PS4 Trophies on PS5: What Carries Over and What Doesn't

Every trophy you earned on PS4 is already on your PS5, because trophies belong to your PlayStation Network account and show up on any console you sign in to. What does not carry over automatically is progress between versions: a PS4 game played on PS5 keeps adding to its PS4 list, while a native PS5 upgrade usually has its own separate list that starts at zero. This page explains how PS4 trophies appear on a PS5, how to tell the two versions apart, and how to move progress across when a game supports it.

We checked this against PlayStation's backward compatibility and upgrade support pages, the PlayStation Blog's October 2020 posts on PS4 games and trophy levels, PlayStation Universe, Push Square, The Sixth Axis and PowerPyx in November 2026.

Your PS4 Trophies Are Already There

Trophies are tied to your account, not to the hardware. The Sixth Axis noted in its PS5 launch guide that trophies carry over from PS3, PS4 and PS Vita, and the PlayStation Blog's October 2020 trophy level post said the new levels would appear everywhere levels are shown, including past systems and the PlayStation App. Sign in to a PS5 with the account you used on PS4, open your profile, choose Trophies, and your full history is waiting.

Your level comes with it. Because the level is calculated from every trophy on the account, the platinums you earned on PS4 years ago keep counting on PS5 exactly as before. Our guide to how PS5 trophy levels are calculated shows how those older trophies feed into the 1 to 999 scale.

If something looks missing right after you set up a new console, give it a moment and sync. PlayStation's support page lists the PS5 path as Trophies, then Options, then Sync Trophies, and a manual sync usually pulls everything down in seconds.

Playing PS4 Games on PS5 Earns PS4 Trophies

The PS5 runs most PS4 games through backward compatibility. PlayStation's support page says the overwhelming majority of the 4,000+ PS4 games are playable on PS5, and the PlayStation Blog's October 2020 FAQ put it at more than 99 percent. A small number are listed as PS4 only, including Afro Samurai 2 Revenge of Kuma Volume One, Robinson: The Journey, We Sing and Hitman Go: Definitive Edition, and those carry a "Playable on: PS4 only" label in PlayStation Store.

When you play a PS4 game this way, you are running the PS4 version, so every trophy goes onto the PS4 list for that game. If you started a PS4 list on your old console and stopped at 80 percent, you can finish it on PS5 and the remaining trophies land on the same list. Nothing resets and nothing duplicates.

Select PS4 games also benefit from what Sony calls Game Boost, which PlayStation's support page says can mean a higher or smoother frame rate on PS5. That can make an old grind a little more pleasant without changing the trophy list at all.

PS VR lists are a special case worth knowing about. PlayStation's backward compatibility page says original PlayStation VR games are among the PS4 titles playable on PS5, but you need the PS VR headset, a PlayStation Camera for PS4 and a camera adaptor, because the PS5's HD camera is not compatible with PS VR. If you have an unfinished VR list from the PS4 era, check that you still have all three pieces before planning to clean it up on your new console.

A typical example looks like this: you reached 80 percent of a PS4 open-world game in 2019, then moved to a PS5. Install the PS4 version from your library, load your old save if it is on the console or in cloud storage, and keep playing. The last 20 percent of trophies land on that same PS4 list with today's dates, and the game shows as complete on your profile.

PS5 Upgrades Usually Get Their Own List

Things change when a game has a native PS5 version. In many cross-generation releases, the PS5 version is treated as a separate game with a separate trophy list that starts empty.

• Maneater was an early example. PlayStation Universe reported in October 2020 that the developer described the PS5 version as a separate application whose trophies, stats and saves would not transfer.
• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales has separate PS4 and PS5 stacks with identical contents, according to PowerPyx.
• PS1 classics in PS Plus Premium come with separate PS4 and PS5 lists, as Push Square reported in May 2022, so you can earn the same set twice by playing on both consoles.

