Get ready to start over; Doom Eternal for PS5 has no way to transfer your progress

[Cal Jeffrey]

In context: Moving saves from PlayStation 4 to PS5 continues to be a hassle. Developers struggle to invent a less cumbersome solution than having both versions of the game installed but are coming up short. Bethesda, meanwhile, has a novel solution—just start the game over.

Bethesda released the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X versions of Doom Eternal on Tuesday, which should bring some eye candy for those who have been playing on last-gen boxes. However, those on PlayStation 4 expecting to continue their campaign on the PS5 are out of luck. Bethesda did not include a save file transfer process for the PS5.

It's not all that surprising. PlayStation 4 saves are not compatible with the PS5, and developers have been struggling with ways to convert them. Usually, the process ends up a clunky mess, so Doom devs apparently dumped implementing a solution altogether, or at least until they figure out a better way.

Earlier this month, Square Enix finally added a save converter to the PS5 version of Final Fantasy VII Remake, but it is less than convenient. It requires users to have both versions of the game fully or partially installed to move the PS4 saves to the PS5. Marvel's Avenger transfers are similarly a hassle.

⚠️We are aware of an issue that players who own the PS4 version of @DOOM Eternal in Europe and ANZ are unable to upgrade to the PS5 version of the game. We are actively working with Sony and hope to resolve the issue soon. Thank you for your patience!

— Bethesda Support (@BethesdaSupport) June 29, 2021

Having no save transfers are the least Doom Eternal's problems on PS5, considering that some players are reporting the game is not available for them. Kotaku's Ari Notis notes that after downloading the PS5 upgrade, its icon on the PS5 dashboard had a locked symbol on it and would not start.

Bethesda tweeted that it is aware of the issue and is working on a fix. In the meantime, at least one Reddit user believes he has a workaround.

"Like a lot of people, I clicked the ps5 upgrade and it wouldn't let me download either version [sic] of the game and had app locks, but after going into the 'storage/games and apps' and manually deleting the mini 'doom eternal ps5 campaign upgrade file' it seems to have fixed the download files for all versions and set them up like all the other ps5 digital upgrades. Grain of salt but hope it helps."

On the bright side, if you can get it to run, you can enjoy Doom Eternal in three different enhanced modes—Ray Tracing Mode at 1800p/60fps, Performance Mode at 1800p/120fps, or Balanced Mode for 4K gameplay at 60fps.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/90258-get-ready-start-over-doom-eternal-ps5-has.html

 

[stewi0001]

I'm curious as to what the technical problems are with porting the save files.

 

[Rdmetz]

I'm curious as to what the technical problems are with porting the save files.

Over and over I find myself chuckling at all those Sony fans who screamed "smart delivery is just a gimmick marketing term" all last year.

Microsoft has proven their strategy of delivering a properly working evolution of their hardware and software is much better than Sonys so called "revolutionary" next gen experience.

I've said since the beginning that Microsoft is smart in adopting a much more pc like ecosystem that just expands and expands keeping the history coming along with it.

 

[dangh]

I'm curious as to what the technical problems are with porting the save files.

Same here. Just got the ps5 version of greedfall and saves works fine. Many other games offer a way to transfer them. Maybe they simply didn't want to bother.

 

[m4a4]

I'm curious as to what the technical problems are with porting the save files.

Realistically, Sony should be handling them and they should "just work" (no custom developer conversions required), as accessing other namespace files could be made hard (or nearly impossible) by Sony.
The game's namespace would be how it handles how they're stored for the user, and an upgraded game should have the same namespace (if not a linked one) where the saves have the same structure. Meaning, the game shouldn't even know it's a different platform, save-wise.

No clue why something as "simple" as that isn't handled on Sony's side when it syncs the cloud saves...

 

[acustomer]

Nothing to do with Bethesda being bought by Microsoft then…

 

[acustomer]

Over and over I find myself chuckling at all those Sony fans who screamed "smart delivery is just a gimmick marketing term" all last year.

Microsoft has proven their strategy of delivering a properly working evolution of their hardware and software is much better than Sonys so called "revolutionary" next gen experience.

I've said since the beginning that Microsoft is smart in adopting a much more pc like ecosystem that just expands and expands keeping the history coming along with it.

Over and over I find myself chuckling at all those Sony fans who screamed "smart delivery is just a gimmick marketing term" all last year.

