Key takeaways
- Built-in PS5 Data Transfer (free): The first-choice tool for an account, games, saves, media, and settings move when both consoles are available.
- Ethernet LAN cable (optional, paid if you need one): A useful connection option for large transfers or unstable Wi-Fi; unnecessary if both consoles are already reliably wired to the network.
- PlayStation Plus cloud storage (membership required): A targeted fallback for verified saved-game copies when only certain game saves need to move.
A PS5 Pro transfer from PS5 lets you bring your games, compatible saved data, user information, captures, and selected settings to your new console without starting over. The most complete route is Sony’s built-in Data Transfer tool: connect both consoles to the same network, sign in with the same PlayStation account, then on PS5 Pro open Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer > Continue. Follow the prompts and leave both consoles powered on. If you only need a few games or saves, downloads, PlayStation Plus cloud storage, or moving an existing game-storage drive can be simpler. This guide explains what each method actually moves and how to check your progress before retiring the old PS5.
Quick answer: The safest way to move to PS5 Pro
Use console-to-console Data Transfer when you want a broad migration rather than just one game. The source is your original PS5; the destination is your PS5 Pro. Sony supports starting the process during PS5 Pro’s first-time setup or later from the System Software menu. A destination restart is expected, and some game downloads or transfers can continue after the home screen becomes available. Do not unplug either console merely because the new console appears ready.
Transferring is a copy operation, not a reason to erase the original PS5. Keep the old console and its data intact until you have launched important games and confirmed their saves. Also note that a game or save already present on the PS5 Pro is not transferred over by this process; do not treat Data Transfer as a merge or overwrite tool for an existing destination save.
Choose the right transfer method before you begin
| Method | Best for | What it moves or accesses | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in Data Transfer | Whole-console move | Eligible user data, saves, captures, games, selected settings | Both consoles required on the same network; existing destination items are not overwritten |
| Game Library download | A few digital purchases | Game installation files tied to the signed-in account | Game download does not by itself recover a missing save |
| PlayStation Plus cloud storage | Selected game saves | Eligible PS5 or PS4 saved data tied to your account | Active membership and a verified current cloud copy required |
| Existing USB extended storage | Installed game files already on a drive | PS4 games playable from USB; PS5 game files stored for later copying back | PS5 games cannot be played directly from USB extended storage |
| Existing compatible M.2 SSD | Games installed on an add-in SSD | Games and apps on the relocated drive | Correct removal/installation procedure and account access required; not a save-data replacement |
| PS5 USB backup/restore | Broader backup when network migration is impractical | Selected console data in a console backup | Restoring erases existing destination-console data |
For most owners who still have both consoles, begin with Data Transfer and use the other methods selectively. A small game library often makes direct downloading more convenient, while a nearly full source PS5 may benefit from reusing an M.2 SSD or USB extended-storage drive instead of copying every installation across the network.
What you need before transferring
Prepare your consoles and accounts
Place both consoles where they can remain powered for the session. Connect the PS5 Pro to your display with its HDMI cable; the source PS5 does not need its own TV connection once it is running. Keep both consoles connected to power. On the old PS5, sign in to the PlayStation account that you will also use on the PS5 Pro. If the old PS5 holds several family profiles, review which users need their data carried over before starting.
On both consoles, check for system software updates under Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings, and install an available official update before beginning. You can check the installed version at Settings > System > System Software > Console Information. Do this before—not during—the actual migration.
Sync trophies and protect irreplaceable saves
On the original PS5, select your profile picture on the home screen, choose Trophies, press the controller’s Options button, and select Sync Trophies. Trophy synchronization is separate from copying game files. If you have PlayStation Plus, verify that the latest important saves have uploaded to cloud storage before using it as a fallback. Look at the game’s latest progress or save timestamp instead of assuming automatic synchronization has completed.
Make a short inventory: two or three games with saves you cannot afford to lose, any screenshots or videos you want to keep, and any external game-storage drives you currently use. Leave the old console untouched after the transfer until this inventory has been checked on PS5 Pro.
Connect both systems to the same network
Connect the old PS5 and PS5 Pro to the same router or local network by Wi-Fi or Ethernet. You do not need an HDMI connection between the consoles. For a large transfer, wired networking can reduce Wi-Fi variability. Sony says a LAN cable can speed up a transfer when the consoles ordinarily use wireless networking; if both consoles already connect by LAN cables to the network, a direct cable between them is unnecessary. Confirm the network arrangement before launching Data Transfer, because Sony cautions against changing network settings or running internet tests while the transfer is underway.
