One of the PS5’s promised features was save migration support, or the ability for players to transfer save data from their PS4 games to their new console. But with games such as Marvel’s Avengers, many gamers have become frustrated with the PS5 save migration process, as they feel it is too complicated. Several gamers took to Twitter today to vent their frustration.
When the PS5 was released, Sony said players would have two options to transfer their save data from most PS4 games. PlayStation Plus subscribers would be able to transfer data through the cloud, while players without a subscription would be able to move their data via a USB. But after the next-gen version of Marvel’s Avengers was released, players began to run into problems. Using the cloud or a USB to transfer data to their PS5 caused the game to crash or error codes to appear during the transfer process.
Developer Square Enix addressed the problem today by advising players to use another method to transfer their data. Players must boot up the PS4 version of Marvel's Avengers and initiate the transfer via the save migration tab in the main menu, then launch the PS5 version of the game, where they will be prompted to download the data. Players have to use this method even if they have the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game downloaded on the same console. After the “fix” was announced, many gamers went to Twitter to complain about how complicated they felt the process was.
Prominent video game journalist Paul Tassi said the complexity of transferring save data on the PS5 made him want to switch all his third party games to Xbox. Many players feel that it is easier to transfer data from the Xbox One to the Xbox Series X or S, and unlike PlayStation players, Xbox users don’t need to pay a subscription to transfer via the cloud.
Several gamers complained that Square Enix was not being clear when previously communicating how to transfer save data, which led them to believe that it was ok to delete the PS4 version of the game to make room for the PS5 version. This is what happened to user NnamzYT, who thought that they would be able to use the cloud to transfer their data.
Some players are still having problems with obtaining their old PS4 data on the PS5, even when using Square Enix’s suggested method. These players, including user BradSimo1, are still unable to transfer their data.
PlayStation players being frustrated over the difficulty of transferring their save data is understandable, especially when it seems like such an easy process for Xbox players. Square Enix will likely resolve the issue with a little more time, but it is unfortunate that the process has caused headaches for many gamers.
Marvel's Avengers is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.