Best External Hard Drive For Ps4 2018

The Best 4tb External Hard Drive for PS4? Getting a 4tb external hard drive for PS4 has resolved this issue for so. Solid State Drive. On the other end of the spectrum, 8TB is the largest external hard drive the PS4 is compatible with. Finally, make sure the external hard drive is already formatted to be compatible with the PS4 operating system or can be formatted using the PS4 or a computer.

• Ps4 Pro External Hard Drive
• Best External Hard Drive For Ps4 2018 Games

Today's video games (AAA memory-hungry titles) are taking up so much space that you'll soon be running out of room on your PlayStation 4 and PS4 Pro. Thankfully, the PlayStation (console) is supportive of external storage. It means that you can expand your storage with an external hard drive for PS4& Pro – without so much trouble.

There are a few quality life fixes that have been so easy and helpful. But, selecting a new disk drive is a bit challenging. All the available storage drives have various features that will surely make your PS4 faster, cut down on load times, store more information, and also help you take your games on the go.

The price of external and portable hard drives was high in the early days. But as technology advances and demand increased, the market has seen a noticeable shift, and prices have gone down significantly. Now buying a PS4 external hard drive is pocket-friendly. It starts from $100 and goes up, depending on which drive you choose to buy.

Best External Hard Drives for PS4 & Pro to Buy in 2020

It won't be easy to choose one drive, when you've so many options. We sit down and look at some of the best hard drive solutions for PS4; shortlisted these pinnacles of external hard drives that can help you store and play all new and all-time-favorite games on PS4 and PS4 Pro.

#1 Seagate Backup Plus Slim – The heart-winning external hard drive for PS4

Technical Specs:

Seagate is a well-known company in the external storage sector, churning out high-quality hardware components; that's why the 2TB Seagate Backup Plus Slim topped our list – a deadly combo of capacity, speed, and price.

The design is sleek and stylish, thanks to the fabricated skin and thin profile, which comes in many different colors. What makes this one of the fastest SSD options in this guide? It's sequential read-and-write speeds of 151/134Mb/sec, respectively. You can check our gaming SSD guide – where we explained in detail the use of SSDs and how it can benefit your gaming experience.

We think Seagate has done a superb job in designing an affordable, efficient, and all-round exceptional external hard drive.

#2 Toshiba Canvio Basics – The runner-up in the list of Best external hard drive for PS4

Technical Specs:

The Canvio Basics by Toshiba is a brilliant PS4 hard drive that is currently available only in $47.48. It's one of the most affordable, respectively; you might find the design quite basic but refined enough to feel and look stylish; however, it doesn't feel durable and robust as the WD and Seagate.

Performance-wise, Canvio is not the quickest in the box, but for the price, you will struggle to find anything to double your PS4 storage.

The Canvio is the easiest to set up, small enough to fit in your jacket pocket, and requires no effort whatsoever, making it extremely versatile.

#3 Western Digital My Passport – An absolute-steal External hard drive PS4

Technical Specs:

The Canvio Basics by Toshiba is a brilliant PS4 hard drive that is currently available only in $47.48. It's one of the most affordable, respectively; you might find the design quite basic but refined enough to feel and look stylish; however, it doesn't feel durable and robust as the WD and Seagate.

Performance-wise, Canvio is not the quickest in the box, but for the price, you will struggle to find anything to double your PS4 storage.

The Canvio is the easiest to set up, small enough to fit in your jacket pocket, and requires no effort whatsoever, making it extremely versatile.

#3 Western Digital My Passport – An absolute-steal External hard drive PS4

Technical Specs:

The Western Digital My Passport is one of a few hard drives in this list, which is the most-deserving external hard drive to be featured. We all know that Western Digital is a major player in the storage game. It is continuously providing consumers with several hard drive options.

We've opted for its 4TB variant because it's both affordable and spacious, without a USB 3.1 to effectively boost your transfer speed from 5GB to 10GB/sec. However, its read and write speeds are quite moderate.

The design is like it's been built to last forever, making use of a high-quality plastic shell – a definite yes for such a low price, another plus is it's slim all back design – an-eye pleasing that will nicely pair up with your PS4.

