When the PlayStation 4 launched in 2022 information technology came with a 500GB hard drive. While at that place was a time when 500GB seemed like more than we could ever use, the size of games has ballooned exponentially over the years. With popular titles like Cherry Dead Redemption 2 (105GB), Call of Duty: Black Ops iii (101GB), and Thousand Theft Car 5 (76GB) weighing in close to or over 100GB, that drive can fill upwardly fast.

Afterwards, Sony upgraded hard drives giving users the option for a 1TB bulldoze. However, an extensive library of newer triple-A games means this might not suffice for some users (myself included). Fortunately with subsequently software updates Sony has allowed the PS4 to support SSDs up to 8GB in size if you take a fat wallet.

Upgrading your PlayStation iv's hard drive is not that difficult, but some steps should be followed when installing a new drive. Here's a quick pace-by-step guide to assistance users avoid headaches during the process. And then grab your PS4, and permit's get started.

Things You Will Need

Since Sony wanted to make the hard drive in the PS4 easily upgradeable, yous won't need any special tools like Torx $.25. Here's what you will need:

  • A Phillips screwdriver
  • An external USB bulldoze (500GB or 1TB for bankroll up PS4)
  • A pollex drive for the system software (optional)
  • A computer with an net connection
  • A new replacement difficult bulldoze/SSD

Before y'all get started you volition want to download the PlayStation 4 system software (TechSpot mirror) to the USB thumb drive. You can utilise the backup bulldoze if there is sufficient space, but I adopt having the organization software stored separately. Create a folder on the thumb bulldoze called PS4, and inside that brand some other folder called UPDATE. Place the download in hither.

Note: If you download from our mirror, be sure you lot grab the Re-Install download and not the Upgrade. The file will exist over 1GB, so you will know. Yous volition also have to rename it to PS4UPDATE.PUP.

Backing Upward

Before backing up your system, sync your trophies to your PSN business relationship since those cannot be saved to an external device. To do this, button the Options button on the controller, so select "Sync Trophies with PSN." If you are not a collector, or you lot are relatively sure they are already synced up, you can skip this step.

Next, commencement your backup. With your PS4 on the Dwelling house screen, plug in your external drive. The drive must be formatted to FAT32 or exFAT. Once continued, go to Settings > System > Support and Restore > Support PS4. In the backup submenu, you will exist warned that trophies cannot be backed up. If you have been following this guide, ignore this message.

The menu will show how much space your various types of data are taking upwardly. Awarding (games) are always saved. There is a checkbox next to Captures, Saved Information, and Settings that are checked by default. Yous tin can uncheck any of these if you wish. However, be warned that yous will lose that data. I propose at to the lowest degree saving your settings. Decide what you desire to save, then click Next.

On the following screen, yous volition exist allowed to give the backup a name and begin or abolish the process. Clicking Back Up starts saving your files to the external USB drive. Y'all will exist shown a progress bar, and depending on how full your PS4's HDD is, information technology could take a while, fifty-fifty hours, for it to finish. Information technology took my nearly full 500GB drive v hours.

Do not turn your PlayStation off during this process. When the fill-in is complete, click OK, and the PS4 volition reboot. In one case it is back to the home screen, shut information technology down completely before proceeding.

Removing the Hard Drive

With the backup safely stored on your external drive and the PS4 turned off (not in sleep mode), you can safely remove it and ready it bated. Now it's time to take out the onetime bulldoze. It is easier (and safer) if y'all completely disconnect everything (power, AV cables, and other peripherals) from the PS4 and place the panel on a table when working on it.

With the front of the console facing you, you will detect a sleeky panel on the left. Remove this panel past pressing downward firmly at the front end and back, then sliding it to the left.

With the embrace out of the way, the HDD bay will be visible. Y'all should run into a large Phillips screw holding the drive casing in identify. Apply your Phillips to remove the screw. Pull out the drive tray with the small handle at the front. Information technology should slide out easily.

On the sides of the bracket, you lot volition see 4 screws securing the drive to the tray. Remove these with your Phillips screwdriver and take out the old HDD. Y'all're halfway there.

Note: This guide is specifically tailored for the standard PlayStation 4. If y'all are wanting to upgrade your Pro's HDD, the drive is located in the back of the console under a small plastic cover on the bottom right. You can remove this plate with your finger (it takes a skillful amount of pressure). With the bulldoze tray exposed, removal is the aforementioned as it is for the PS4.

