As an avid PlayStation gamer, you‘ve likely invested hundreds or even thousands of hours building up saved games, unlocked achievements, and customized settings on your PS4. So when the time comes to upgrade to a lightning-fast PS5, leaving all that gaming history behind can be unthinkable.
The great news? You can choose exactly which parts of your PS4 gaming life to transfer to your powerful new PS5 thanks to the built-in data transfer features. In this comprehensive guide, you‘ll learn:
- How to transfer PS4 saved data, games, and profiles to PS5
- Step-by-step instructions for wired and wireless data transfer methods
- Detailed speed comparison between transfer options
- Expert troubleshooting for potential data transfer issues
Follow along as we dig into exactly how to continue your epic gaming journey on PS5 without missing a beat. With your PS4 gaming history intact, you can fully embrace next-gen experiences knowing your progress, achievements, and many gaming hours persist perfectly on your new console.
Why Upgrading Gamers Transfer PS4 Data
According to 2022 research by gaming trade body ESA, 39% of gamers transferred saved data or profile information when they upgraded gaming devices or platforms. Analyzing the motives behind the data transfers is telling:
- 93% wanted to retain game progress and achievements
- 86% hoped to keep custom settings and preferences
- 65% wished to hold onto gaming memories and history
Based on these insights, core reasons gamers move their PS4 data to PS5 consoles include:
Preserve Progress & Unlocks: After pouring so many hours into sprawling open world adventures like Elden Ring and Horizon Forbidden West, starting them over is unthinkable. Transferring save files maintains your progress.
Carry Over Custom Settings: From controller layouts dialed into muscle memory to screen brightness perfect for your game room, transfer settings transport your preferred gaming environment.
Continue Gaming Journey: Seeing the direct continuation of your gaming accomplishments, trophies earned, and memories secured powerfully links the PS4 experiences you cherish with next-gen PS5 adventures.
Bottom line? Transferring data enables you to continue your epic gaming tale started on PS4 without interruption when you make the upgrade to PS5.
Weighing PS4 to PS5 Transfer Time and Reliability
When preparing to migrate your PS4 gaming life to new PS5 hardware, an obvious question arises – what‘s the quickest and most reliable data transfer method? Let‘s analyze the trade-offs.
| Transfer Method | Wired | Wireless | Cloud Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | Very fast – up to 5 Gbps | Quick – depends on WiFi speed | Slow – limited by internet bandwidth |
| Reliability | Very reliable – stable connection | Can suffer interference and disconnects | Contingent on connection stability |
| Convenience | Must have both consoles together | Consoles can be in different rooms | Don‘t need both consoles simultaneously |
Based on technical capabilities, wired ethernet connections provide vastly faster transfers compared to WiFi or cloud-based options. Wired also gives rock-solid reliability thanks to a direct, interference-free link between consoles.
However, wireless makes it convenient if your PS4 and PS5 are not physically near each other. And cloud storage like PlayStation Plus online backups acts as handy go-between if consoles are in entirely different locations.
Now let‘s dive into the step-by-step processes for rapidly moving your PS4 gaming data to PS5 using both wired and wireless transfers.
How To Transfer PS4 Data to PS5 via Wired Ethernet
If you have your PS4 and PS5 consoles handy in the same room, connecting them directly via ethernet cable is by far the fastest way to transfer data. Just make sure you have an ethernet LAN cable on hand before beginning.
Here is the full wired transfer process:
On your PS5 go to Settings > System Software > Data Transfer
Select Continue to accept any data transfer warnings or disclaimers. This ensures you understand the transfer may disrupt online gameplay during the process.
Choose Transfer from PS4 to kick off detection of your PS4 system. The PS5 prepares to receive data.
Make sure your PS4 is powered on and signed in to the user profile and account containing the data you wish to transfer. This is likely your primary PS4 profile if you want to transfer saved games.
On your PS4, go to Settings > System Software Update to download the latest system software. This guarantees compatibility with the PS5 on both ends.
While still signed into your primary PS4 profile, go to Settings > Account Management > Activate as Your Primary PS4 > Activate. This confirms active pairing with your account.
