Let’s learn how to connect External HDD to PS4. Game manufacturers worldwide are still developing excellent titles for the PlayStation 4, and this console will provide you with countless hours of entertainment. Sony is also constantly releasing amazing apps almost every week, and there may come a point when your PS4’s hard drive is pushed to its limit.

To connect the Game Drive to your console, you need to:

  1. First, plug in the USB 3.0 cable to one of the available USB ports on the console. It doesn’t matter which port you use.
  2. Once you do that, you should see a message on your screen’s corner indicating that a new device has been found.
  3. Next, scroll down to the Devices section and click on USB Storage Devices. You will then be able to see that your PS4 has automatically detected the Game Drive.

If you have recently started getting warnings that your PlayStation’s internal HDD is almost full, it might be time to invest in an external HDD. For more information, keep reading this article on How to connect External HDD to PS4.

Steps to Connect an External HDD to a PS4

Storage space (or lack of it) can become an issue if you like collecting digital PS4 titles. However, getting a high-quality PS4 external hard drive can easily surmount this obstacle.

external hdd to a ps4

This way, your entire collection will always be available for play. Before investing in a new hard drive, you might want to spend a little time researching how those devices work. While this project should be relatively easy to carry out, you could end up losing your save states or having to redownload your favourite games if you aren’t careful.

Choosing the Right Size

When storing games and apps on an external HDD, you must consider the device’s quality and capabilities. Without the proper hard drive, you could run into various problems ranging from ongoing lag during your games to choppy video playback.

right size of hdd

The smallest external hard drive you can attach to a PS4 is 250 GB, but you will probably want to get a hard drive that is at least 1 TB. Some of the largest games are now well over 100 GB, and a smaller hard drive will fill up before you know it.

If you want to ensure that you won’t have to purchase a new external hard drive soon, then you should probably upgrade to a 2 TB or 4TB unit. You won’t fit every app and game in the PS4 catalog on one of those HDDs, but you should be able to store most of your library. Some gamers also have multiple hard drives for their PS4 consoles, but it is important to note that you can’t use multiple hard drives simultaneously.

Formatting the Drive

The first step in this process is formatting the drive to be compatible with your PlayStation 4. If an older hard drive is going to be used, you will need to copy over all of the data to a different location. Once the hard drive is empty, you can plug it into the Playstation 4 with a high-quality USB cable.

Using an older USB cable sitting in a drawer might seem like a good way to save money, but an outdated cable could be inefficient. Luckily, most HDDs come with factory cables that provide ample power and excellent transfer speeds.

formatting the drive

After the HDD is plugged in, you must go to Settings > Devices > USB Storage Devices > Format as Extended Storage. The PS4 will then automatically detect the HDD and attempt to change its format to exFAT.

The HDD can be formatted on your computer or another device. But it is usually a good idea to have the PlayStation do the formatting so that there aren’t any errors. After a few moments, the formatting should be complete, and you can use your new hard drive.

Should I Stick to Internal Storage?

Before you transfer some of your games and apps over to the external hard drive, you might begin to wonder if the internal drive is going to be faster than an external HDD.

While it probably seems logical that the internal memory will be faster than any external drive you can find. But that isn’t always true. Sony didn’t necessarily use high-end hardware to build their PS4s. And that is one of the reasons why so many gamers run into ongoing errors.

stick to internal storage

An external HDD from a reputable company could be much faster than the HDD that the PS4 came with. Some experts now suggest that gamers transfer all of their competitive online games over to external hard drives to reduce load times and lag.

Transferring Your Games and Apps

You should transfer some of that data to your new HDD if your internal HDD is complete. This process is pretty simple, but it could take quite some time, depending on how much data needs to be copied. You must go to Settings > Storage > System Storage > Applications to transfer your games. video gaming

From there, you can highlight any game or app you want to move to the extended storage. Before you transfer any games, you might want to test a more minor application. It’ll help to get a better idea of how quick the process will be. For a huge game library, the transfer could take well over an hour.

FAQs

1. How do I get my PS4 to recognize my external hard drive?

To have your PS4 recognize the external hard drive, ensure it's formatted as exFAT or FAT32. Plug it into a USB port, then navigate to Settings > Devices > USB Storage Devices. Select the drive and format it for PS4 use.

2. Can I use an external HDD instead of an internal PS4?

Yes, you can use an external HDD instead of an internal PS4 drive for storing games. It should be USB 3.0 compatible and have ample space for your game library.

3. Does HDD work on PS4?

Yes, an external HDD (Hard Disk Drive) works on the PS4. You can use it to expand storage and save games, apps, and other content.

How do I add more storage to my PS4?

To increase PS4 storage, connect a compatible external HDD via a USB port. The console will guide you through formatting. Alternatively, following specific online guidelines, you can replace the internal HDD with a larger one.

5. How many games can a 2TB PS4 hold?

A 2TB PS4 can hold various games depending on their sizes, but on average, you could store around 50-100 games, considering modern game file sizes

6. Is 500 GB enough for PS4?

While a 500 GB PS4 can accommodate a limited number of games, opting for more storage is recommended. Games are increasing in size, often exceeding 50 GB each. A larger HDD or an external storage solution would offer a better gaming experience with more space for games and content.

Conclusion

You should consider investing in a high-quality HDD for your PS4 for many different reasons. In addition to freeing up quite a bit of space on the console itself. You could also greatly improve your load times. Games like PUBG and Red Dead Redemption 2 have notoriously long load times. Adding an HDD to your PS4 could help with those issues.

Transferring your games to an HDD will allow you to play those titles on different consoles. If you ever want to upgrade your PS4 or play some of your games at a friend’s house. You can then disconnect the hard drive and take it with you. With your new HDD, your game library will be easier to access, and transfer, and much more secure.