The release of the PS5 marks the shift to next-generation console gaming—and with that comes a completely fresh start for many players.
Those lucky enough to get a console on launch week will have had the option of transporting their saved data from their PS4 via USB or by using their current PlayStation Plus account.
As well as having the ability to transfer data, many users will be looking for a way to save their PS5 data externally from their console. There are multiple reasons why a user may want to do this, but the biggest is to avoid the potential loss of data if an error occurs on the console. This method can also be used to transfer PS5 saves between devices.
Right now, the PS5 only offers one way to do this and that’s through using the cloud storage service bundled in your PlayStation Plus subscription.
How to back up saved data on PS5
- First, select the settings cog from the PS5’s home screen. Once in the system settings, you’re going to want to scroll down to the option “Saved Data and Game/ App Settings.”
- Select this option and you’ll immediately be taken to a screen offering a variety of different options. Select console storage and you’ll be given the option to upload your data to cloud storage. You’ll also be able to delete any saved data you like from this screen.
- In the previous menu screen, you were given the option to Sync Saved Data. If this isn’t your first time setting up cloud storage, then go ahead and select that to update all your saved data on the cloud storage service.
At this time, the PS5 offers no method to copy your game saves to a USB or external HDD. But you can do this with PS4 game saves, so it’s likely this feature will be added in the future.
While the cloud service is a solution to the problem, this service does come with a monthly fee attached to it. This may deter some users from using its benefits.
If you must have your data saved to an external storage drive, you can do so through the system backup tool. This will include all files on your console, like games and applications, instead of just the game saves. If you plan on doing this process, you’ll need a large storage device since all aspects of the PlayStation’s data will be copied over.