#4 Samsung T5 – The exclusive yet Best ps4 external hard drive

Technical Specs:

This is an overkill for the PS4, considering its best speed delivering over USB 3.1. If looking for the best of the best, the T5 is there. Other than being one of the smallest PS4 external hard drives we've reviewed, it's also the fastest, yet the priciest drive on our list.

Additionally, when we traded capacity for speed, the T5 scored north of 540 MB/s for reads and writes with exceptional performance, clocking in at 165.1 MB/s for 194.7 MB/s for random reads and writes.

That said, you're not getting the capacity for the money, as the T5 tops out at 2TB, which is quite nothing compared to other HDDs; when compared with SSDs, it's great to store your games, especially the number of small, indie titles. Best trap vst 2019.

With T5, all your games will download as fast as your internet allows with little to no wait time on loading screens.

#5 Seagate Backup Plus – A Bulkier PS4 External Hard Drive

Technical Specs:

The Seagate Backup Plus HDD is the biggest capacity hard drive you'll come across in this best of the guide comes in sizes ranging from 4Tb right up to 10TB. For PS4 users, we are recommending the 8TB, that offers the best $/GB ratio.

Worth noting, it's a desktop external drive that will need access to a functional plug socket, plug and experience excellent read/write speeds, and superb storage capacity with transfer rates.

You'll also get the peace of mind when buying Seagate hardware, looking for large capacity? Look no elsewhere.

BONUS: Your gaming gig regularly requires a checkup. To improve your experience while gaming, keep a check on your GPU performance also. Read our guide!

New to PS4 gaming, this is for you!

What Is the use of an External Hard Drive?

If you've dabbled within computers, you're probably aware of what an external hard drive is. For those not aware, an external hard drive is a storage solution that stores information and files without physically attaching to your PC. Your PC or console already has an in-built hard drive similar to the external one; an external hard drive is an added luxury that you can unplug and take it wherever you please.

Hard drives are quite useful for so many purposes but usually attract those whose' internal hard drives have already been packed to the capacity; worry not, they are super-easy to set up than internal ones which require a physical installation. External HDD's can simply be plugged into your rig straight out the box without any fuss.

How we chose THE BEST EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES for PS4 & PRO

We focused on all the crucial factors that might impact your gaming experience. The key things to discuss when choosing the best external hard drives for PS4 are:

• Storage space
• The size of the external hard drive
• Data transfer speeds
• Brand and device reputation

If you are a casual PS4 gamer – you may not need more than an extra 500 GB or a terabyte of additional storage, while avid ones may want six TB or larger drive.

Data transfer speed is important if you want the best performance.

Customer comments and reviews also played a role in all the drives we chose; what if gamers (being a vocal group) don't like a product or find problems with? Finding such issues is relatively easy online.

We also considered the physical size of each external drive; you may need a compact drive for the limited space available.

To end this guide, let me answer some basic queries from the world of gaming hard drives.

PS4 External Hard Drive Support – FAQs

Yes, you can play games directly from the drive you choose to compliment your PS4 experience. Some HDDs may experience troubleshooting issues if you unplug them while the PS4 is on or turn it on while unplugged, so it's a good practice to dedicate a hard drive to your PS4.

No, it's not true! With every external HDD out there, a solid-state external drive ensures the most speed possible, letting the faster data transfers than the data stored on a regular hard drive. In essence, you probably won't notice any lag.

Most USB-compatible external hard drives work with the PS4; check the specs or ask PlayStation Support before buying anything other than the ones on our list.

You'll find the best deals on Amazon; some big-box stores and local office supply places also run sales or deals on the PS4 hard drives as well.

How do you connect (and disconnect) an external hard drive to a PS4?

It's super easy to configure.

• First, connect the external drive to your PS4 – try to avoid using any USB hubs. Once connected, format the PS4 external hard drive (unless the drive is pre-formatted for the PS4).
• To format, go to Settings > Devices > USB Storage Devices > your device > Format.

That's it; you've added external storage to your PS4.

However, themes and captured screenshots/video clips will now save to the internal drive. The system will use the new storage automatically, but you can also make a few changes per your preferences.

