Yet another PS4 to PS5 upgrade is needlessly confusing on Sony’s console
Save data transfer woes continues to plague PS5 owners
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A free next-gen upgrade for A Plague Tale: Innocence released onPS5andXbox Series Xon July 6, but once again the process hasn’t been smooth sailing for PlayStation 5 owners when it comes to transferring existing save data.
On Xbox Series X, those who already own A Plague Tale: Innocence onXbox Oneor who had previously downloaded the game fromXbox Game Passcan enjoy automatic cross-progression when the game is updated, which means players’ save data will carry over.
On PS5, though, it’s a different story. For those who own thePS4version of the game, you need to make sure the latest patch for the PlayStation 4 has been downloaded, upload your save file to the cloud (if it hasn’t done so automatically), and then download the save on your PS5 console before starting the game. Otherwise, you’ll have to start from scratch.
If you’ve played #APlagueTale: Innocence and are about to dive back into your save on next-gen:- PS4 to PS5: make sure to download the latest patch on PS4 before starting on PS5 to get your cloud save.- Xbox One to Xbox Series: automatic cross-progression.July 5, 2021
This isn’t the first time the PS5 has asked players to jump through extra hoops to carry PS4 save data across, but it’s still just as frustrating when you compare it to the experience on Xbox, where things are completely seamless thanks toSmart Delivery.
There are multiple examples of the PS5 failing to allow players to transfer PS4 save data over smoothly to a PlayStation 5 version. Sometimes save data fails to carry across at all, like inDoom Eternal, wherePS5 players have no choice but to start from the beginning, or the process of getting yourPS4 save data on PS5requires astep-by-step guide, like inMarvel’s Avengers, which isn’t ideal.
Missed delivery
The lack of Smart Delivery on PS5 also means that those who have sold their PS4 copy of a game like A Plague Tale: Innocence or didn’t upload their save file into the cloud might have to start afresh.
The PS5 version of A Plague Tale: Innocence is one of thePS Plus free gamesthis month, but it’s also resulted in some users seeing thePS Plusversion as their copy, despite trying to upgrade from their PS4 version. The worry is that should they stop subscribing toPS Plus, their copy of A Plague Tale: Innocence will no longer be accessible.
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Same thing here. I don’t want to aqquire the Plus version. I just want to upgrade my disc version and start playing itJuly 6, 2021
PS5 owners also run into issues previously in ensuring they were downloading the right version of a game, with the distinction between the PS4 and PS5 copy of a game not always clear.
Thankfully,Sonyhas now addeda warning to PS5 that will let players now their launching the PS4 versionof cross-gen games.
Smart Delivery on Xbox Series X andXbox Series Smight have seemed like a buzzword or marketing spiel at the beginning, then, but it’s clearMicrosoft’s system for upgrading games to next-gen is superior than Sony’s hotchpotch method. Hopefully Sony can iron out some of these issues in the future, as it really shouldn’t be this complicated to update a game and carry on playing from where you left off.
Adam was formerly TRG’s Hardware Editor. A law graduate with an exceptional track record in content creation and online engagement, Adam has penned scintillating copy for various technology sites and also established his very own award-nominated video games website. He’s previously worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor and once played Halo 5: Guardians for over 51 hours for charity. He is now an editor at The Shortcut.
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