority of my PS4 games on an External USB SSD.
Can I just remove that from my PS4 and plug it into the PS5 and run the games?
EDIT: Just seen DeathAxe reply above, sorry.
Question please, can I copy my games from my PS4 to PS5 but still keep them on PS4 so I can play them from both consoles? thank you.
Tap here to load 61 comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...