Microsoft has proven their strategy of delivering a properly working evolution of their hardware and software is much better than Sonys so called "revolutionary" next gen experience.

I've said since the beginning that Microsoft is smart in adopting a much more pc like ecosystem that just expands and expands keeping the history coming along with it.

Console numbers speak for themselves. Microsoft has only proven they don’t understand the market.

 

[Lounds]

How can Sony be so short sighted not have this working for launch. Ridiculous.

 

[m4a4]

Console numbers speak for themselves. Microsoft has only proven they don’t understand the market.

That's a very shallow/ignorant opinion these days, considering MS has the PC market to also sell software on...
...Something Sony hasn't properly taken advantage of (and thus, they have to care about console sales).

That said, what? Why are you trying to defend Sony screwing up generational saves with a "it doesn't matter when they sold more consoles". That doesn't even make sense.

 

[texasrattler]

Console numbers speak for themselves. Microsoft has only proven they don’t understand the market.

They do? MS has repeatedly said they aren't worried about how many consoles they sell. They do and have always focused on their services which is their money maker, not the console. Their console will sell, maybe not Sony numbers but they aren't trying to beat a Sony #. The only real number is $ and MS make a hell of amount of it.

Business is amount making $ not about what a competitor does. Ask Nintendo how that works. Nintendo tried to compete and every gen failed against Sony then against MS. They eventually realized they don't need to compete against them but make a product that their fans would buy n love. They did that and made a crap load of $$$.
MS have some of the best services out there. Sure not everyone likes them but again the services they offer may not be for you then. Their game pass is heavily liked and keeps getting better.

 

[Puiu]

Over and over I find myself chuckling at all those Sony fans who screamed "smart delivery is just a gimmick marketing term" all last year.

Microsoft has proven their strategy of delivering a properly working evolution of their hardware and software is much better than Sonys so called "revolutionary" next gen experience.

I've said since the beginning that Microsoft is smart in adopting a much more pc like ecosystem that just expands and expands keeping the history coming along with it.

Pretty sure that in this case this is just the devs screwing something up.

 

[Farkinell]

To be fair, if I was upgrading from the PS4 to the PS5 version I'd want to play through the whole game again anyway, otherwise what's the point? Plus it's like 10 hours long, hardly like a fresh RPG playthrough.

 

[bviktor]

To be fair, if I was upgrading from the PS4 to the PS5 version I'd want to play through the whole game again anyway, otherwise what's the point? Plus it's like 10 hours long, hardly like a fresh RPG playthrough.

Was thinking the same thing. There can't be too many people who start this on the PS4 and finish on the PS5 lol.

 

[enemys]

To be fair, if I was upgrading from the PS4 to the PS5 version I'd want to play through the whole game again anyway, otherwise what's the point? Plus it's like 10 hours long, hardly like a fresh RPG playthrough.

10 hours? That's definitely doable, especially if it's your second playthrough, but it really depends on your playstyle. A 100% Nightmare run took me more more like 30. How Long To Beat suggest about 14 hours for just the main story and almost twice that for a completionist run. And then there are the DLCs.

 

[Cal Jeffrey]

To be fair, if I was upgrading from the PS4 to the PS5 version I'd want to play through the whole game again anyway, otherwise what's the point? Plus it's like 10 hours long, hardly like a fresh RPG playthrough.

I am kind of the same way, now and with past-gen. I don't think I got all the way through Fallout 3 on PS3 (only picked it up late in the life cycle), but I completed it on the PS4 starting fresh though. I have never fully completed Skyrim despite having invested probably close to 900 or more hours in the game (not really interested in the whole be a Stormcloak or Imperial thing), but when it came out on PS4 I had no desire to import my characters (not even positive you can). I started fresh. I completed 2/3 of Cyberpunk and stopped playing when I got my PS5. I'll complete it when the PS5 version lands but starting over. IDK. I just like playing from the beginning when moving to new hardware.

 

[Farkinell]

I am kind of the same way, now and with past-gen. I don't think I got all the way through Fallout 3 on PS3 (only picked it up late in the life cycle), but I completed it on the PS4 starting fresh though. I have never fully completed Skyrim despite having invested probably close to 900 or more hours in the game (not really interested in the whole be a Stormcloak or Imperial thing), but when it came out on PS4 I had no desire to import my characters (not even positive you can). I started fresh. I completed 2/3 of Cyberpunk and stopped playing when I got my PS5. I'll complete it when the PS5 version lands but starting over. IDK. I just like playing from the beginning when moving to new hardware.

