Upgrading to the PS5 Pro from an original PS5 is mostly painless, but there are a handful of steps that catch people out every time. Miss them and you can lose saved games, lose access to disc-based purchases, or hand a stranger a console that still has your PSN account on it. This checklist walks through everything you should do before the transaction finalises, in the order that matters.
Back up your save data first
This is the step most players skip because they assume PlayStation Plus cloud saves handle it automatically. They don't always. PS5 game saves upload to the cloud, but only if auto-upload is enabled, and only if Sony's servers haven't queued the sync behind a firmware update or a full storage allotment. Check your cloud save status manually before touching anything else.
Go to Settings, then Saved Data and Game/App Settings, then Saved Data (PS5). Select Console Storage and hit Upload to PlayStation Network. Do the same for PS4 saves under the PS4 tab. For any games that don't support cloud saves (a small but real list), copy saves to a USB drive. PS5 save data management has more nuance than most players expect, particularly around which PS4 titles transfer cleanly and which don't.
Once the upload finishes, open PlayStation Plus on a PC or phone and verify the timestamps. A save showing "yesterday" when you played this morning means it didn't sync. Don't assume the bar completing means it worked.
Check your game library and licences
Digital game licences are tied to your PSN account, not your console. That means your library follows you to the PS5 Pro automatically once you sign in. What doesn't follow you automatically is your Primary Console designation.
If your original PS5 is set as your Primary Console, any other account on that device can play your digital library without you being signed in. Before selling, you need to deactivate it. Go to Settings, Users and Accounts, Other, Console Sharing and Offline Play, and select Disable. This action is limited to once every six months per account, so don't do it casually or plan to reverse it quickly.
Physical discs are a separate consideration entirely. If you've been using a disc edition and you're upgrading to a PS5 Pro disc edition, no problem. But if you're moving to the PS5 Pro Digital Edition, every disc-based game you own stops being playable unless you also buy the digital version. Sony does not offer a disc-to-digital conversion path beyond their specific Disc to Digital program, which covers a limited catalogue of titles and requires the original disc for each exchange.
Transfer your settings and data to the new console
Sony's Data Transfer feature moves almost everything between two PS5 consoles on the same network: installed games, saves, user accounts, and settings. It won't move PS4 game data stored on an external USB drive, and it won't move your M.2 SSD if you've installed one. That storage needs to be handled separately.
If you installed an M.2 SSD in your original PS5, you have two options. You can reformat it as external storage and use it with the PS5 Pro, or you can physically install it in the new console's M.2 slot. The PS5 Pro ships with a larger internal SSD than the original, so many players will find the extra drive is redundant. If you're unsure whether your M.2 upgrade is still worth keeping, the trade-offs between external hard drives and M.2 SSDs on PS5 are worth reviewing before you decide.
Run the Data Transfer during setup when the PS5 Pro prompts you. Don't skip it and plan to do it later. The window is easiest to hit when both consoles are physically close and connected to the same router.
Factory reset the old console properly
Once you've confirmed everything transferred correctly, don't just deactivate your account and call it done. A factory reset wipes the drive and removes your account data at the firmware level. Without it, whoever buys the console can potentially access your stored Wi-Fi credentials and any locally cached account details.
Go to Settings, System, System Software, Reset Options, and choose Reset Your Console. Select Full Factory Reset, not the soft option. This takes around 15 minutes and leaves the console in the state it shipped from the factory. The buyer gets a clean setup experience, which also tends to fetch a higher resale price.
Before you run the reset, remove any disc in the drive. It sounds obvious. People forget.
What to do with accessories
DualSense controllers pair via Bluetooth to whichever console they're connected to. They work with both the original PS5 and the PS5 Pro without any re-pairing. If you're keeping your controllers, they'll connect to the PS5 Pro on first use. If you're selling your controllers with the old console, they don't need any special decoupling steps, but hold the PS button on first boot to pair them fresh.
The PS5 Media Remote, Pulse headsets, and HD Camera all work with the PS5 Pro. The DualSense Edge works with both consoles too, with custom button profiles stored in the controller itself, not the console. Your profiles survive the hardware swap automatically.
Check your subscription timing
PlayStation Plus doesn't transfer or reset during a console swap. It stays attached to your account. But it's worth logging into your account on a browser before the swap to check your renewal date. If your sub is renewing in two weeks and you're in the middle of a hardware transition, you may want to defer any plan changes until you're fully settled on the new console.
PlayStation Stars points and reward progress also stay on your account. No action needed there.
The full checklist, in order
- Manually trigger a PS5 and PS4 save upload to PlayStation Plus cloud storage, then verify the timestamps online.
- Back up any saves from games without cloud support to a USB drive.
- Deactivate your Primary Console designation on the original PS5.
- If moving to a Digital Edition, audit your disc library and check the Disc to Digital programme for eligible titles.
- Run Data Transfer during PS5 Pro setup while both consoles are on the same network.
- Decide whether your M.2 SSD stays in the old console for the buyer, gets reinstalled in the Pro, or gets reformatted as external storage.
- Remove your disc, then run a Full Factory Reset on the original console.
- Re-pair your accessories to the PS5 Pro on first boot.
The decision about whether the PS5 Pro upgrade is worth it financially is a separate question from whether you're prepared to make the swap cleanly. If you've already committed, this checklist gets you out the other side without losing anything.