The new PS5 is here since November 2020, and although it is an impressive and upgraded console, it is not free of error and issues. Even then, the sales are outstanding, and everyone is trying to get their hands on it.
While the PS5 is a great console, it is possible for you to run into problems when using the console. An obvious solution to these problems in the past has often required a PS5 factory reset to original settings, resulting in data loss.
Initially, the PlayStation 5 did not support the moving and copying of saved data onto external storage devices like USB flash drives. Its only option was moving to keep data files to a PS5 from another PS5 or using Sony’s cloud storage for backing up saved data files. The latter too only worked with a PlayStation Plus subscription.
This was quite different from a PlayStation 4. PS4 users could quickly back up save data files to a USB flash drive and cloud storage. Thankfully, the option to back up your PS5 files to a USB flash drive was quickly made available after release.
It is possible that your PS5 data could be lost at any moment. Whether it is due to a physical problem such as theft of console or an error during a firmware update, you are at risk of losing your saved data and all the stored files. If you have PlayStation Plus, then you do not need to worry about saved game data. If you don’t, then you can follow this guide to backup your data to a flash drive.
Some Useful Information
You should know some helpful information before learning how to backup your data on a flash drive.
- Do not switch off your PS5 console during a backup or a restore. The main reason is that you may lose the data by doing so, and it can damage your PS5 console or corrupt the external storage device.
- Your PS5 console will erase all the saved data while restoring data. It cannot be stopped once the restore operation is started, and even canceling will not help. So be mindful of what you are deleting, as erased data will not be restored.
- You cannot include trophies in the backup data. If you want to keep them, update the game status before starting the backing up process: Go to Trophies> Press the Options button> Select Sync with PlayStation Network.
- New users can restore saved data to only the original PS5 console they backed up.
Data You Can Back Up On PS5
You are allowed to back up the following files on your PS5:
- Your Games
- Your Apps
- Your Settings
- Your Saved data
- Your Screenshots
- You Video clips
The backup data includes all the user data saved on your PS5 console apart from trophies. If you restore your backup data on your PS5 console, it resets and erases all the existing saved data.
And if you are looking to store your data and then return it to your console (without restoring it), two options are available to store the data in a separate space. One is the PS5 cloud storage, and the other is extended storage like a USB flash drive.
Here we will look at how to back up and restore all the data on your PS5 console using an external storage device like a USB flash drive. Remember that the method is the same for other external drives as well e.g., an external hard drive.
How to Back up and Restore PS5 Save Data
As mentioned above, we will go with a USB flash drive to perform this easy-to-follow process. It remains essential to ensure that the USB flash drive used for the backup has sufficient space to back up all the data you want to back up.
First, we will look at how to back up PS5 Data to an external storage device like a USB flash drive. We will then follow that with how to restore PS5 Data from a USB flash drive.
How to Back up PS5 Data to a USB Flash Drive
- The first step is to connect the USB flash drive to your PS5 console on the rear side of the console.
- Go to the home screen. You have to select Settings > System.
- Go to System Software and select Back Up and Restore > Back Up Your PS5 console. If multiple USB flash drives are connected, select the USB flash drive you want to use.
- Select the Type of data (discussed in the article earlier) you want to back up, and then select Next. Type the file name of backup data if necessary. It will be easier to find later on.
- After that, select Back Up. Your PS5 console will restart, and the backup process will begin.
- A dialog box displaying backup is complete will appear, and the PS5 console will restart. Press OK. The PS5 console will restart again.
How to Back up PS5 Data from a USB Flash Drive
It is essential to know that when you are restoring a PS5 from a backup device, it must have the same or newer version of the system software on the PS5 console like it had when the backup was made. Here are the steps you need to follow:
- Connect the USB flash drive to your PS5 console.
- Go to Settings > System.
- Select System Software > Back Up and Restore > Restore PS5.
- Choose the Type of data you want to restore on it. And in case of multiple USB flash drives connected to the PS5 console, select the one you want to use.
- Press the Restore button and select Yes. The PS5 console will restart and restore begins. After the restoration is complete, the PS5 console will restart for the last time.
Conclusion
It is pretty straightforward to backup and restore PS5 save data as long as you follow these steps. And if you are a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you can always use your PS5 cloud storage to back up your saved data.
Helpful Tip: In the process of restoring your PS5 console, two options, Console Sharing and Offline Play, are automatically switched off. You have to turn these back on in the options menu if you wish to use them.
