The process of initial setup and formatting is simple and intuitive, just like most other external hard drives: connect it, follow the prompts, and the device will be ready for use in 2-3 minutes.
The copy speed is slightly lower than the built-in PS4 drive.
Seagate released this model specifically for the PS4 and PS4 Pro game consoles, to solve the problem of a lack of internal storage once and for all. The hard drive has a design similar to the PS4 console, so the devices will look like a complete gaming kit.
4 TB (2 TB also available)
USB 3.0 (USB 2.0 compatible)
Any generation of PS4 (system software version 4.5 or higher)
4.5 x 2.9 x 0.8 inches
0.5 lb
2 years
Vertical placement of the drive will be especially useful for users who have little free space in the entertainment center. If your console is also upright - both devices will look natural together.
Requires additional connection to the network.
If you own the PS4 Pro and download games in 4k resolution, then we recommend purchasing the WD My Book: it has 4 TB of internal space, so you can save plenty of modern and demanding 4k games.
4 TB (3. 6. 8. also available)
USB 3.0 (USB 2.0 compatible)
Port for AC-adapter
Any generation of PS4 (system software version 4.5 or higher)
6.7 x 5.5 x 1.9 inches
2.2 lb
3 years
Toshiba Storage Backup Software allows you to connect your hard drive to your PC and back up your data if necessary. The software is compatible with your PS4 as well as Windows 7 SP1 and later versions.
The glossy housing is susceptible to scratches.
This budget and practical hard drive has a capacity of 1 TB, so it will help you out when the built-in storage in the console is already full. Furthermore, the performance here is not inferior to more expensive competitors.
1 TB (2, 3 TB also available)
USB 3.0 (USB 2.0 compatible)
Any generation of PS4 (system software version 4.5 or higher)
4.3 x 3.1 x 0.55 inches
0.32 lb
2 years
Compact dimensions and an amazingly small device thickness of just 0.48 inch make it easy to transport this external hard drive. Despite this design, the body during operation generates almost no heat.
The USB 3.0 cable has a small length (18-inches).
This model from Seagate is famous for its versatility: it can be easily connected to modern gaming consoles, as well as to computers with Windows, Mac, and Linux. The included additional software will appeal to experienced users.
2 TB (1, 4, 5 TB also available)
USB 3.0 (USB 2.0 compatible)
Any generation of PS4 (system software version 4.5 or higher)
4.5 x 3 x 0.48 inches
0.35 lb
2 years
The My Passport game drive features increased protection for shocks, shakes and vibrations, so it eliminates data loss and interrupted file copies in extreme situations.
LED indicator is not conveniently placed.
This external drive boasts an incredibly fast data transfer speed, so even during playing the most voluminous games, the probability of hangs and lags is absolutely out of the question. 2 TB of internal memory is enough for most gamers.
2 TB (4 TB also available)
USB 3.0 (USB 2.0 compatible)
Any generation of PS4 (system software version 4.5 or higher)
4.3 x 3.2 x 0.8 inches
0.5 lb
3 years
Seagate Game Drive
Store Your Collection
Many of us are huge Sony PlayStation fans, having been loyal PlayStation gamers ever since the launch of the original PlayStation back in 1995. Many of these same fans bought the PS4 early after its original release, which means that there are plenty of people out there now with huge libraries of PS4 games. With the move to digital distribution, many of these games were probably purchased online and downloaded onto the consoles. With most PS4 models coming with limited internal storage, obviously, your internal hard drive is going to be filled up pretty quickly, making a high capacity external drive a necessity.
Great Looking External Drive
The large storage capacity of this external hard drive is probably enough of a selling point for most PS4 owners, but it also has a lot more to offer. The case of this drive features sleek black top and bottom panels with blue sides, and a cool swirly design on the top panel, which gives it a cool look. This means that this external hard drive will look great in your entertainment center next to the console, and the flat design with a small footprint makes it take up only a minimal amount of space, as well as being very easy to carry with you when you travel.