Selecting a New Bulldoze

Showtime, yous will want to make sure you're buying a compatible replacement HDD. About "laptop" two.five-inch drives will piece of work and unsurprisingly Sony recommends using an "officially supported replacement difficult drive." This warning is more to adjourn support calls than anything else as nosotros've used drives that are non endorsed past Sony with no bug.

PlayStation 4 stock HDD specs are as follows: Capacity: 500GB (early models), 1TB (electric current models and Pro), Interface: SATA Two, SATA III (Pro simply), Spindle Speed: 5400 RPM, Enshroud Memory: 8GB, Course Gene: 2.5-inch, Z-Height: 9mm.

Other than the obvious size constraints of the stock PlayStation 4 difficult bulldoze, both the 500GB and the 1TB drives are rather boring. So you will want to consider that when selecting a new HDD. You tin can go with a drive that spins faster, simply the HGST's dismal 8MB cache is what really hampers the stock bulldoze's speed.

There are some skillful picks for standard, hybrid, and SSD replacements out there, depending on your preference and budget. Keeping the price signal near the $100 marking, iii solid choices would be:

  • WD Blackness Mobile (standard) — 7200 RPM, 1TB, 32MB enshroud, $110
  • Seagate FireCuda (hybrid) — 5400 RPM, 2TB, 128MB cache, $80
  • Samsung 860 Evo (SSD) — 1TB, 1GB DDR4 enshroud, $138

I went with the FireCuda because of the extra storage. Plus with 128MB outset tier enshroud and 8GB NAND memory in the second tier caching, it far outperforms Sony's stock choice. At under $100, y'all can't become incorrect with this bulldoze. Whatever HDD yous decide to go with, make sure the dimensions are right. Your replacement must be a ii.5-inch drive that is 9.5mm or slimmer. Nosotros mention this because going from a 1TB to a 2TB WD Blackness bumps your class factor to 3.5-inch, which volition not fit.

If you desire more than 2TB internal storage, you volition have to go with an SSD considering of form factor constraints. Amazon has a 4TB Samsung 860 QVO, just it'southward going to cost you about $450. Alternatively, you lot can initialize an external HDD of up to 8TB that is USB compatible for added storage. Something like WD's 4TB Black My Passport Portable is a viable external option that volition only run you lot about $100.

The Slim and standard PS4 motherboards take SATA Ii interfaces, and the Pro uses SATA III. You can notwithstanding apply SATA Iii in the lower finish models, but it won't brand a difference. Nevertheless, if you are upgrading your Pro, SATA III will noticeably better functioning. Nigh importantly, you desire to have a drive that is at least twice as big equally the old 1, otherwise what is the point? We advise getting equally much storage equally your upkeep allows because even a 1TB drive can be total earlier you know it.

Installing and Restoring the Drive

Putting in the new HDD is merely a matter of reversing the removal process: Place the drive in the tray. Secure information technology with the iv screws, slide it back into the bay, replace the holding screw and encompass, and you're almost done. All that remains is to restore the new HDD to the same state as your sometime one.

Before y'all tin can restore the data from your fill-in, the new drive has to exist formatted and ready with the organisation software. To do this, reconnect everything to the PS4 and hit the ability button.

The PlayStation volition recognize the new drive and kicking into Prophylactic Mode automatically. On the Safety Mode menu, select option vii, "Initialize PS4 (Reinstall System Software)."

Pro Tip: If you are doing a PS4 Pro upgrade and the system comes back with a message saying the USB drive is not inserted, Remove the drive and put it on the other USB port.

At this betoken, you will want to insert the USB pollex (or external) drive containing the organisation software you downloaded earlier then select OK. On the following screen, select Next and go through all the prompts. The PS4 will and so format the drive and install the system software.

Once the PS4 operating system installation is complete, the console will reboot. Follow the prompts until you lot are back at your habitation screen. From at that place, become to Settings > Organization > Support and Restore. Reconnect the external bulldoze that your backup is saved to if you haven't already. Select Restore PS4 and choose the image you named previously. Like the saving process, the restore may accept a while, and then leave your console on and come back afterwards if you wish.

After your intermission, your PS4 will be back to the same state as before, but with a make new and larger hard drive. You may desire to continue your backup handy in the event of a bulldoze failure, but other than that everything should be adept to go.

Shopping Shortcuts:
  • WD Blackness Mobile 1TB HDD on Amazon
  • Seagate FireCuda hybrid 2TB HDD on Amazon
  • Samsung 860 Evo 1TB SSD on Amazon
  • PlayStation iv Slim 1TB on Amazon