How to Transfer Xbox Games and Saves to a New Xbox Series X|S

The safest way to transfer Xbox games and saves to a new Xbox Series X or Series S is to treat them as two separate jobs. Copy installed games with Xbox network transfer or a compatible external drive, then sign in with the same Microsoft account so your saves can sync from the Xbox network. Do not erase or sell the old console until you have opened your important games on the new Xbox and confirmed that the correct progress appears.

That distinction matters: copying a game installation is not the same as backing up its save. The steps below take you through both, including what changes if you are moving from an Xbox One, using a Series S without a disc drive, or transferring games optimized for Xbox Series X|S.

Before you start: a five-minute safety checklist

Connect the old Xbox to the internet and sign in with the account you use for your games.
Launch any game with progress you cannot afford to lose, then return to the Home screen and leave the console online long enough to complete synchronization.
Update both consoles if an update is available.
Make sure you know the Microsoft account email and password tied to your Xbox profile.
Keep the old console intact until you have tested your saves, add-ons, and purchases on the new one.

Xbox says game saves synchronize through the Xbox network when the console is connected. To use a save on another console, the other console also needs to connect before that save is available. In practice, the low-risk approach is simple: get the old Xbox online first, let it finish syncing, and only then begin the move.

Which Xbox transfer method should you use?

Method	Best for	What it transfers	What it does not replace
Network transfer	Two consoles on the same home network	Installed games and apps	Cloud-save synchronization
External USB drive	Large libraries or slower internet	Installed games and apps stored on the drive	Cloud saves; some Series X\|S games must be moved before play
Redownload	No old console or external drive	Digital games and apps you own	Disc access; save sync still needs the same account and internet

You can combine these methods. For example, copy your biggest games over the local network, redownload a few small titles, and use cloud synchronization for every save.

Method 1: transfer Xbox games over your home network

Xbox network transfer copies installed games and apps from one console to another on the same local network. It can save substantial download time and does not consume the same internet bandwidth as downloading the full library again.

On the old Xbox

Press the Xbox button to open the guide.
Go to Profile & system > Settings > System > Backup & transfer.
Choose Network transfer.
Enable Allow network transfer.

On the new Xbox Series X|S

Connect the new console to the same home network as the old one.
Open Profile & system > Settings > System > Backup & transfer > Network transfer.
Select the old Xbox when it appears.
Choose the games and apps you want, then select Copy selected.

Keep both consoles powered on and connected while the copy runs. A wired Ethernet connection is usually the most stable option for a large library, especially if Wi-Fi coverage is uneven. The transfer can continue alongside other activity, but playing an online game or streaming video may slow it down.

If the source console does not appear, confirm that both Xboxes are on the same local network, that Allow network transfer remains enabled on the old console, and that neither device is connected through an isolated guest Wi-Fi network.

Method 2: move games with an external USB drive

If your installed library already lives on a compatible external drive, this can be the quickest physical move:

On the old console, open My games & apps and move or copy the games you want to the external drive.
Wait for every queued transfer to finish.
Power down the console before disconnecting the drive.
Connect the drive to the new Xbox and let the console recognize it.
Open My games & apps to find the installed titles.

Xbox supports compatible USB 3.1-or-later external storage for moving and storing games. Backward-compatible Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox titles can generally run from compatible USB storage. The important exception is games optimized for Xbox Series X|S: many can be stored on a USB drive but must be moved to the console’s internal SSD or an official Storage Expansion Card before they will launch.

An official Xbox Storage Expansion Card behaves more like internal storage and can run optimized Series X|S games directly. If a transferred title refuses to start from USB, use Manage game and add-ons to move it to internal storage rather than downloading it all over again.

Method 3: redownload your owned Xbox games

You do not need access to the old console to recover digital purchases. On the new Xbox, sign in with the Microsoft account that bought or redeemed the games, then go to:

My games & apps > Full library > Owned games

Select a title to install it. Your digital license follows the purchasing account, although console-sharing rules can matter when another household member bought the game. If family members use your purchases, review the Home Xbox setting after the move.