How to transfer data from PS5 to PS5 Pro
During first-time setup
- Power on the PS5 Pro. Follow the initial language, controller, network, and PlayStation account setup prompts. Sign in to the same account used on the original PS5.
- Keep the old PS5 powered on. Make sure both consoles are on the same network, with updates and trophy synchronization already completed.
- Choose the Data Transfer stage when it appears. Follow the on-screen instructions for copying data from the original PS5. The selections shown can depend on the data available on the source console.
- Review the selected content and proceed. Check that the source and destination consoles are identified correctly before confirming. Avoid starting large unrelated downloads during this stage.
- Allow the new console to restart. This is normal. Continue to leave the source console switched on and both systems connected while data is being transferred.
Expected result: The PS5 Pro reaches its home screen with eligible transferred content appearing as it becomes available. If the initial setup is already complete—or you skipped the transfer prompt—you do not need to factory-reset the new console just to reach the transfer tool. Use the next procedure instead.
After the PS5 Pro is already set up
- On the old PS5, sign in to the required account, leave the console on, and confirm the same-network connection.
- On PS5 Pro, go to the home screen, then choose Settings > System > System Software.
- Select Data Transfer > Continue. The destination console starts the guided transfer workflow. Follow the prompts to identify the source PS5 and review what will move.
- Start the transfer only after checking the selected items. Leave power, network settings, and active connections unchanged until the process is finished.
- After the automatic restart, open the control center with the PS button and check Downloads/Uploads to see whether game data is still transferring.
- Open the Games home or Game Library. When a game becomes ready to play, its thumbnail can appear even while other selected data is still copying. Check important saves separately before declaring the migration complete.
Expected result: Available transferred profiles, save data, captures, and settings appear on the destination, subject to eligibility and what was selected. If a specific title is absent, first check whether it was already installed on PS5 Pro or resides on external game storage. Sony states that games and save data already saved on the destination are not transferred.
What transfers—and what does not
For a PS5-to-PS5 transfer, Sony lists user and account information, compatible saved data, screenshots, video clips, games playable on PS5, and console settings such as language, login, and power-saving preferences. These categories apply both during initial setup and afterward. The transfer tool is designed to copy supported content, not to move your PlayStation purchases out of your account.
Several boundaries matter in practice. Trophy data should be synchronized with PlayStation before moving. A title’s installation files and its saved progress are different data categories; seeing a game icon does not confirm the save was recovered. Destination items that already exist are not overwritten by Sony’s console-to-console transfer. Also, the PS5 Pro cannot play a physical game disc without a compatible separately attached disc drive, even when the game’s installation data is available.
For games whose PS4 and PS5 versions use different save formats, do not assume that copying a PS4-version save automatically imports it into the PS5 edition. If a title offers a developer-provided in-game save import or upgrade flow, use that game’s official process and confirm the correct edition before replacing anything.
Faster alternatives for games and saved data
Download digital games again from your library
If your internet connection is strong and you only want a handful of titles, sign in to PS5 Pro with the account that owns them. Open Game Library, find the purchased title, select it, and download the compatible edition. Redownloading may be simpler than transferring an entire crowded console. Purchases stay associated with their owning account, subject to license and subscription requirements. It is still your responsibility to bring over the relevant saved data, either through the built-in transfer or verified cloud copy.
Use PlayStation Plus cloud saves for selected games
On the old PS5, open Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings and choose Saved Data (PS5) or Saved Data (PS4). For a manual PS5-game backup, select Upload or Delete from Console Storage and upload the needed save to your PlayStation Plus cloud storage. For PS5 games, Sync Saved Data > Auto-Sync Saved Data controls automatic syncing; for PS4 saves, the corresponding feature is Auto-Upload. Check the saved-data status before trusting it as your only copy.
On PS5 Pro, sign in to the same account and locate the relevant game’s saved-data controls in Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings. For a selected game, the game’s Options menu also offers Upload/Download Saved Data. Choose the cloud copy you intend to restore, check its date, and read any overwrite warning carefully. Sony notes that PS5 saves sync toward the latest data, while uploaded PS4 cloud saves may need to be downloaded manually. Cloud storage requires an eligible PlayStation Plus membership; a game download by itself does not include your personal save.