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Western Digital My Book
A Great Name in Hard Drives
Anyone looking to add storage to their PS4 shouldn't need to look hard to find a usable external hard drive. The PS4 console is capable of using any standard USB external hard drive, just as long as it is at least USB 3.0. However, those in this position should think about getting a high-quality hard drive, as they will want a drive that is going to last them for the lifetime of their console. This can make the search for an external hard drive a little more difficult, especially with the large amount of external hard drive available.
The Western Digital My Book Desktop External HDD is a great external hard drive that can give any PS4 owner what they need. Coming in different sizes ranging from 3 TB to 10 TB, any model of this drive should give users a large amount of storage, enough to satisfy even the most hardcore gamer with a huge collection of games. Along with new PS4 games, though, the user should also have plenty of storage capacity to download other items through the Playstation Store, including movies, music, and tons of additional games. Despite this large storage capacity, the drive should also be great for even casual gamers, as the price point is just right, no matter the type of user.
Large Capacity with Great Performance
Along with the large capacity of the different sizes available, this PS4 external hard drive also includes great performance. The USB 3.0 standard that this drive uses allows for fast data transfers, which means that anyone worried about the drive's performance has no need to be. This drive will work at least as fast as the internal PS4 hard drive, and in some cases may even exceed it. This translates into fast loading games that won't suffer from any long load times or performance issues, and also allows for seamless viewing of high definition movies, even those in 4K resolution.
The design of the drive also can be praised, as it features an enclosure that is made to stand up instead of lie flat. This makes it perfect for those who have a very limited amount of space in their entertainment center, as the drive will fit into almost any small wedge in that space. The plastic enclosure is also solid black and dark gray, and will look stunning when sitting next to your PS4 console. Those worried about the drive not matching their PS4 should have nothing to worry about, and in fact will be pleasantly surprised with how great they look together. All of these features together along with a great price make this external hard drive an excellent bargain.
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Toshiba Canvio Advance 1TB (HDTC910XK3AA)
Budget Drive
Although the ability of the PS4 to use most standard USB external hard drives gives people a wide range of choice for storage options, those who are on a budget will find that their options for the fastest HDD for PS4 are limited. Many drives cost enough to be just out of the reach for those who can only afford a low-cost drive. Furthermore, there is the stigma that the less something costs, the worse it's quality. This is often true, but not always. There are some great drives to be found at a minimal price point.
Plug and Play
Just because this external hard drive is inexpensive doesn't mean that it compares poorly to other more expensive drives. This drive uses the standard USB 3.0 connection, allowing you to easily connect it to your PS4 without any hassle. The setup for the drive is quite easily, requiring just a few prompts from the menu before it is ready to go. The performance of the drive is also on par with most other more expensive models, giving you plenty of speed to load your favorite games and movies quickly without any performance dropoff. All games from this drive run just as fast as they do from the internal storage.
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Seagate Backup Plus Portable
Expand Your Game Library
Although most game consoles are not designed for portability, there are times when you want an external hard drive for your PS4 that is portable. Having a small portable form factor hard drive is quite convenient for a number of reasons. Many people are lacking space in their entertainment center, and an external hard drive with a small footprint makes it easier to fit the drive into a small space. Also, sometimes we like to carry our drives with us, such as when going over to a friend's house, or going on a road trip. Every PS4 owner can greatly benefit from having a portable external hard drive.
The Seagate Backup Plus Slim External Hard Disk is one such drive that retains a small footprint. Coming in a standard 2 TB capacity, this drive has enough storage space for most people's game libraries while giving you even more room to grow your collection of games. There are also sizes ranging from 1 to 5 TB available, which gives you plenty of choices in regards to size. The choices aren't limited to just the capacity, though. This drive can come in one of 4 different colors, letting you easily match either your PS4 system or its surroundings, with all of the available colors retaining a high tech look.