Use an Ethernet LAN cable to directly connect your PS4 console to one of the network ports on your PS5 console. This establishes the high-speed wired link necessary for the fastest data speeds.
Connecting PS4 and PS5 via ethernet LAN cable
Once connected via LAN cable, your PS5 automatically detects the PS4 system as an available data source:
On your PS4 controller, press and hold the PS button down for one full second until the lightbar on the controller blinks. This initiates the handshake for data transfer.
Your PS5 console displays the full list of available content and data can be copied from the connected PS4 during the transfer.
Select which data you wish to transfer – game save files, installed game data, system settings, screen shots and video clips. Transferring all data could take hours depending on volume, so be selective.
Finally, confirm and begin the data transfer process. An estimate of transfer duration is provided by the PS5 based on data volume.
Then simply let the wired transfer run and your PS5 will notify upon 100% completion! Just like that, your PS4 gaming life now resides safely on your new PS5 ready for continued adventures.
Transferring PS4 Gaming Data to PS5 Wirelessly
While a wired ethernet connection allows much faster transfer speeds, connecting your PS4 and PS5 over WiFi opens up more flexibility. Wireless transferring enables your consoles to be in entirely different rooms.
Here are the steps:
On your receiving PS5 console, head to Settings > System Software > Data Transfer.
Review and accept the data transfer warnings and disclaimers.
This time, choose Transfer from PS4 then select Easy instead of Custom.
The PS5 readies itself on the WiFi network to detect the PS4.
Power on your PS4 console and sign into the same gamer account and profile you wish to transfer data from.
On the PS4, go download any pending system software updates to maximize compatibility with your PS5.
Still signed into your active PS4 profile, go to Settings > Account Management > Activate as Your Primary PS4 > Activate. This solidifies account pairing.
With PS4 account activation complete, ensure WiFi connectivity:
Confirm your PS4 and PS5 are connected to the same WiFi router or network. Being on the same network is requirements for wireless data detection.
On your PS4 controller, press and hold the PS button down for one full second until the lightbar blinks. This initiates the wireless handshake.
After a few moments, the PS5 detects the wireless PS4 and data transfer can begin:
Just like during wired transfer, select desired data like game saves, settings etc.
Confirm and start data migration from your PS4 to the new PS5 over WiFi.
Let the transfer run and your PS5 will notify upon 100% completion! The process is slightly slower than wired but more convenient when console placement differs.
Troubleshooting Common PS4 to PS5 Data Transfer Issues
While the built-in data transfer capabilities between PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles is robust, technical hiccups can still occasionally occur. Here are fixes to common issues:
PS5 Cannot Detect PS4
- Check wired LAN cable is securely connected between consoles
- For wireless, confirm PS4 and PS5 are on exact same WiFi network
- Restart PS4 console after signing into primary account
Data Transfer Extremely Slow or Stalled
- Pause and restart transfer to re-establish connectivity
- For wired transfer, use different LAN cable in case of defects
- Switch from wireless to wired for faster, more reliable speeds
Not All PS4 Data Appears on PS5 After Transfer
- Saved data only transfers for games also moved or installed on PS5
- Media like screenshots and videos saved on PS4 do not transfer over
If issues persist, power cycle both your PS4 and PS5 consoles and restart the data transfer from the beginning. Contact PlayStation Support if problems with direct data transfer continue.
Continue Your Epic PS4 Gaming Journey on PS5
Like an athlete passing the torch to the next generation, transferring your PS4 gaming data to a PS5 console powerfully links one stage of your evolving gaming life journey to the next era.
The ability to directly transfer cherished gaming saves, custom settings, and years of achievements to your eager new PS5 hardware greatly enhances the upgrade experience. Without data migration, upgrading consoles would feel like disruption. But moving your PS4 gaming history to PS5 storage instead enables exciting new next-gen adventures to organically continue your established ones.
So don‘t hesitate to take advantage of the built-in tools allowing you to transfer accounts, game saves, settings, screenshots, and other key data from PS4 to PS5. The process is straightforward whether you opt for speedy wired transfers or convenient wireless. Purposefully carrying forward your gaming life to cutting-edge new PS5 hardware makes embracing the future feel comfortable rather than daunting.
Game on as your epic saga seamlessly continues!
