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Short answer: Sony documents a way to copy a PS2 memory-card save to internal storage on certain PS3 consoles, but it does not document a general method for importing PS2 or PS3 saves into PS4 or PS5. A PS3 can export data to USB, yet Sony’s PS5 USB instructions apply to PS4 saves, not PS3 saves. If your save is already from a PS4, PS5 migration is supported through network transfer, USB (for PS4 saves), or PlayStation Plus cloud storage.
That distinction prevents a common mistake: a file that can be copied onto a USB drive is not automatically a save file that a newer console or a remastered game can read.
Compatibility at a glance
Use this table before buying an adapter, USB drive, or conversion utility. “Supported” means Sony provides instructions for that source and destination; it does not mean every game shares the same save format.
| Source save | Destination | Sony-documented method | What you can expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS2 memory card | Compatible PS3 internal storage | Separately sold PS2 memory-card adapter | Save data can be copied. The PS3 model must support the game if you intend to play it. |
| PS3 internal storage | USB mass-storage device | PS3 manual describes copying data to USB | Creates a backup/export on USB; Sony does not establish that the file can be imported as a PS4 or PS5 save. |
| PS3 save | PS4 or PS5 | No general Sony workflow documented | Do not assume a USB copy, adapter, or remaster will make the save usable. |
| PS4 save | PS5 | Same-network data transfer, USB copy, or PlayStation Plus cloud | Supported, subject to the game, account, storage, and system requirements. |
| PS5 save | USB drive | Sony says PS5 saved data cannot be copied to USB | Use the console’s supported cloud or console-to-console options instead. |
Sony’s current PS4 and PS5 transfer instructions describe transferring data from a PS4 or another PS5 to a PS5. They do not describe a PS2- or PS3-save import. Sony’s PS5 storage guidance likewise lists PS4 and PS5 saved-data categories, not PS3 data.
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Move a PS2 memory-card save to a compatible PS3
This is the one PS2-to-newer-PlayStation operation clearly described by Sony. It moves the save to a PS3, not to a PS4 or PS5.
What you need
- A PS2 memory card containing the save.
- A PS3 model that supports the relevant PS2 software or otherwise provides the intended playback environment.
- A separately sold PlayStation 2 memory-card adapter. Sony’s legacy PS3 documentation identifies the adapter as the device used to copy PS2 card data to PS3 internal storage.
- The original PS2 game, or a PS3-compatible version of it, if you plan to continue playing on the PS3.
Check the exact PS3 model before starting. PS2 software playback varies between PS3 models. A save can be copied successfully even when that particular PS3 cannot run the game that created it.
Copy procedure
- Connect the PS2 memory-card adapter to a USB port on the PS3.
- Insert the PS2 memory card into the adapter.
- Open the PS3’s saved-data or memory-card utility and choose the connected PS2 card.
- Select the save data and choose the option to copy it to PS3 internal storage. The console may create or use a virtual PS2 memory card.
- Wait for the copy to finish before removing the card or adapter. Keep the original card untouched as a backup.
- Launch the PS2 software on the PS3 and select the virtual memory card, if the game asks you to choose one.
Sony’s CECHL01 Quick Reference Guide, version 2.40 (2008), gives a model-specific warning: “Even if you copy saved data from PlayStation®2 format software to the hard disk, you will not be able to play games on this model of the PS3™ system using this saved data.” Read that as a compatibility warning, not as evidence that the copy failed. The guide is available as a Sony PS3 Quick Reference Guide PDF.
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If the PS3 does not recognize the card
- Power off the PS3, reseat the adapter and card, and try again.
- Confirm that the adapter is a genuine, working PS2 memory-card adapter intended for PS3 use; the old manual is not a current product listing, so verify the exact model and condition before purchase.
- Test the card in the original PS2 if possible. A damaged card or save can prevent a successful copy.
- Check the PS3 model’s PS2 support separately. Recognition of the card does not prove that the PS3 can run the game.
Why a PS3 save cannot simply be moved to PS4 or PS5
The generations use different console software, storage structures, and game releases. Sony’s published instructions cover copying PS3 data to USB and moving PS4 data to PS5, but they do not connect those two procedures into a PS3-to-PS5 conversion process.
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USB copying is not conversion
Older PS3 manuals describe copying data stored on the PS3 hard disk to USB mass storage. That operation is useful for backup or for restoring data to a PS3-compatible environment. It does not change the save’s format or platform identifier.
On PS5, Sony documents USB import for PS4 saved data. The same support material says, “You can’t copy PS5 saved data from your PS5 console to a USB drive.” The PS5 storage categories and transfer instructions do not establish that a PS3 save placed on the same drive will appear in the PS5’s saved-data menus. Therefore, a USB drive is a transport medium, not a demonstrated PS3-to-PS4/PS5 converter.
What about a remaster, remake, or re-release?
Some individual games may offer their own import, cross-save, or account-linking feature, but a console-level transfer does not guarantee it. A remastered release may use a different save structure, omit the old import code, or require an in-game upload from the original title. Before deleting or selling the old console, check the official support page for that exact game and the exact newer release. Look specifically for phrases such as “save import,” “cross-save,” “transfer save,” or “upload from PS3”; a simple statement that the game is available on PS4 or PS5 is not enough.
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If your file is a PS4 save, the situation is different. Sony documents three practical routes. These methods do not make PS3 saves compatible; they apply to PS4 data moving to a PS5.