Slim and Speedy
The benefits of this external hard drive for PS4 aren't limited to its looks. The drive connects to your PS4 system through the USB 3.0 port, making full use of the high data transfer speeds available through USB 3.0. Your games that you install on this drive will perform every bit as fast as they would from the built-in internal hard drive, meaning that games will load quickly and no performance problems should occur. The high capacity also gives you plenty of space for many of the other things that can be downloaded to your PS4, including music and movies.
Installation and setup of this drive are very easy, with your PS4 being able to automatically detect the drive once it is connected, and the setup process only taking a couple of minutes. Plus, the extreme portability of the drive lets you easily take it with you anywhere, being small enough to fit in your pocket. This means your game collection can go anywhere that you go, and you no longer have to leave everything at home when you travel. This drive is also fully compatible with other systems, including PCs, Macs, and even the XBox One, so you can use it on another system should you no longer need it for your PS4. The great flexibility provided by this external hard drive should catch the attention of any gamer.
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WD My Passport Game
Cost Effective
One of the problems with external storage options is that many of them tend to be pricey. Having to pay so much money just for extra storage on top of the typical expenses of owning a console can be quite expensive. New games, movies, extra controllers, and the PlayStation Plus subscription run the total cost of owning a console into the high territory, so finding a good external hard drive for PS4 just adds to the cost even more. Thankfully, not all external hard drives for PS4 are expensive.
All Elements Included
This standard USB 3.0 external hard drive is very similar to the other WD models that are made specifically for computers, with the exception of the normally included backup software. However, this is not needed when purchasing it for use with your PS4. The setup and installation process of the drive is quick and easy, allowing you to start using it in just a few minutes. Once it has been set up, the drive can be connected and disconnected without having to go through the setup process again.
What Is an External Hard Drive for PS4?
New video game consoles like the Playstation 4 have quite a few differences from consoles of old, with one of the primary differences being in their use of mass storage. Whereas older game systems used battery backups in game cartridges or flash memory cards, newer video game systems come equipped with internal hard drives for the vast amounts of data that they need. The internal hard drives are used for storing the system's operating system, holding game saves, and even downloaded games or movies. With such options available for game consoles, coupled with the fact that digital distribution is much more common than before, internal hard drives tend to fill up pretty fast, often leaving users with no choice but to clear up space on their full drives.
The best solution to increasing your PS4's storage capacity is by connecting an external hard drive. External hard drives for the PS4 are very easy to connect, and tend to require little in the way of setup in order to start using them. An external drive can connect through the included USB ports on the PS4, and the system will recognize it as additional storage. For those who aren't sure what steps are needed to take to connect an external hard drive to their PS4, you can find some authoritative information here.
What Features to Compare
Just adding any external hard drive to your PS4 is probably not the best idea. Although many external hard drive models may work on it, there are a number of factors that should be taken into consideration before adding a new external drive to any system, including your PS4. Paying careful attention to these details can save you a lot of trouble in the long run, so check these details carefully about any external hard drive before purchasing one. After all, you want only the best external hard drive for PS4, so choose wisely.
Storage Capacity
The main factor you want to take into consideration for any external hard drive you purchase is its storage capacity. The total storage capacity, measured in Gigabytes (GB) or Terabytes (TB), shows how much data the drive can hold. The higher the number, the more games, movies, and other data that can be stored on the drive. Most external hard drives will start with at least 500 GB, although it is highly recommended that you get one with at least 1 TB of capacity, preferably more. After all, buying additional games and other things can quickly fill up a hard drive, so having as much available storage space as possible will prevent any problems with a full drive in the future.
Interface
Most external hard drives now connect to any system through the USB port, and the PS4 is no exception. All PS4 models include two USB 3.0 ports on it, allowing you to connect more than one external drive. Any external drive that you get should support at least USB 2.0, although USB 3.0 is necessary to work properly with your PS4 system and is listed in the PS4's requirements for external hard drives. Although most recent external hard drives already use USB 3.0, it is always best to check before purchasing the drive.