Ps4 Pro External Hard Drive

To Disconnect the Drive Safely

Disconnecting while it's in use could possibly damage your data; to safely disconnect;

• Hold the PlayStation button on the controller to open the quick menu, then go to Sound/Devices > Stop Using Extended Storage > OK to confirm.

How to move games between storage locations in PS4?

To move a game between storage drives,

• Go to Settings > Storage> select the device where the game you want to relocate.
• Now, choose Applications from the types of data.
• Press Options on your controller > Move to Extended Storage (or System Storage) > Move to confirm.

I know the ability to extend your storage can be pretty expensive, depending on the storage capacity you need. If you've time, then we recommend waiting for some mega PS4 hard drive deals on Amazon Prime Day, Cyber Monday, and Black Friday 2020. Or, wait for PS5, which is coming with built-in SSD.

Hopefully, the article would serve you in both an informative and helpful manner in making your next hard drive decision easier. My favorite is the Seagate Backup Plus Slim, and I loved its high speed and stylish design.

Which one is your favorite?

Leave us a comment below!

Searching for the best external hard drive for PS4 is somewhat a confusing task. There're tons of articles out there making various recommendations that leave you even more confused the more you read them. That's because the vast majority of these articles writers don't have the sufficient technical knowledge and expertise to validate their recommendations. They just go pick the top rated external hard drives then recommend them as the best PS4 external HDDs. But this is not the situation here, we are totally different.

Here, we support and justify our selections with evidences and discussions from a technical point of view. That's in order to instill confidence and promote relaxation to our readers that they have really picked the best external hard drive for their PS4 that competently meets their requirements.

If not, then consider seriously doing that before thinking of expanding PS4 storage with an external hard drive. That's because upgrading the PS4 internal hard drive won't only give you the extra storage space you need, but also will boost the performance of your game console. You can read a short comparison between upgrading the PS4 internal HDD and adding an external hard drive to PS4. Additionally, you can view the best internal hard drive upgrades for PS4 if you're interested.

Top PS4 External HDD Selections

This section is divided according to the three most common external storage devices used for PS4, which are: classical external hard drive (HDD), external solid-state drive (SSD), and USB flash drive. I have recommended the best drives for each category in terms of speed and reliability. That's to make you very sure you get the drive that well suits your needs.

Best External SSD for PS4

External SSDs are known to be the most powerful external storage devices among all other devices. They boast very solid reliability to the extent that they can last with you more than 5 years without any sort of failure/error related to their architecture. So, if you consider yourself a serious player, make an external SSD your first choice.

It's important to note that using an external SSD with a PS4 that has a hard drive is not recommended, as the full speed advantages can only be achieved if used in combination with an internal SSD. However, you can still see a remarkable performance advantage with external SSD over the classical hard drive. Also remember, it is not only the speed you're looking for with external SSDs, but also the very solid reliability that keeps your data safe for an extensive period of time without the fear of losing them.

Samsung T5 External SSD

The Samsung T5 is a great all-rounder SSD for those looking to move or carry incredibly large amounts of data, or play PS4 games externally at the highest possible performance level. With a fast transfer rate and a three-year warranty, the T5 shows that Samsung is at the top of its game when it comes to NAND technology and producing a quality product. The T5 isn't cheap, but it delivers on the critical performance that a portable SSDs are bought to ensure.

Measuring just 74mm tall, 57mm wide and 10.5mm deep, the T5 is almost exactly the same size as a small box of matches. Weighing a featherweight 51g, it's exceedingly light, too, its cool metal chassis putting bigger, bulkier external hard drives to shame. The only problem with this drive is that you'll have to pay through the roof for the privilege.

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD takes on a new shape for 2018. This series now features 3D flash to increase performance and endurance. The drive takes advantage of USB 3.1 Gen 2 technology to give you access to every last drop of performance. The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD delivers some of the fastest transfer speeds available from USB today.

Consequently, this SanDisk drive is hands-down one of the best external SSDs (rugged or not) on the market, and its 1TB version is particularly attractive compared to the other SKUs. Some cracking performance numbers and a very low price make this product hard to fault.