I think that's the case with a lot of RPGs where the side quests are usually as good if not better than the main story. Plus they tend to be graphics showcases, and so restarting on new hardware let's you fully appreciate the new platform's capabilities. Fallout 3, Skyrim and Cyberpunk were all riddled with bugs at release anyway, so the later you left those the better!

Quite pertinent to this discussion is that I'm just about to strap myself into the nostalgia cannon and fire up Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Last time I played that was on an 'HD ready' tv on the 360, at Uni, so I was probably drunk.

Now it's hello 4K projector on a 110" screen, so looking forward to seeing what they've done with it.

 

[Danny101]

The only platform that I've ever expected to be able to move saved games was on the PC. On consoles, I would consider it a nice bonus if it was made possible.

 

[Rdmetz]

Console numbers speak for themselves. Microsoft has only proven they don’t understand the market.

And that goes back to people buying what they know from before... Yet over and over we see more and more articles / reviews saying something along the lines of....

"why I hate using my ps5"

OR

"why I'm playing more xbox series x over ps5"

Many many gamers are frustrated with Sonys implementations of a "next gen" experience.... Those that don't have them are still ravenous to get one because they don't know any better.

I have both and will always have all systems (I'm a gamer not a fanboy) and I don't have to accept that more consoles means more better.

History more than anything influences purchasing decisions and unless you do something truly dumbfounded like MS in 2013 it's goinf to take people a good long while to really discover why they may be interested in changing from one to another.

 

[Rdmetz]

Pretty sure that in this case this is just the devs screwing something up.

No its a known fact that where Sony has hard stops in their hardware and require rigid emulation to make ps4 games work on ps5 the Xbox consoles and ecosystem are essentially the same windows based system that is capable of being adapted just like a pc (not exactly) but certainly much closer than what the Unix/Linux based system Sony has been working with since ps3 days.

It's also why Xbox can much more easy update their games for things like 120hz support and how their "smart delivery" system works entirely.

On playstation a ps4 game is fundamentally different from its exact same ps5 version and much more than just features but in the code itself and how it runs on the hardware.

Xbox is basically all the same games running at different performance levels (like a pc) based on the hardware available.

Playstation is not that and getting a save designed for a ps4 game to be recognized and run in a completely different game (the ps5 "version") take a heck of a lot more than xbox where it just works...end of story.

Heck even the fact that trophy supper has to be duplicated and can't easily be copied between versions just reinforces this even more.

 

[Rdmetz]

To be fair, if I was upgrading from the PS4 to the PS5 version I'd want to play through the whole game again anyway, otherwise what's the point? Plus it's like 10 hours long, hardly like a fresh RPG playthrough.

However you may feel about it or look at it this is ultimately just an excuse...at the end of the day I can continue my doom playthrough on my new 3080ti without having to start over on my pc I can do the same on my Xbox series x from my Xbox one and I SHOULD be ABLE to do the same on ps5 and yet sadly I cannot.

You personal choice to do so or not doesn't negate the fact that it should at least be an option when it is everywhere else.

 

[Danny101]

No its a known fact that where Sony has hard stops in their hardware and require rigid emulation to make ps4 games work on ps5 the Xbox consoles and ecosystem are essentially the same windows based system that is capable of being adapted just like a pc (not exactly) but certainly much closer than what the Unix/Linux based system Sony has been working with since ps3 days.

It's also why Xbox can much more easy update their games for things like 120hz support and how their "smart delivery" system works entirely.

On playstation a ps4 game is fundamentally different from its exact same ps5 version and much more than just features but in the code itself and how it runs on the hardware.

Xbox is basically all the same games running at different performance levels (like a pc) based on the hardware available.

Playstation is not that and getting a save designed for a ps4 game to be recognized and run in a completely different game (the ps5 "version") take a heck of a lot more than xbox where it just works...end of story.

Heck even the fact that trophy supper has to be duplicated and can't easily be copied between versions just reinforces this even more.

While this is true from PS1-PS4, Sony doesn't have much of an excuse except an arbitrary and financial one between PS4 and PS5. They are using equipment from the same hardware manufacturer AMD on both generations. Similar to Microsoft. Yet Microsoft found it preferable to extend backwards compatibility through the generations.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Another reason why I don't like consoles. It's called PC Master Race for a reason!