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Use the PS5’s built-in Back Up Your PS5 tool and a separate FAT32- or exFAT-formatted USB drive before you reset or update. Select saved data (and any other categories you need), wait for the console’s two restarts and “Backup complete” message, then keep the drive untouched until you have confirmed a restore. This procedure protects ordinary console data; Sony does not promise that a jailbreak, exploit entry point, modified firmware, encryption keys, licenses or another altered system state will survive.
What the official PS5 backup does—and does not do
A PS5 backup is an image of selected console data written to removable USB storage. The categories are games and apps, saved data, screenshots and video clips, and settings. You choose the categories; you do not have to include everything.
It is designed for normal console migration and recovery. Sony’s documentation does not state that it copies or preserves a modified system state. In particular, there is no guarantee for jailbreak files, exploit access, encryption keys, digital licenses or modified firmware. A backup can protect your game saves while leaving the modification itself unrecoverable after an update, reset or restore.
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Use the right USB device
Connect a USB flash drive or portable USB hard drive formatted as FAT32 or exFAT. The drive must have enough free space for the categories you select. If the drive is currently configured as PS5 extended storage for installed games, it is not backup media: extended storage uses a different format and cannot be selected for Back Up Your PS5. Copy anything you need from that drive elsewhere, then reformat it as FAT32 or exFAT before starting; reformatting erases its contents.
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Separate installed games from the backup
Games and apps stored on USB extended storage or an M.2 SSD are not included in the PS5 backup. Disconnecting and reconnecting those drives, or reinstalling the games later, is a separate process. Do not assume that a backup containing saved data also contains the installed game files.
Sync trophies first
Trophies are excluded from the backup. While signed in, open your profile’s trophy screen and synchronize your trophy status with PlayStation services before the reset. A save backup cannot restore unsynchronized trophy progress.
Check the account situation
Backup data is linked to the PlayStation account. If you never signed in to PlayStation services, restoration is limited to the same console. Restoring to another PS5 requires the same account used with the backup.
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How to back up PS5 saves to USB
- Connect the prepared drive. Plug the FAT32- or exFAT-formatted USB device directly into the PS5. Do not use a drive that is still configured as PS5 extended storage.
- Open the backup menu. Go to Settings > System > System Software > Back Up and Restore > Back Up Your PS5.
- Choose categories. Select the checkboxes for games and apps, saved data, screenshots and video clips, and settings. For a save-only safety copy, select saved data; include the other categories if you need them after the reset.
- Continue to the confirmation screen. Select Next. Add a description if you will keep several backups, then select Back Up.
- Wait without interrupting it. The console restarts and begins copying. Do not turn off the PS5 or disconnect the USB device. Sony’s warning is: “Don’t turn off your PS5® console while backing up or restoring data.”
- Confirm completion. Wait for the “Backup complete” screen and the second restart. Select OK only after that screen appears and the console returns to the home screen.
Verify the backup before resetting
Do not treat the first successful-looking copy as disposable. Keep the USB drive connected only long enough to confirm that the backup completed, then store it safely and avoid overwriting it. If you have a second suitable FAT32 or exFAT drive, making an additional backup gives you a second copy, but each copy still has the same limits around modified system state and trophies.
- Record which account was signed in and the backup description.
- Confirm that the drive is the intended backup drive, not a PS5 extended-storage disk.
- Check that the completion screen appeared and the console restarted twice.
- Keep the original drive untouched until your saves are visible after restoration.
Resetting a modified PS5: what the backup cannot guarantee
A factory reset erases data stored on the console. Sony says erased data cannot be restored, so resetting before you have a completed, preserved backup can permanently remove saves and settings. A system-software update can also change the conditions needed by a jailbreak or exploit. The ordinary backup workflow is not evidence that an exploit will remain usable afterward.
For a modified console, identify the exact hardware revision and system-software version and follow documentation for that specific combination. Do not infer that an update, factory reset or restore is safe merely because the normal backup menu works. The official procedure covers console data, not the survival of an altered operating environment.
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Restoring after a reset
Version requirement
The PS5 being restored must run system software that is the same version or newer than the version installed when the backup was created. A restore cannot use a backup made on a newer system against an older system-software installation.
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- Install or retain the required system software on the reset PS5, meeting the same-version-or-newer rule.