Reconnect a USB extended-storage drive
If you already store games on a supported USB extended-storage drive, use Settings > Storage > USB Extended Storage > Safely Remove from PS5 on the old console before unplugging the drive while it is running. Alternatively, fully power off the console and wait until its power indicator is off. Connect the existing drive directly to an appropriate high-speed USB port on PS5 Pro. A drive already formatted as PS5-compatible extended storage normally does not require reformatting to be used with another PS5.
PS4 games can run directly from suitable USB extended storage. PS5 games can be stored there, but must be copied back to PS5 console storage or compatible M.2 SSD storage before play. For a stored PS5 title, open Game Library > Installed, highlight the title on the USB drive, press Options, and select Copy. The USB drive is for game files, not a substitute for transferring PS5-game saves.
Move an existing M.2 SSD instead of copying its games
When the old PS5 has a compatible add-in M.2 SSD with installed games, Sony supports removing it safely and installing it in another PS5 console, including PS5 Pro, to access the game data. Shut down the system completely, disconnect power, follow Sony’s model-specific M.2 installation and removal instructions, and keep the drive’s thermal hardware correctly fitted. Do not move the internal built-in console storage; this option applies to the user-installed M.2 expansion drive.
Sign in to the same account to access the installed titles, and check Settings > Storage > M.2 SSD Storage afterward. Do not choose a format operation merely because a prompt is unfamiliar: formatting erases drive content. Read the exact prompt and resolve compatibility or installation issues before proceeding. An M.2 game drive stores installed games and apps; it does not replace the saved-data migration process.
Copy PS4-game saves with a standard USB drive
PS4-format saves are a special case. On the old PS5, use Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data (PS4) > Upload or Delete from Console Storage > Copy to USB Drive. Select the game and save files, then choose Copy. On PS5 Pro, insert that USB drive and choose Settings > Saved Data and Game/App Settings > Saved Data (PS4) > Copy or Delete from USB Drive to bring the chosen files into console storage.
This procedure is for PS4-game saved data. Sony explicitly says you cannot individually copy PS5-game saves from PS5 to a USB drive using this save-file method. For PS5 saves, use Data Transfer, PlayStation Plus cloud saves, or a compatible full-console USB backup workflow.
Use a full USB backup only with the right precautions
Sony also provides a PS5 backup-and-restore tool. On your original PS5, connect a compatible FAT32- or exFAT-formatted USB drive, then open Settings > System > System Software > Back Up and Restore > Back Up Your PS5. Choose the categories you need and follow the console prompts. This is a different feature from USB extended storage or copying individual PS4 saves. Backups can include saved data, games/apps on console storage, captures, settings, and user data, but games on an added M.2 SSD or USB extended-storage drive are not included.
Critical warning: On the destination PS5 Pro, Restore Your PS5 under the same Back Up and Restore menu erases existing data on that destination console. The destination must also run system software at least as new as the software version used for the backup. Use this option only after understanding that it is not a selective merge. A user whose new PS5 Pro already contains valuable saves should normally prefer Data Transfer or carefully selected cloud-save downloads over a destructive full restore.
Check that your PS5 Pro migration actually worked
- Check transfer activity. Open the control center and select Downloads/Uploads. Wait for remaining game content to finish before disconnecting the source console.
- Verify two or three must-keep saves. Launch the exact PS5 or PS4 edition you previously played and confirm that the expected character, campaign checkpoint, or profile progress loads.
- Open Media Gallery. Check whether important screenshots and video clips arrived if you selected those items. A few missing captures may require a separate preservation strategy.
- Review the game library and storage. Under Settings > Storage, look at console storage, USB extended storage, and M.2 SSD storage as applicable. Do not confuse a game visible in your purchased library with a game fully installed.
- Test digital entitlements. Try launching at least one purchased game and a PlayStation Plus title you are eligible to use. If a padlock appears, verify you are signed in as the owning account before troubleshooting licenses.
- Check the household setup. On PS5 Pro, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play to confirm the intended configuration. Only one PS5 at a time can have this feature enabled for the same account.
If all six checks pass, you can begin treating PS5 Pro as your main console. Do not wipe or sell the old machine until every personally important save has been opened successfully and any game discs or external storage still needed have been accounted for.
Fix common transfer problems without risking your saves
The PS5 Pro cannot find the original PS5
Before starting a new attempt, check that the original PS5 is fully awake, signed in, and connected to the same local network as PS5 Pro. Check the network configuration on both consoles outside an active transfer session. If necessary, restart both consoles and the router between attempts, then revisit Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer > Continue on PS5 Pro. Avoid changing Wi-Fi bands, network settings, or router cabling in the middle of a running transfer. If detection repeatedly fails, use cloud saves for critical progress and separately redownload digital titles rather than taking a destructive reset as the first remedy.
