In recent weeks, it’s become clear that while thePlayStation 5will be backward compatible with nearly all PS4 games,not all PS4 games will be able to transfer save data to the PS5. The reasons for this vary depending on the game, but overall, fans haven’t had an exact idea of what types of games will be transferable in general. Luckily, though, Sony has started to clarify things this weekend.
A new page on the PlayStation Support website goes into detail on the matter ofPS4/PS5 save compatibility, but the gist is that, for the most part, digital game owners should be able to transfer their saves to the next PlayStation without too much fuss. According to Sony, there will be two ways to transfer save data between the two consoles. The first is to transfer the data from the PS4 to the PS5 via a local WiFi connection, while the second is to access one’s games library on the PS5, find their PS4 games, and download them from there.
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These won’t be the only options, however. Elaborating on the PlayStation Blog, Sony confirmed that PS4 owners will be able to transfer games and save data between the consoles via a LAN connection or an external USB storage device. This will definitely be a good option for those whose WiFi speeds are on the slow side. As for physical copies, the company stated that players will be able to transfer their saves as well, but only if they have the Standard Edition PS5, and after they’ve upgraded to thePS5version of their games.
PS4 owners will also have the option to skip all of the aforementioned options entirely and stream their current-gen games on the PS5 via PS Now. This will have the benefit of freeing up storage space, which may likely become a precious commodity for most as game file sizes grow, though Sony notes that the games that will support thePS5’s performance-enhancing Game Boost featurewon’t be able to utilize it through PS Now.
On one hand, it’s good that PS4 owners will have multiple options for maintaining their games’ progress on the PS5, but on the other, Sony has stressed thatcross-gen save support on the PS5 will be decided by developerson a game-by-game basis. Then there’s certain upgraded games likeSpider-Man Remasteredthat have changed things up enough from their PS4 versions to make them incompatible with current-gen save data.
Overall, Sony’s cross-gen save system probably won’t be 100% ideal for every PS4 owner, depending on the games they want to carry over to the next generation, but all things considered, most fans shouldn’t have too much to worry about once moving day finally arrives next month.
ThePlayStation 5launches on November 12 in the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea, and on November 19 everywhere else.
