How to Transfer Saved Games and Update PS4 Games to PS5 Versions

One of the biggest benefits of owning a PlayStation 5, if you’re lucky, is the free upgrades/enhancements for PS4 games. Most game developers have started giving out free upgrades of existing PS4 games to take advantage of the PS5, but the upgrade process itself is a little confusing, to put it mildly.

The second type of upgrade comes in the form of a specific PS5 game version. Here, a completely different build of the game is provided, to be downloaded separately from the PS4 version. Notable examples include Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Marvel’s Avengers, which require owners to claim and download the specific PS5 version. This second type also applies to free upgrades to PS4 disk-based games, where the owner needs to have the disk installed on the console while playing the free digital PS5 version. Claiming a digital only upgrade for a PS4 disk game is usually only provided in rare instances, where you may have to contact the developer independently, as seen with the recent free update for Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order.

PS5 Upgrades Explained
There are two types of game upgrades when it comes to moving across PlayStation consoles, which depend upon the type of upgrade path the developer has set. For games like God of War or Ghost of Tsushima that received PS5-specific patches, there’s no need to go through any hoops. The PS5 update there is built on top of the PS4 version, through backwards compatibility, meaning no extra downloads aside from the patch itself. An update like this will usually introduce minor changes to the game running on PS5, like unlocking the frame rate to 60fps.

Upgrading Games From PS4 to PS5

From the game’s store page, select the “Learn more” tab, and this is where you can upgrade to the PS5 version. Among the many different versions of the game, sometimes including demos, you’ll see an option for the PS5 version which may also say that it’s a free upgrade. Select that, and you now have the PS5 version of the game in your library. From here, you can download that version to your console, or save it for later use.

To upgrade any game to its new-gen version, you first need to go to the game’s store page. If you have the PS4 game installed, you can click on “View Product” in the options menu from the game base.

If you want to access the PS5 version of your game and you have the PS4 version installed, simply navigate to it on the Game Base (PS5 home screen), click on the options button on the DualSense controller, and select the “Game Version” menu at the bottom. Select the PS5 version of the game, which will switch the launcher in the game base to that version. From here you can download the game as you would normally, which will be installed on your internal SSD.

Note that the PS4 version of the game will need to be uninstalled separately, as it won’t be upgraded to the PS5 version automatically, unlike Smart Delivery on the Xbox Series X|S consoles.

How to Transfer PS4 Saves to PS5 Version Versions Listed Separately
Transferring PS4 game saves to the PS5 version is a little tricky. Since PlayStation doesn’t use a technology like “Smart Delivery” like Xbox, transferring game progress is usually left up to developers. This has led to a lot of confusion for gamers who just want a smooth transition path from the PS4 to the PS5, the same as Sony. As such, how you transfer game saves will vary from developer to developer, but here’s a general guide for how most games are handling it. The following holds true for certain games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales, both of which had a native PS5 version.

Update the PS4 game to the latest version
Open the save menu
There should be an option to upload your save to the cloud from the save menu
Upload saves one at a time.
Close the game and open the PS5 version.
In the save menu, there will be an option to download your cloud save.
The above process will work for most games which offer a completely separate launcher and/or version for the PlayStation 5. The PS Plus cloud saves will not be transferred over to the PS5 version, and need to be uploaded separately as per the developer’s instructions.

News Summary:

• How to Transfer Saved Games and Update PS4 Games to PS5 Versions
• Check all news and articles from the latest Gaming News and updates.