How to Transfer PS5 Save Data to Another PS5 (or PS5 Pro)

The fastest way to move your PS5 save data to another PS5, or to a new PS5 Pro, is PlayStation Plus cloud storage: upload the save from your old console, sign in with the same account on the new one, and download it there. No cables, no USB drive, and no factory reset needed. If you are not a PS Plus member, Sony's built-in System Data Transfer tool can copy everything — saves, installed games, settings, even your user profile — directly between two consoles over Wi-Fi or a wired LAN connection. This guide walks through every official method, including where a USB drive actually does (and does not) help, how a PS5 Pro destination changes things, and what to check when a transfer stalls or a save won't restore.

Method 1: PS Plus cloud saves (fastest, no cables)

PlayStation Plus cloud storage is Sony's officially supported way to move individual save files between any two PS5 consoles, including a PS5 Pro, without connecting them to each other. According to PlayStation's cloud storage support page, a PS Plus membership gets you up to 100 GB of PS5 saved data and 100 GB of PS4 saved data in the cloud.

To back up a save from your current console:

• On the Games home screen, highlight the game, press the Options button, and choose Upload/Download Saved Data to upload the most recent save in one step, or
• Go to Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data (PS5) > Upload or Delete from Console Storage, open the Upload to Cloud Storage tab, select the save files, and choose Upload.

On the new console, sign in with the same PSN account and either use the Options menu shortcut again or go to Download or Delete from Cloud Storage > Download to console storage and pull the same save down.

Two settings are worth checking before you rely on this method. First, auto-sync: under Sync Saved Data > Auto-Sync Saved Data, you can enable automatic syncing per game, which uploads your save whenever you close the game or put the console into rest mode — but only if automatic updates are on and "Stay Connected to the Internet" is enabled for rest mode. Second, sync status: use Sync Saved Data > View Sync Status (or the Options-menu shortcut) to confirm a save actually finished uploading before you walk away from the old console, since PS5 cloud storage keeps one synced copy per game rather than multiple dated backups.

Method 2: System Data Transfer over Wi-Fi or LAN

If you want everything moved at once — saves, installed games, console settings and user accounts — without a PS Plus subscription, Sony's console-to-console Data Transfer feature is the official route. Per PlayStation's transfer-data guide, this works from a PS4 or an existing PS5 into a new PS5 (including a PS5 Pro).

Before starting, on the source console: sign in with the same account that's signed in on the destination console, update the system software, and manually sync your trophies. Connect both consoles to the same network — Wi-Fi is fine, and a direct LAN cable between the two consoles isn't required if both are already wired, though it can speed things up if they normally run on Wi-Fi.

Then, on the destination console:

1. Make sure the source console is powered on.
2. Go to Settings > System > System Software.
3. Select Data Transfer, choose Continue, and follow the on-screen steps.

The destination console restarts automatically and you can start using it right away — games appear in your library as they finish transferring, and you can check progress from the control center under Downloads/Uploads. The same option is also offered during a brand-new console's initial setup. Sony's support page is explicit on two points worth repeating: don't power off either console during the transfer, and don't change network settings or run a connection test while it's running, since either can damage or lose data. Data can only move from one PS4 or PS5 at a time into one destination PS5. This kind of direct, network-based device hand-off is conceptually similar to how Apple's AirDrop moves files wirelessly between devices, though PS5 Data Transfer is a one-time full migration rather than an ad hoc file share.

Method 3: Move the M.2 SSD

If you've installed an M.2 SSD expansion drive in your current PS5, the official transfer guide lists physically moving that drive to the new console as another option: remove it from the source PS5 and install it in the destination console to use the game data already stored on it. This is primarily a shortcut for installed games rather than a guaranteed save-transfer method on its own — your actual save files normally live in the console's internal storage, not on the expansion SSD — so pair an M.2 swap with the cloud-save or Data Transfer method above if you need your saves to come along too.

Method 4: Full console Back Up and Restore via USB

This is the method most people are actually looking for when they search for "transfer PS5 save to USB." Sony does not let you copy individual PS5 save files to a USB drive game-by-game, but it does offer a whole-console backup tool that includes your saves. Per PlayStation's back-up-and-restore guide, a PS5 backup covers games and apps, saved data, screenshots and video clips, and settings — though not trophies, and not games or apps stored on extended USB storage or an M.2 SSD.

You'll need a USB drive formatted as FAT32 or exFAT (not set up as PS5 extended storage). To back up: connect the drive, then go to Settings > System > System Software > Back Up and Restore > Back Up Your PS5. To restore on another console: go to the same menu and choose Restore Your PS5, select the correct drive if more than one is connected, and confirm. The console restarts to perform the restore and restarts again when finished. One important aftereffect: restoring a PS5 disables Console Sharing and Offline Play, so re-enable both afterward to avoid losing access to your subscriptions and purchased content.

