What You Should Do First With Your New PS5

Before launching into your PS5 gaming journey, establishing continuity with your previous PlayStation 4 progress should be your immediate priority. Many players overlook this crucial step and inadvertently lose hours of gameplay achievements.

As a new PS5 owner, you’ll discover several configuration adjustments that significantly enhance your overall experience. These extend beyond basic display calibration and audio setup to include smart storage management and performance optimization.

The PlayStation 5 represents a substantial evolution from its predecessor—unlike Microsoft’s approach with Xbox Series X|S maintaining ecosystem consistency, Sony implemented a completely redesigned interface and introduced groundbreaking technological capabilities. Understanding which features to activate or deactivate before playing can dramatically improve your gaming sessions. There’s one particular consideration you need to address even before installing your inaugural title.

Maintaining your PS4 gaming legacy is essential for uninterrupted progression. To retrieve your saved data, access the system settings and proceed to “Saved Data and Game/App Settings.” This section houses all your cloud-stored game progress for both PS5 and PS4 titles.

For accessing PS4-specific save files, select “Saved Data (PS4)” followed by “Cloud Storage.” This interface displays individual game save files that you can transfer to your PS5, enabling you to resume playing exactly where you concluded on your previous console.

PS5 maintains backward compatibility with numerous PS4 titles, which is excellent news! However, the console’s available storage capacity presents a challenge (approximately 667GB after system reservations). Fortunately, you can address this limitation by strategically allocating content between the internal SSD and external storage solutions.

For optimal performance, reserve the internal solid-state drive exclusively for PS5-native games, since you can operate PS4 titles directly from external drives but cannot run PS5 or PS5-enhanced games externally. Adjust your configuration so PS4 games default to external storage (though loading speeds may differ based on your drive’s specifications). Given that PS5 games cannot currently be stored on external drives anyway, dedicating the internal SSD solely to them makes practical sense.

Many users mistakenly install all games to the internal drive, rapidly consuming the limited SSD space. A 2TB or larger USB 3.0 external hard drive typically costs under $100 and can store dozens of PS4 titles. The performance difference between internal and external storage for PS4 games is generally minimal, while the space savings are substantial.

When purchasing digital games, you might observe your PS5 downloading multiple editions of the same title. This occurs because you’ve acquired a game available on both PS4 and PS5 platforms (such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or Bugsnax) and since the system supports both, it automatically retrieves both versions. This is inefficient and wasteful.

Therefore, immediately after buying any game from PlayStation Store, avoid the “Download All” function. Instead, access your PlayStation library and deliberately select the PS5 edition to initiate installation (accomplished by applying filters to display only PS5-compatible games). Beyond wanting the edition specifically optimized for PS5 hardware capabilities, you need to conserve as much space as possible on the console’s SSD. The PS5’s solid-state drive capacity is relatively constrained (particularly considering modern game file sizes), so prioritizing efficient space utilization becomes critical. Regarding this objective…

Cross-generation games often share similar names but have distinct file sizes and performance characteristics. The PS5 version typically features enhanced graphics, faster loading, and DualSense controller integration. Installing both versions can consume 50-100GB unnecessarily—space better allocated to additional games.

Yes, another recommendation to optimize your storage allocation. Believe us, you’ll appreciate this advice later. As game installations continue expanding, implementing storage conservation strategies will benefit you long-term. During your initial PS5 setup, access the settings and deactivate automatic Trophy video recording.

Each trophy video clip consumes approximately 15-30MB of storage space. With hundreds of potential trophies per game, this can quickly accumulate to several gigabytes of wasted space. Manual trophy capture remains available for those memorable gaming moments you genuinely want to preserve.

Many players discover too late that their console has recorded dozens of insignificant gameplay clips automatically. These video files not only occupy valuable SSD real estate but also clutter your media gallery, making it difficult to locate meaningful content.

The DualSense controller’s built-in microphone represents both a convenience and a potential distraction. For most gaming scenarios, disabling this feature immediately improves your experience by eliminating accidental audio pickup and conserving battery life.

Controller microphone activation can inadvertently capture background conversations, controller button sounds, or other ambient noise that disrupts voice chat quality. Additionally, the microphone consumes additional power, slightly reducing your gameplay sessions between charges.

To configure this setting, navigate to Sound > Microphone > Microphone Status When Logged In, and select “Mute.” You can temporarily enable the microphone when needed by pressing the dedicated mute button on the controller itself.

Beyond microphone management, consider adjusting haptic feedback intensity and trigger effect strength based on your preferences and battery life requirements. These innovative features significantly enhance immersion but also impact power consumption.

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