How to Backup and Restore PS5

How to Backup and Restore PS5.All the contents of your Sony PlayStation 5 – big games you’ve downloaded, essential save files and your favorite game clips – are very important. It’s extremely important to keep them safe in case something goes wrong, like data corruption, or if you’re planning to upgrade to a new console.Luckily, the PS5 system software provides a seamless backup process and offers the flexibility to choose the types of data you want to protect. Restoring game data is just as convenient. This guide shows you how to back up and restore data on your PS5 console.

What Can You Back Up On Your PS5?

Backing up your PS5 involves creating a copy of your data and settings that you can restore later. The internal storage consists of the following data types:

Downloaded applications and video games.
Saving files.
Media gallery – video clips and screenshots.
Settings for your system.

The good news is that you can back up all of the above data from your game console to an external hard drive or SSD. If you have a PlayStation Plus subscription, you also have the option to upload your game saves – perhaps the most important data – to the PSN servers.You can also copy individual save files (PS4 games only) and media gallery items to a standard USB drive.

Back-Up Data to External USB Storage

An external hard drive or solid state drive is an easy and effective way to back up your PS5 data. With this method, you create a tangible copy of your data that can be quickly restored at any time. This method is ideal if you prefer direct control over your backup data, or if you don’t have a PlayStation Plus subscription for cloud backup of your saved games.The external drive must have enough space for the backup. Since the PS5 comes with 825GB of internal storage, a 1TB USB drive is more than enough. However, you may need a larger drive if you have an NVMe M.2 SSD in the expansion bay.Interestingly, the PS5 supports selective backups where you can focus on certain categories of data, allowing you to use a smaller drive for backup purposes. For example, if you’re only concerned about your saved data and media gallery and want to re-download games, an 8-16 GB USB flash drive will do.To back up your PS5 data to an external storage device, connect the drive to your PS5, then:

Click the Settings icon in the top right corner of the home screen.

Category System.

Go to System Software > Backup and Restore .

Select Backup PS5.

Select the types of data to back up: games and apps, saved data, and media gallery. A backup always includes a copy of your PS5’s settings, so you can’t deselect it. Select Next to continue.

Note. The indicator in the upper left corner shows the amount of used and free space on the external drive if you are copying the selected data.

Name the backup in Description (or leave the default label intact) and select Backup.

Please wait while PS5 backs up data to an external drive. The console should automatically restart a couple of times in the process.

If your PS5 indicates that the connected drive is not supported, use your PC or Mac to format it to FAT32 or exFAT and try again.If you are using a Windows PC:

Open File Explorer, right-click the external drive and select Format.

Set filesystem to FAT32 or exFAT and select Start.

Select OK in the confirmation popup.

If you are using an Apple Mac:

Open the launcher and select Other > Disk Utility</ range>.
Select your external drive in the sidebar and select Erase.
Set Format to exFAT or MS-DOS (FAT) and select Erase.

Back-Up Data to PS Plus Cloud Storage

You can upload up to 100GB of PS5 save data and 100GB of PS4 save data to the PSN servers if you are a PlayStation Plus subscriber. PS Plus auto-downloads are enabled by default for PS5 and PS4 games, so you don’t have to do anything. If not, here’s how to enable it:

Open the PS5 settings menu and select Saved Data and Game / Application Settings.

Go to saved data (PS5) > Synchronize saved data.

Turn on the autosync saved data option.

Back to Save data and game/Application Settings and select Saved Data (PS4) > Autoload.

Turn on the radio button next to Enable autoload.

In addition, you can disable automatic updates and manually download saved data. Here’s how:

Go to Settings > Saved Data and Game/Application Settings.

Go to saved data (PS5) /Saved Data (PS4) > Console storage.

Switch to Upload to Cloud Storage check games you want to download and select Download.

Back-Up Game Saves and Media Gallery to Flash Drive

Instead of using the PS5 External Drive Backup feature, you can manually copy all or certain amounts of saved data from PS4 games to a USB flash drive. You can also back up media gallery items (screenshots and video clips).To copy your PS4 save files to a compatible flash drive, plug it into your console, then:

Open the PS5 settings menu and select Memory.

Go to Console Storage > Saved Data .

Select PS4 Games.

Switch to Copy to USB Drive , check the games you want to copy and select Copy.

To copy media gallery items to a USB drive:

Open the PS5 settings menu and select Memory.

Go to Console Storage > Media Gallery .

Turn on the Select Multiple radio button in the left corner of the screen.

Check the items you want to copy to disk, select the More icon (three dots) to the right of the screen and select Copy to USB Drive.

Restore PS5 From an External Drive Backup

Whether you need to factory reset your PS5, replace your internal drive, or upgrade to a new console, you can restore the contents of an external backup drive. Assuming you’ve made a full backup, this process will ensure you get back to your games with all your progress, settings, and profiles.Warning. Restoring a PS5 backup will permanently delete all existing data from the console’s internal storage.To restore PS5 data from an external drive backup, connect your storage device to your PS5, then:

Open the PS5 settings menu and select System.

Go to System Software > Backup and Restore.

Select Restore PS5.

Select the backup you want to restore.

Select Restore.

Note. If the recovery process fails, update your PS5 system software to the latest version and try again.

Restore Cloud Saves From PS Plus

If you have saved games saved online thanks to PS Plus, they should automatically sync to your internal storage when you sign into your PS5 with your PSN account. If this is not the case, you can restore game saves manually. Here’s how:

Open the PS5 settings menu and select Saved Data and Game / Application Settings.

Go to saved data (PS5)/Saved Data (PS4) > Cloud Storage.

On the tab Load to Console Storage , check the games you want to download and select Download.

Restore Game Saves From Flash Drive

If you copied your PS4 save files to a USB drive, you can copy them back to your console’s internal storage. Here’s how:

Open the PS5 settings menu and select Saved Data and Game / Application Settings.

Go to Saved Data (PS4) > USB stick.

On the Copy to Console Storage tab, check the games you want to copy and select the Copy.

View Media Gallery Items on Flash Drive

You cannot copy any media gallery items to a flash drive, but you can access and view them. To do this, connect the disk to the console, and then:

Open the PS5 settings menu and select Memory.

Go to Console Storage > Media Gallery.

On the USB tab, select PS4 or folder PS5 .

Select New.

Select Screenshots.

Select the screenshot thumbnail to enlarge it.

You Now Know How to Back Up and Restore the PS5

Backing up your PS5 is critical, and it’s not just about keeping your games safe, it’s also about protecting everything on your console. With this guide, you now know how to do it. Whether it’s copying everything to an external drive, uploading game saves to the cloud, or copying save files and gallery items to a flash drive, you have several ways to protect your data. It’s always nice to know that all your important data is safe and sound and that you can quickly restore it if necessary.