1. Decide which data to preserve

Before initialisation or storage work, list what matters: game progress, personal captures, settings or installations that would take time to download again. Check these items while preparing the backup. The word “backup” does not tell you what was selected.

The tool can include games, applications, saved game data, captures and settings. Trophies are synchronised separately. Applications can be excluded if space is limited.

If you only need one game’s progress, selectively copying saved data is more targeted. This guide prepares a broader set of console data.

2. Prepare the console and identify the USB storage

Open Trophies, press OPTIONS and synchronise them. Then connect the USB storage device to the PS4.

Give the device a recognisable label, such as “PS4 backup — October,” and check what it already contains. A shared drive is easier to reuse or erase accidentally when its purpose is unclear.

Choose a time when the console can remain occupied. Arrange cables to avoid an accidental disconnect and tell other console users that a backup is running.

3. Create the backup

• Open Settings → System → Back Up and Restore → Back Up PS4.
• Review the selected categories, especially saved game data.
• Choose a recognisable backup name and start the operation.
• Wait for completion without switching off the console or removing the drive.

A name combining the date and purpose, such as “before storage work,” is useful. Record any excluded categories alongside it so you can understand the scope later without relying on memory.

4. Record the completed operation

At the end, disconnect storage as directed by the console. If an error appears, record its wording and do not mark the backup as complete.

Expected result: the console reports a completed backup on the identified device, with a recognisable name and known contents.

Keep a note of the date, backup name and included categories. A personal photo of the completion screen can support that record. Store the device somewhere known, away from drives you regularly reformat.

This check confirms that copying was reported complete; it is not a restore test. Do not restore onto your only console simply to see whether the backup works.

Before using the backup

Restoring a PS4 erases the data currently on the destination console. It is not a simple addition of files. To restore on a different PS4, Sony requires prior sign-in to the account before making the backup; a user who never signed in is limited to the original console.

Before storage work, confirm that the copy belongs to the intended console and ask whether anyone has played since it was made. If so, decide whether another backup is needed to preserve that newer progress.

For insufficient space or unrecognised storage, check the file system and available capacity first. Preserve the existing backup while diagnosing the issue: erasing your only copy to free space removes the recovery option you were trying to protect.

Sources and scope

Translated from the French guide based on official documentation checked on 2026-10-15. This guide does not claim physical testing on your equipment. LODEX’s preparation and result checks are practical advice; follow any warnings shown by your device.

• PlayStation — back up and restore PS4
• PS4 manual — selectively copying saved data