Compatibility
This is another very important consideration to make before purchasing an external hard drive. Making sure that whatever hard drive you want to add to your PS4 system is fully compatible is something that needs to be checked. While the PS4 utilizes the USB standard for connecting external devices, some older external hard drives may encounter some compatibility issues with more recent versions of the PS4 software. Furthermore, there is more than one model of the PS4 available, including the PS4 and PS4 Pro, so it is best to ensure that whatever external hard drive you want to add to the system has full support for that model.
Access Speed
One consideration that many people don't think about is the access speed of the hard drive. The access speed of the hard drive shows how quickly that the hard drive can load or save data. This is especially important for those who purchase and download games online. Having an external drive with a slow access speed has the potential to cause issues while playing a game, including slow load time and general performance problems, so it is best to make sure that the hard drive has a fast access time to prevent this from being a concern.
Although there may be a few other considerations to look for before purchasing an external hard drive for your PS4, keeping the above mentioned factors in mind will ensure that you have the best experience possible.
Did you know?
Connecting an External Hard Drive to Your PS4
Anyone who has filled up the hard drive of their PlayStation 4 console will already know how good having an external hard drive will be. However, there are still quite a few people who have never connected an external drive to their PS4, and many of these same people are not sure how it's done. Fear not - connecting an external hard drive is quite easy, and only takes a couple of minutes to get it connected and configured correctly. Below are the steps that you will want to take to get your new external hard drive connected to your PS4.
Physical Connection
The first thing you will want to do is to connect the hard drive physically to your PS4. This is done by using the USB cable included with your external hard drive, and connecting it to one of the USB ports on your PS4. Many external hard drives use a proprietary connector tor the cable's connection to the external drive, so there shouldn't be any confusion about which end plugs into which, as the size of the connectors are usually quite different. Regardless, if you are confused about which side to connect to the drive and which to the PS4, your external hard drive will most likely come with instructions on how to do this.
Once the drive has been connected to your PS4, power on the system. When the system fully boots up, you will probably see a message explaining that the USB device is not supported. This is fine, as it just indicates that the external hard drive needs to be formatted before it can work.
Formatting the Drive
To format the hard drive, go to Settings - Devices - USB Storage Devices - Format as Extended Storage through the PlayStation's menu. Once you have selected Format as Extended Storage, the format process will commence. This should take no more than a couple of minutes, as even large external hard drives will format pretty quickly. Once it is finished, go back to Settings - Storage, and you should see your external hard drive now listed as a storage device. This drive should now be the default drive for installing or downloading games or other files to your PS4. It is recommended that you leave it as the default storage device, especially if your PS4's internal hard drive is nearly full.
You can find more information regarding connecting an external hard drive to your PS4 here.
Troubleshooting
In almost all cases, you should not encounter any problems with connecting an external hard drive to your PS4 if you follow the steps listed above. However, in case you do encounter any problems, there are a few things you can do to try fixing the problem yourself.
First, make sure that your external hard drive meets the requirements for external drives that are supported by the PS4. The requirements include a hard drive that supports USB 3.0 or later, and a drive that is at least 250 GB in size., with a maximum capacity of 8 TB. If your external hard drive does not meet these criteria, then you will need to purchase a new external drive that does.
Check the physical connection between your external hard drive and PS4. Make sure the USB cable is connected securely in both ends. If your external hard drive has a power light, make sure that this power light is lit while it is connected and the PS4 is powered on. If the light isn't lit, then this might indicate a problem either with the external hard drive or the USB cable.
If the hard drive power light is lit, but your PS4 is not showing a message about the external drive, navigate to Settings - Devices - USB Storage Devices in the menu to make sure that the drive is being detected by your PS4. If it is, select Format as Extended Storage to format the drive. It should then be detected properly once it is formatted.
If you are having any further problems with connecting an external hard drive to your PS4, you can find more information and troubleshooting steps at the official PlayStation Support Page.
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