A three-year warranty, coupled with IP55 rated water and dust resistance along with the fact that it is shock proof and one of the smallest mobile solutions on the market guarantees a good recommendation on our part.

Best PS4 External Hard Drive (HDD)

The traditional external hard drive (HDD) is the most common external storage solution for PS4. Surely its mediocre performance is NOT the reason for its vast popularity. Neither is it the average reliability and durability is the major factor. In fact, the huge storage capacity it offers for the very reasonable price is the main reason why most users prefer it over all other devices. Just imagine how a 1tb external SSD can cost you something around $150-$200, whereas the same external HDD capacity costs you almost $50. That's really pretty cheap with this consideration.

Thus, we cannot just tell all PS4 users to go for external SSDs. They're quite expensive, and most PS4 users have limited budget. So, they look for a good, cheap and viable external storage solution that can serve their regular needs without paying a premium. Therefore, the best storage option they can go for is the classical external hard drive.

Here I recommend what I consider the best external hard drives for PS4 in terms of speed, reliability and performance. I don't make price a factor here as, in this category, price difference is marginal and not important. So, just get the best external drive, even for a little higher price than other available brands on the market.

WD Elements Desktop External HDD

When it comes to gaming, desktop external hard drives are what experts would recommend first. They are more faster and more reliable than portable hard drives. They can endure heavyweight workloads caused by highly sophisticated games more successful than what portable hard drives can do. For this reason, if you deem yourself an enthusiast, yet don't want to go for an external SSD, your first choice must be a desktop external HDD.

One of the advantages of desktop external hard drives is that, unlike portable drives, they have a separate power cable. This protects them from any potential electrical short caused through the USB cable. This is one of the reasons that makes desktop drives more reliable and durable than portable drives.

WD Elements Desktop is one of the very best external hard drives available as of today. With a 2-year limited warranty and a 7200rpm rotation speed, this is the fastest and solidest external hard drive you can get for your PS4. Additionally, this model has a range of storage capacity from 4tb to 10tb. Just be noted that the largest external storage capacity allowed on PS4 is 8tb.

WD Gaming External Hard Drive

If I am going to recommend any portable traditional external hard drive for PS4, then it's for sure WD Gaming Drive. It's a sleek and portable storage device that allows PS4 players to quickly and easily expand the storage capacity of their console. In brief, this drive was specially made for PS4 to be an external gaming storage device. It's available in two capacities only—2tb and 4tb. There's a 3tb model that was particularly designed for Xbox One in the first place, but can still work fine on PS4 though without an issue.

Setup is fast and easy, as users only need to connect the WD Gaming Drive to their console using the included cable, and with some quick formatting, it's game-on time. The introduction of the WD Gaming Drive is credit to Western Digital's commitment to enhancing users' gaming experiences, allowing them to play more, store more, and delete less.

I haven't tested this drive myself, but according to some websites, WD Gaming Drive manages its own protection against potential damage caused by accidental disconnection of the drive or a sudden power outrage. It's claimed that the drive will note that disconnection by reading and repairing itself (which takes a fairly short time). I personally cannot verify this claim, but that's what some savvies say anyway.

One of the strong aspects of WD Gaming Drive is the relatively long warranty it features. It comes with a 3-year limited warranty that you can rarely find a portable external hard drive offers. So, if this long warranty indicates something, it's surely the solid reliability that made Western Digital so confident to make that sort of offer.

External Storage Device Types

Before deciding on which PS4 external HDD you need, you've to learn a very important thing here. Do you know that there are four different types of external storage devices that can work with PS4? Each type has its own pros and cons, and what suits your needs may not suit others'. These four types are:

1. Traditional External Hard Drive (HDD). It's the one that everyone knows about. Also, this is not one type in fact. It's a category that consists of two items.
   • Portable External HDD. It's the most popular external storage solution among PS4 users.
   • Desktop External HDD. Usually enthusiasts are interested in this sort of external hard drive due to the benefits it offers.
2. External Solid State Drive (SSD). This type is usually and mostly a portable solution. It's renowned as being the fastest and most reliable data storage solution as of today. But it has a major drawback—The limited storage capacity and steep price as compared with the former solution.
3. USB Flash Drive. This is a tiny-size external storage solution. It boasts the best portability option among all external storage devices due to its lightweight and small shape. You can use it for small storage requirements because of the limited storage capacity it offers.
4. SD Memory Card. This can be only used with PS4 via an SD card reader and it's a very unpopular external storage solution for PS4.