Getting the PS5 version is often straightforward. PlayStation's upgrade page explains that eligible PS4 games can be upgraded to the digital PS5 version, which may be free, may require a purchase, or may only be offered for a limited time. Disc upgrades need a PS5 with a disc drive and the PS4 disc must stay inserted to play, while digital PS4 games can be upgraded on either model. The page also notes that PS4 games redeemed through PS Plus are generally not eligible.

Separate lists are not a downside for everyone. Many hunters see them as a second platinum to earn, and our guide to PS5 auto-pop platinums explains which games let you fill the second list just by importing your old progress.

How to Tell Which Version You Are Playing

Because both versions can sit on one console, it is easy to launch the wrong one and put trophies on the list you did not intend. PlayStation's upgrade page explains how to choose: in Game Library, highlight the game, press X, open the options and select the version you want. PS4 versions show "PS4" beside the title.

• Before a session, check the tile you are launching. If you want PS5 trophies, make sure the PS4 label is not showing.
• On the Trophies screen, a cross-gen game can appear twice. Open each entry to see which one your progress is on.
• Keep one version installed if you only care about one list. It removes the chance of launching the other by accident.

If you do launch the other version by mistake and nothing unlocks, the stray list stays at 0 percent and can be deleted. PlayStation only allows deletion when no trophies are earned, so remove it before you play further. Our guide to deleting trophies on PS5 has the exact steps.

Moving Progress From PS4 to PS5

Whether your PS4 save works in the PS5 version depends on the game. The PlayStation Blog's October 2020 FAQ said cross-generation save support is a developer decision and varies title by title. When a game does support it, there are three ways to move the save:

1. Wi-Fi transfer from PS4 to PS5, which PlayStation's backward compatibility page says can move digital games and game data.
2. LAN cable between the consoles, mentioned in the PlayStation Blog FAQ as another route for games, data and saves.
3. Cloud storage for PS Plus members: upload from the PS4 and download on the PS5.

Once the save is on the PS5, load it inside the PS5 version. In some games that is enough to unlock matching trophies straight away; in others it only carries your progress, and trophies still need to be earned from that point. If you load a save and expected trophies do not appear, our checklist for PS5 trophies that did not unlock covers what to check next.

PS3 lists are a different story. Your PS3 trophies display on PS5 like everything else, but PlayStation's backward compatibility page states that PS5 consoles do not support PS3 discs, and PS4 digital titles obtained through the old PS3-to-PS4 upgrade program cannot be played on PS5 if they require the PS3 disc. If you want to keep working on an unfinished PS3 list, plan on using the console it was made for.

Choosing Which List to Work On

For a game you have not started, the version you pick decides which list you build. A few questions help:

• Does the game import saves and pop trophies? If so, some players finish the PS4 version first and then fill the PS5 list by importing.
• Is there a PS4 list already in progress? Finishing it on PS5 through backward compatibility is often quicker than starting a fresh PS5 list.
• Do you care about platform tags? Some collectors want PS5 lists specifically for their profile, while others are happy with whichever is faster.
• Are there online trophies? Older PS4 lists sometimes depend on servers or player counts. Check the roadmap before committing.

Hardware matters too. PlayStation's upgrade page notes that PS4 game discs cannot be used with the PS5 Digital Edition, so if your PS4 copy is physical and your PS5 has no disc drive, the PS4 version and its disc-based upgrade path are both off the table on that console. Digital PS4 purchases have no such limit and can be played or upgraded on either PS5 model.

Whichever you choose, both lists count toward your level in full. There is no penalty for earning one, the other, or both.

Trophies Across PS3, PS4 and PS5

If you want platinums from older generations without replaying, the store's Trophy Platinum Services with Legit Time-Stamps page lets you pick any PS4, PS3 or PS5 game, adds the platinum with all trophies unlocked, and says the trophies will appear on all platforms, which suits collectors who want their older lists finished with legit time-stamps.

The page lists it as working on PS3, PS4 and PS5. For PS5-only services and level packages, browse the main PlayStation trophy section, and if you are unsure which list your game uses, our existing guide on matching the right PS4 or PS5 trophy list walks through it.

Frequently Asked Questions