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Option 1: Transfer over the same network
Sony allows data transfer from a PS4 console or another PS5 to a PS5. Place both consoles on the same local network, preferably using wired Ethernet where practical, and install the latest available system software before beginning.
- Connect the PS4 and PS5 to the same home network and sign in to the account associated with the saves.
- On the PS5, open the system settings and choose the data-transfer function. The console will search for the PS4 on the network.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to select the PS4, then choose the saved data and other content you want to move.
- Keep both consoles powered on until the transfer reports completion. Do not unplug either system during the process.
- Start the PS4 game on the PS5 and verify that the expected profile or progress is present before wiping the PS4.
The network workflow is convenient when both consoles are available. It is not a workaround for a PS3 save because the documented source is PS4 (or another PS5), not PS3.
Option 2: Copy PS4 saves with a USB drive
A USB drive can be used for PS4 saved data in the PS5 workflow. Sony cautions that not all USB devices work with PS5, so use a compatible drive and leave the original save on the PS4 until the import is verified.
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- Select the game and save files, then allow the copy to finish. Eject the drive safely.
- Connect the drive to the PS5. Use the PS5 saved-data and game/app settings to select PS4 saved data on the USB drive and copy it to console storage.
- Launch the PS4 version of the game on the PS5 and check the save list. If the game offers separate PS4 and PS5 versions, read the publisher’s instructions before assuming the PS4 save will convert to the native PS5 version.
This method transfers PS4 files in the format Sony expects. It does not validate a PS3 file copied onto the same drive.
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Option 3: PlayStation Plus cloud storage
PlayStation Plus is required for cloud storage. Upload the PS4 save from the original console, then sign in to the same PlayStation Network account on the PS5 and download the save to console storage. Sony notes that PS4 cloud saves must be manually downloaded to PS5 storage; they do not become usable merely because the account is signed in.
- On the PS4, enable automatic uploads or manually upload the selected save to online storage while signed in to the account that owns it.
- On the PS5, open the saved-data settings and choose cloud storage for PS4 saves.
- Select the save and download it to PS5 console storage.
- Open the game and confirm the correct user profile, edition, and progress.
Sony’s current cloud-storage page states a service limit of up to 100 GB for PS4 saved data, up to 100 GB for PS5 saved data, and a maximum of 1,000 PS4 save files. These are published storage limits, not a guarantee that every game supports cross-generation saves, and Sony may change them. See PlayStation Plus cloud storage for PS5 consoles for the current account and service requirements.
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You have a PS2 card and a PS3
Use the PS2 memory-card adapter workflow if the PS3 model and game support the playback you need. Preserve the card until you have opened the save successfully on the PS3.
You have a PS3 save and want a PS4 or PS5
There is no general Sony-documented direct migration route in the cited console instructions. Keep the PS3 and its storage intact, look for an official, game-specific import feature, and do not buy a device on the assumption that it will convert the save. A USB export can serve as a backup, but it is not proof of PS4/PS5 compatibility.
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You have a PS4 save and want a PS5
Choose network transfer when both consoles are available, USB when you want a removable copy, or PlayStation Plus cloud storage when the consoles are in different locations or you already use the service. Verify the save in the game before resetting the old console.
Common failure points and recovery steps
The save appears on the drive but not on the PS5
First identify the source generation. If it came from a PS3, the missing entry is expected under Sony’s documented workflows; the PS5 is not required to recognize it. If it is a PS4 save, confirm that it was copied from the PS4 saved-data function rather than from an unrelated folder, that the USB device is supported, and that you are signed in to the same user account.
The game starts without the old progress
Check that you launched the same game release and region, selected the correct local user, and copied the save into PS5 console storage when using cloud storage. If the title has separate PS4 and PS5 editions, consult that game’s official instructions: console transfer support alone does not promise that a native PS5 edition can read every PS4 save.
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The PS2 save copied, but the PS3 game will not load it
Confirm that the virtual PS2 memory card is assigned to the game and that the PS3 model supports the title. The CECHL01 guide specifically warns that copied PS2 saves cannot be used to play games on that model, so a successful copy and game compatibility are separate tests.
You are considering third-party conversion software
No independent transfer success rate or universally compatible converter is established by Sony’s console documentation. Treat claims of automatic PS3-to-PS5 conversion as unverified until the exact game publisher documents the feature. Keep at least one untouched copy of the original save and avoid modifying it on the only available drive.
Before you erase or sell the old console
- Open the save on the source console and record the game title, edition, region, and user account.
- Make a backup using the method appropriate to that generation.
- For PS2 cards, retain the physical card even after copying it to a PS3.
- For PS4 cloud storage, confirm that the upload completed and that the save is visible before signing out.
- On the PS5, launch the game and load the transferred save; do not rely only on the presence of a file in a menu.
- Keep the original console until the game-specific import has been tested, especially when moving from PS3 to a remake or remaster.
What Sony’s documentation establishes—and what it does not
Sony establishes a narrow PS2-card-to-PS3 copy process, legacy PS3-to-USB copying, and supported PS4-to-PS5 migration. It does not establish a general PS2/PS3-to-PS4/PS5 save transfer, a USB-based conversion, or automatic compatibility with remastered releases. The practical answer is therefore generation-specific: move PS2 saves to a suitable PS3 when supported; preserve PS3 saves and investigate the exact game for any official import; and use network, USB, or cloud tools for PS4 saves moving to PS5.
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