The transfer seems stuck or the game is not ready
First distinguish the guided transfer phase from background game installation after the PS5 Pro restarts. Open Downloads/Uploads to look for remaining tasks; a visible game thumbnail can become playable before the rest of the selected library is ready. Do not interpret a temporarily static progress display as permission to turn off either console. If the interface reports a failure after the operation has actually ended, keep the original PS5’s data intact and retry only the appropriate unfinished content through supported methods.
A game transferred, but its save is missing
Confirm you opened the correct game edition and signed in with the account that owns the save. Check whether the save already existed on PS5 Pro, since Data Transfer does not overwrite saved data already on the destination. If you have PlayStation Plus, compare local and cloud copies using the game’s Upload/Download Saved Data command before downloading or overwriting anything. For PS4 saves, inspect the Saved Data (PS4) category rather than PS5 saved data. If the title requires its own cross-generation import process, use that game’s documented process; reinstalling the game alone generally will not fix a missing local save.
My games show a padlock after the move
Verify the owning PlayStation account and any needed PlayStation Plus membership. On PS5 Pro, open Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play and enable it if this is the console you intend to share on. Sony also provides Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses for missing entitlements or unexpected padlock icons. Restoring licenses does not erase saved data. For disc-owned games, remember that PS5 Pro requires a compatible separately purchased disc drive to read the physical disc.
There is not enough space on the destination
Check Settings > Storage and compare available space with the content you are trying to bring over. You can omit less-played installs from your immediate plan and download them later. Move eligible games to M.2 SSD or supported USB extended storage rather than deleting saves. USB extended storage is a staging location for PS5 games, not a place to run them directly. Avoid deleting the only copy of a save or formatting an expansion drive to solve a routine capacity warning.
Tools That Help
- Built-in PS5 Data Transfer (free): The first-choice tool for an account, games, saves, media, and settings move when both consoles are available.
- Ethernet LAN cable (optional, paid if you need one): A useful connection option for large transfers or unstable Wi-Fi; unnecessary if both consoles are already reliably wired to the network.
- PlayStation Plus cloud storage (membership required): A targeted fallback for verified saved-game copies when only certain game saves need to move.
Frequently asked questions
Does transferring from PS5 to PS5 Pro erase the old console?
No. Sony describes the network process as copying data from a source console to a destination console. Keep the source untouched until you verify the result, and perform any eventual reset for resale only as a separate, deliberate action.
Can I transfer after setting up my PS5 Pro?
Yes. On PS5 Pro go to Settings > System > System Software > Data Transfer > Continue. You do not need to repeat first-time setup solely to access the transfer feature. Remember that items already saved on the destination are not transferred over again.
Do I need PlayStation Plus to transfer my data?
No membership is required for Sony’s local console-to-console Data Transfer feature. PlayStation Plus is relevant if you choose the optional cloud-save route. A standard USB drive can carry PS4-format saves, but not individual PS5 save files through the PS4 USB-copy menu.
Can I move my original PS5’s M.2 SSD to the PS5 Pro?
Yes, if it is a compatible, user-installed expansion SSD and you follow the safe removal and installation procedures. Log in with the appropriate account for access to installed games. Do not confuse game data on that drive with PS5 saved data, which requires a separate supported transfer or backup route.
Will my PS5 discs work after transferring?
Installed disc-game data is not a replacement for ownership media. The PS5 Pro has no built-in disc drive; you need the compatible add-on disc drive to install or launch games that require a physical disc. The game must still be compatible, and the disc may need to remain inserted during play.
Can a child account’s data be transferred?
Yes, with setup conditions. Sony says a child account cannot initiate data transfer during the destination console’s initial setup. Finish that child-account setup before transferring, or perform the destination’s initial setup with an adult account and then transfer supported data for the adult and child users.
Final thoughts
For a dependable PS5 Pro transfer from PS5, start with Sony’s built-in Data Transfer tool while both consoles are available, updated, and connected to the same network. Then check the active transfer queue, launch your most important games, confirm their saved progress, and review account sharing before deciding what to do with the old PS5. If you only need a few titles, redownload them and use verified cloud saves; if you already own a compatible game-storage drive, reuse it without unnecessary formatting. The next concrete step is to choose three must-keep saves on your original PS5, sync trophies and any eligible cloud copies, and then begin the guided transfer on PS5 Pro.