- Connect the USB drive containing the untouched backup.
- Open Settings > System > System Software > Back Up and Restore, then choose the restore option.
- Select the backup by its description and confirm the warning. Restoration erases current console data; anything created on the PS5 after the backup will be removed.
- Leave the console and drive powered and connected until the restore finishes and the PS5 restarts. Never interrupt it during the operation.
- Sign in with the same PlayStation account when required, then check saved games and settings before deleting or reusing the USB backup.
Restoring disables Console Sharing and Offline Play. Re-enable that setting afterward if you rely on it for offline access or sharing on that console.
What happens to each type of data
| Data | Included in Back Up Your PS5? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Saved game data | Yes, when selected | Select the saved-data category and preserve the completed USB backup. |
| Games and apps installed on the internal console storage | Yes, when selected | Include the category if you want the installation data restored with the backup. |
| Games and apps on USB extended storage | No | Keep that drive; it can be reconnected separately, subject to the console’s software state. |
| Games and apps on an M.2 SSD | No | Retain the SSD and handle it separately from the USB backup. |
| Screenshots and video clips | Yes, when selected | Include the media category if those files matter. |
| Settings | Yes, when selected | Include settings if you want console configuration copied. |
| Trophies | No | Synchronize trophy status with PlayStation services before resetting. |
| Jailbreak, exploit entry point, modified firmware, encryption keys and licenses | Not guaranteed by Sony’s documentation | Use version-specific documentation for the exact modified hardware and software; make no assumption that a normal restore preserves them. |
Common mistakes and fixes
The drive does not appear as a backup destination
Check that it is connected directly, has free space, and is FAT32 or exFAT. A drive formatted as PS5 extended storage for games cannot be used for this workflow. Move its contents elsewhere and reformat it only after confirming that you no longer need the extended-storage installation.
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The backup was interrupted
If power was lost, the console was turned off or the drive was removed before the completion screen and second restart, treat the copy as unconfirmed. Reconnect a suitable drive and run the backup again. Do not reset while relying on an interrupted copy.
Saves are missing after restoration
Confirm that saved data was selected, that you restored the intended backup description, and that you signed in with the account associated with it. If the backup was made without signing in to PlayStation services, it can be restored only to the same console. Also check whether the missing progress was never synchronized as a trophy; trophies are a separate system and are not restored from the backup.
The restore option is rejected
Check the system-software version. The restoring console must be on the same version or a newer version than the one present when the backup was made. Updating a modified console to satisfy that requirement may itself affect exploit availability, so consult documentation for the exact version before proceeding.
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Cloud saves as a separate layer
PlayStation Plus cloud saves may provide another copy for eligible games, but eligibility, account requirements, regional terms and current plan conditions vary. Treat cloud storage as an additional layer, not a substitute for the USB procedure or a promise that modified-system data will survive.
Safe order of operations
- Document the exact console model and system-software version.
- Synchronize trophies while signed in.
- Prepare a separate FAT32 or exFAT USB drive.
- Run Back Up Your PS5 and select saved data.
- Wait for “Backup complete” and the second restart.
- Preserve the original drive and, if practical, create a second copy.
- Only then decide whether the reset or update is acceptable for the modified console’s version-specific exploit situation.
- After a reset, restore only when the same-version-or-newer requirement is met, then verify saves before reusing the backup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I back up PS5 saves before updating a modified console?
Yes. Use Back Up Your PS5 with a FAT32- or exFAT-formatted USB drive and select saved data. The backup protects the selected console data, but Sony does not guarantee preservation of a jailbreak, exploit, modified firmware, keys or licenses through an update.
Can a PS5 extended-storage drive hold the backup?
No. A drive formatted as PS5 extended storage for games is different from backup media. Use a separate FAT32- or exFAT-formatted drive.
Will restoring delete what is currently on the PS5?
Yes. Restoration erases current console data, and erased data cannot be restored. Keep the USB backup untouched until the restored saves and settings are confirmed.
Why are my trophies not in the backup?
Trophies are excluded. Synchronize trophy status with PlayStation services before resetting.
Will the backup keep my jailbreak?
There is no official guarantee. Sony documents ordinary console-data backup and restore, not preservation of jailbreak files, exploit entry points, modified firmware, encryption keys, licenses or other altered system state.
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