Disc ownership works differently. A Series X can verify a compatible disc in its optical drive, but an all-digital Series S cannot read Xbox discs. Owning a disc does not automatically grant a digital copy, so plan around that limitation before choosing which console model will replace the old one.

How Xbox save transfers actually work

For modern Xbox consoles, save migration is usually automatic. Sign in on the new Xbox with the same account, connect to the Xbox network, install or insert the game, and launch it. The console should check for the latest cloud save and synchronize it before gameplay begins.

Let that synchronization finish. Do not cancel the prompt, disconnect the console, or choose between conflicting files casually. If Xbox shows two versions of a save, compare the dates and console information carefully. The newer file is often the correct choice, but the right answer depends on where you most recently played.

The same principle applies when moving between Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Supported backward-compatible games can use the save associated with the same Xbox profile. For Xbox 360 titles, older progress generally must have been placed in cloud storage on the Xbox 360 before it can follow you to a newer console.

What Smart Delivery changes during the move

For games that support Xbox Smart Delivery, the new console installs the version intended for that hardware. Moving an Xbox One installation to a Series X|S may therefore trigger an upgrade or additional download. That is expected, not a sign that the transfer failed.

Leave extra free space for upgrades and patches. Also open Manage game and add-ons after the transfer to confirm that expansions, language packs, texture packs, and other optional components you use are installed. A base game can copy successfully even when one of its add-ons has not.

Can you transfer Xbox settings too?

Yes, but settings are a separate backup. Xbox provides a Back up my settings option under Profile & system > Settings > System > Backup & transfer. It can preserve preferences on external storage for use during console setup.

This is useful for accessibility preferences, sign-in choices, and other console configuration, but it should not be confused with a game-save backup. Saves still depend on Xbox network synchronization.

Do screenshots and video captures transfer?

Do not assume captures will follow the same path as game saves. If screenshots or clips matter to you, back them up separately before resetting the old console. Depending on where they are stored, that can mean copying captures to external storage or saving network-uploaded captures elsewhere. Treat captures as their own migration task.

Troubleshooting: games or saves are missing

The old console does not appear for network transfer

Confirm both consoles are on the same router and not a guest network.
Recheck Allow network transfer on the source Xbox.
Restart both consoles and the router.
Try Ethernet if one console repeatedly disconnects from Wi-Fi.

An owned digital game is not in the library

Verify that you signed in with the account that purchased or redeemed it.
Check Full library > Owned games, not only the installed list.
If another household account owns it, review that account’s Home Xbox arrangement.
For a subscription title, confirm that the relevant subscription is still active. Our Xbox Game Pass plan comparison explains the main membership differences.

A transferred Series X|S game will not launch from USB

Move it to the internal SSD or a compatible official expansion card. USB storage is useful as an archive for optimized games, but many of those titles cannot run directly from it.

A save does not appear

Stop playing before creating new progress that could complicate a sync conflict.
Confirm you are using the same Xbox profile as on the old console.
Reconnect the old console to the Xbox network and open the game there so it can upload the latest save.
Close the game, wait for synchronization, then try again on the new console.
Check the Xbox status page for service problems.

If the game itself is working but the controller is not, see our guide to connecting and troubleshooting an Xbox controller.

When is it safe to erase the old Xbox?

Only after you have completed this final check on the new console:

Your primary profile signs in successfully.
Your purchased games appear in the full library.
Your most important games open with the correct saves.
Required add-ons are installed.
Family sharing or Home Xbox is configured as intended.
Important screenshots and clips are backed up separately.

Once those checks pass, follow Xbox’s official instructions to reset the old console before selling, trading, or giving it away. Removing personal data is the last step, not the first.

The short version

Use network transfer when both consoles are available on the same network, an external drive when you already have suitable storage, or redownload from Full library when local copying is not practical. In every case, saves come back by signing in with the same account and letting the game synchronize through the Xbox network. Verify the progress on the new console before wiping the old one.