How to Move Your Games and Saves to PS5 or Xbox Series X|S Before GTA VI

Grand Theft Auto VI comes out on Thursday, November 19, and PlayStation’s GTA VI page says it will only be playable on PS5 consoles, not PS4. On Xbox, the US Xbox Store lists Xbox Series X|S as the only console to play it on.

If that means a new console, here’s how PlayStation and Xbox say to bring your games and saves across from a PS4 or an Xbox One.

How to move from a PS4 to a PS5

PlayStation’s steps cover copying from a PS4 or another PS5. The console you copy from is the source, and the new PS5 is the destination.

1. On the source console, sign in to the same account that’s signed in on the new PS5, update the system software and manually synchronize your trophies.
2. Connect both consoles to the same network with LAN cables or Wi-Fi. If they usually connect wirelessly, a LAN cable (sold separately) makes the transfer faster; if both are already wired, there’s no need to cable them to each other.
3. On a new PS5, follow the on-screen instructions at the data transfer stage of initial setup. If you’ve already set it up, keep the source console on, go to Settings > System > System Software, select Data Transfer > Continue and follow the on-screen instructions.
4. Don’t turn off either console during the transfer, and don’t change network settings or run internet connection tests, which PlayStation says may damage or lose data.
5. The new PS5 restarts automatically and can be used after it restarts. Games appear in your games home as soon as they’re ready, and you can play them while other data is still transferring. Check progress in the control center under Downloads/Uploads.

A few limits apply. You can transfer from only one PS4 or PS5 to one PS5, and games or saved data already on the new console don’t transfer. From a PS4, console settings transfer only during initial setup, and after setup you can transfer only the saved data of the user who’s logged in. Login passcodes do carry over, so use the same passcode on the new console. With a child account, you can’t transfer during initial setup: finish setup for the child account first, or set up with an adult account and transfer both accounts’ data then.

There are other routes, too. You can connect a USB extended storage drive from the old console to the new PS5, and PlayStation Plus members can download saved data from cloud storage. PS4 saved data can be copied with a USB drive, but PS5 saved data can’t be copied to one. PlayStation’s video below dates from 2020; the steps above follow its current support page.

How to move from Xbox One to Xbox Series X|S

On Xbox, your Microsoft account does most of the work. Xbox Support says all you need to do is sign in to the new console with it, and your profile (gamertag, gamerscore, achievements and friends), subscriptions such as Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, payment options and family relationships move with the account.

1. Before you switch, make sure your Xbox One saves are in the cloud. That happens automatically while you’re connected to the Xbox network, and no Xbox subscription is required, but if you’re offline when you leave a game, that save isn’t uploaded. To check, highlight the game, press Menu and select Game card.
2. Sign in to your Xbox Series X|S with your Microsoft account.
3. Find your games under My games & apps > Full library > Owned games. If you keep games on an external storage device, unplug it from the Xbox One and plug it into the Xbox Series X|S.
4. For a network transfer, go to Profile & system > Settings > System > Backup & transfer > Network transfer on the Xbox One and check Allow network transfer. On the new console, open the same page, select the host Xbox, choose your items and select Copy selected. Both consoles must be on the same home network.

Some things stay behind: games that require Kinect, and some games, saves and apps.