Ok. This was a basic introduction to the external storage device types that you can use on PS4. It'll enlighten you more on the whole topic so that you can make your final decision wisely in this regard.

PS4 External HDD Purposes

Best External Hard Drive For Ps4 2018 Games

There're two ways for using an external hard drive on PS4—either as an extended storage, which is the most popular purpose, or as a backup storage solution. Both purposes have their own pros and cons that you'll learn shortly through the coming lines.

As for the extended storage solution, players can utilize it for expanding the storage capacity of their PS4 console. It allows you to easily and quickly use it to install your games and apps externally. The good news here is that it happens without having to replace the PS4 stock internal hard drive.

Consequently, this solution features the simplest and easiest way to get more storage for your PS4 without touching the innards of your console. Additionally, you don't need any technical background to carry out this operation. Just plug in and play. Then, follow the simple instructions on the screen and you will get your external hard drive ready for use on PS4 as an extended storage. Thus, no wonder why the majority of PS4 users tend to go for that kind of storage solution.

As for the backup storage solution, just as the name implies, users utilize it for backing up their data on PS4 in case of emergency or while upgrading the internal HDD of PS4. Serious PS4 players consider this solution a must-have in order to keep their data always safe against any potential havoc. The bad thing about this solution is that you can't use it the same way as an extended storage.

For a quick comparison between the two storage solution, please visit this article.

PS4 External HDD Requirements

The requirements of PS4 system in order to accept the use of an external hard drive depend on the purpose you want that external hard drive for. Whereas any USB external hard drive can work fine as a backup storage, no matter what USB generation it features or how much storage capacity it has. As long as the external hard drive supports USB connectivity, it can flawlessly work as a backup storage solution.

As for the extended storage requirements, there are more standards to take care of. The basic standards, as the official PS4 website suggests, are:

Use a USB storage device that meets the following conditions.

• External hard disk drive
• USB 3.0 or later
• 250 GB minimum, 8 TB maximum capacity

But, in fact, there are more conditions that PS4 authors forgot to mention. Just view our PS4 Compatible External Hard Drive List for additional and deeper details on this topic.

Choosing the Best External HDD

You may ask: based on what factors have you nominated these selected drives to be the best external hard drives for PS4?

Well, the answer is quite simple. Although I haven't tested these drives myself, I can confidently recommend them to our readers for several reasons.

1. All of the external storage devices above are fully compatible with PS4 to work as an extended storage. Consequently, they are eligible for use as backup storage as well.
2. As for the external SSDs I recommended, they're the best of their class according to several IT professionals. So it's easy to make a recommendation on them.
3. As for the external hard drives in my list, I have nominated them based on my technical expertise first and the users' experiences manifested by the good user reviews and high rating on Amazon.
4. I care a lot about warranty. The drive that offers minimum 2-year limited warranty is something that I highly value. The two external hard drives I recommended feature the best warranty in the industry in terms of length. Just note that the longer the warranty, the more reliable the product is.

That's all. As you can see, it's very simple as long as you have a good technical background and know how to hunt the best deals.

Conclusion

There aren't many external hard drives to recommend for PS4. I, personally, prefer using an external SSD for extreme gaming over classical external hard drives. They are faster, more reliable and more durable when it comes to dealing with heavy workload situations.

The biggest two problems with external SSDs as compared with external hard drives are that they are much more expensive and have a limited storage capacity that doesn't exceed 2tb at their best. Whereas you can get a solid 8tb external hard drive for PS4 for a cheaper price than 1tb external SSD. This is a significant point that you can't ignore.

But, if you only need 1tb to 2tb of external storage, and price is not an issue to you, I cannot recommend better than external SSDs.