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Before factory-resetting a PS4, protect your saves by copying them to a USB drive or uploading them to PlayStation Plus online storage. A full-console backup is another USB option, but restoring it erases everything currently on the destination PS4. For most people who only need game saves, use the individual-save USB or cloud route rather than a full restore.
Choose the backup route that fits your reset
| Route | What it saves | PlayStation Plus | Network | Restore impact | Use on another PS4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual saves to USB | Selected game save files | Not required | No network transfer; the console must be signed in to use the feature | Copies selected files; check timestamps before overwriting a destination save | Portable; sign in as needed for the feature |
| Online storage | Game save files | Required | Required to upload or download | Downloads selected saves; check for newer local data before replacing it | Download after signing in to the relevant PSN account |
| Full-console backup | Saved data, games and apps, captures, and settings; application data can be omitted | Not required | No network transfer is specified for the USB backup | Restoring erases all data currently saved on the console | Sign in to PSN before making the backup; users who have never signed in can restore saves only to the original console |
Trophies are not included in a full-console backup. Sync them to PSN separately before resetting or disposing of the console.
Copy selected PS4 saves to a USB drive
This is the most direct choice if you want to keep particular saves without backing up the rest of the console. Sony does not specify a universal USB capacity for individual save copies in its PS4 save-copy instructions, so choose a drive with enough free space for the files you select.
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Copy saves to USB
- Connect USB storage to the PS4.
- Open Settings > Application Saved Data Management > Saved Data in System Storage > Copy to USB Storage Device.
- Select a game, choose the save files to protect, and select Copy.
Restore saves from USB
- Connect the USB drive containing the saves.
- Open Settings > Application Saved Data Management > Saved Data on USB Storage Device > Copy to System Storage.
- Select the title and files to copy back.
If a file with the same name already exists on the PS4, compare the displayed dates and times before confirming. Do not overwrite a newer save with an older USB copy.
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Back up PS4 saves to PlayStation Plus online storage
PlayStation Plus online storage is Sony’s cloud option for PS4 game saves. Sony’s current support page lists a limit of 100 GB of PS4 saved data and 1,000 PS4 save files; these are service limits, not per-game allowances. See PlayStation Plus online storage support for the current service details.
Upload saves manually
- On the PS4, go to Settings > Application Data Management > Saved Data in System Storage > Upload to Online Storage.
- Select the game and save file, then upload it.
- Before resetting, verify that the latest save appears in online storage.
Enable automatic uploads
- Go to Settings > Power Saving Settings > Set Features Available in Rest Mode and enable Stay Connected to the Internet.
- Then open Settings > Application Data Management > Auto-Upload and enable automatic uploads.
Sony’s instructions identify auto-upload as applying to the primary PS4 console. For a reset deadline, manually upload and verify the current save rather than relying only on a future automatic upload.
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Download saves after the reset
- Sign in on the PS4 with the account that has access to the online storage.
- Go to Settings > Application Data Management > Saved Data in Online Storage > Download to System Storage.
- Select the title and save file to download.
Create a full-console USB backup
Use this route when you want to preserve more than game saves. Sony’s PS4 backup and restore instructions say the USB drive must be formatted as FAT32 or exFAT and have at least twice the storage space of the expected backup file. The required capacity therefore depends on the size of the data you back up; Sony does not give one fixed drive size for every console.
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- Sync trophies: select Trophies from the function screen, press OPTIONS, and choose Sync Trophies With PSN.
- Connect a FAT32- or exFAT-formatted USB drive with at least double the expected backup-file space available.
- Go to Settings > System > Back Up and Restore > Back Up.
- Choose the categories to include, name the backup, and start it. Sony warns not to turn off the console while the backup is running.
The backup can include saved data, games and apps, captures, and settings. If space is limited, application data can be omitted; trophies still need to be synced separately.
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Understand full-backup restore before using it
Restoring a full backup is not the same as copying an individual save file. Sony warns: “When restoring data, your PS4 console erases all data saved on your console. This can’t be undone, even if you cancel the restore operation.” Make sure the destination console has nothing you need to keep before beginning a full restore.
If you may restore to a different PS4, sign in to PSN on the original console before creating the backup. Sony says a user who has never signed in can restore saved data only to the original console.
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Reset without confusing it with Safe Mode options
For a full initialization before transfer or disposal, Sony lists Settings > Initialization > Initialize PS4 > Full. Initialization deletes user information and settings; make and verify the backup before starting. Sony’s PS4 initialization guidance describes the disposal/reset process.
Do not mistake Safe Mode’s Restore Default Settings for a factory wipe. Sony says this option does not delete content on console storage, including saved data. By contrast, Safe Mode’s Initialize PS4 and Initialize PS4 (Reinstall System Software) delete user data. See PlayStation Safe Mode options for the distinction.
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Before you start the reset
- Open the backup you chose and confirm the relevant saves are present; for cloud, check the latest upload date and time.
- Sync trophies to PSN separately if you are using a full-console backup or disposing of the PS4.
- For a full restore, remember it erases the destination console’s existing data; copy anything else you need first.
- If restoring a full backup to another PS4, make sure you signed in to PSN on the original PS4 before creating it.
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