PS5 to PS5 Pro: save data compatibility notes

Sony hasn't published a separate support article specifically for transferring data from a PS5 to a PS5 Pro. Instead, PlayStation's general transfer-data-to-your-PS5-console guide covers "your PS5 console" as the destination without distinguishing between a standard PS5, a PS5 Slim or a PS5 Pro — because PS5 Pro runs the same PS5 system software family and the same account system as every other PS5 model. In practice, that means every method above (PS Plus cloud saves, System Data Transfer, M.2 SSD swap, and USB backup/restore) applies the same way whether your destination console is a base PS5 or a PS5 Pro.

Because save files are tied to your account and the specific game rather than to a console revision, a save created on a base PS5 should carry over to PS5 Pro without conversion, as long as you're signed in with the same PSN account and the game is updated to a current, compatible version. If a title received a PS5 Pro Enhanced patch, install that update on the Pro before loading an older save, just as you would with any other major patch.

Can you move PS5 saves to a PC, a PS4, or a plain USB drive?

These are some of the most common follow-up questions, and the honest answer is mostly no, with specific exceptions:

• To a PC: There is no official Sony tool to copy a PS5 save file onto a Windows or Mac PC. PS Plus cloud storage syncs saves to Sony's servers, not to a local folder you can browse. Some individual games offer their own cross-save or cross-progression feature tied to the publisher's account system (not the PS5's system-level save tools), so check that specific game's settings if you play it on both platforms.
• To a plain USB drive: As covered above, per-game USB copying is only documented for PS4 saved data, per PlayStation's storage management guide. PS5 saved data only reaches a USB drive as part of a full console backup (Method 4).
• To a PS4: A PS5 save generally can't go backward into a PS4 version of the same game, since the two platforms usually run different game builds. If a title supports cross-save between its PS4 and PS5 versions, that again runs through the game's own account-linked save system.
• To an external hard drive: At the system level, external USB drives are used for PS5 extended storage (installing and moving games) or, as above, a full backup. There is no separate "copy my save to this external hard drive" option outside the full Back Up and Restore tool.

Comparing the transfer methods

Troubleshooting common transfer problems

• Data Transfer stalls or fails: Keep both consoles powered on and connected to the internet for the entire process. Don't run a connection test or change network settings mid-transfer. If Wi-Fi is slow, switch to a wired LAN connection for both consoles.
• Cloud save won't upload or download: Confirm your PS Plus membership is still active, and that you haven't exceeded the 100 GB PS5 save limit. Check that Auto-Sync is enabled for the game and that "Stay Connected to the Internet" is turned on for rest mode, then try the manual Upload/Download Saved Data option from the game's Options menu.
• The cloud save you downloaded is older than expected: If the console auto-synced before you made your very latest progress, you may pull down an older cloud copy. Manually upload your save and check View Sync Status before you retire the old console or download on the new one.
• USB restore doesn't find your backup or fails: Make sure the drive is formatted as FAT32 or exFAT, not as PS5 extended storage. Disconnect any other USB drives so the restore menu can't pick the wrong one, and try a different USB port if the drive isn't detected.
• Lost access to subscriptions or content after restoring: A PS5 restore automatically turns off Console Sharing and Offline Play. Re-enable both under account settings to restore access.
• Child account can't transfer during setup: Child accounts cannot transfer data during the destination console's initial setup. Finish setting up the child's account afterward, or sign in with an adult account during setup to bring that account's data over first.

What's next

For most people switching between two PS5 consoles, or upgrading to a PS5 Pro, the practical order of operations is: turn on PS Plus auto-sync well before moving day so your cloud saves are current, then use System Data Transfer for a full migration if you have the time, or lean on cloud saves plus a quick USB backup as a safety net if you don't. Keep both consoles updated to their latest system software before you start, since Sony ties its transfer and backup tools to current firmware. If you're also weighing whether a second or upgraded console is worth the money in the first place, our look at the Nintendo Switch 2 price increase covers similar value trade-offs that apply across consoles generally. Beyond that, check PlayStation's own support pages periodically — Sony updates these transfer and storage articles as system software changes, so the exact menu wording can shift over time even when the underlying methods stay the same.

Written byJonah Reyes

Jonah Reyes leads Pandromeda's gaming coverage: console and handheld hardware, release dates, pricing changes, patch notes and the business moves behind the biggest franchises. He sources every date and price from the platform holders and publishers themselves, and says plainly when something is still only a rumour.

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