If you download and store all your games and add-ons on your PS4 system storage, you’ll find it out of space very soon. Sony has allowed adding external hard drive to your PS4 now, so that you can have a lot more storage to install and save your applications! Want to know how to use external hard drive on PS4? Go on reading.
This article introduces the way on how to connect an external hard drive with your PlayStation 4, and the corresponding settings, such as how to move applications to your external hard drive, and how to disconnect the external hard drive on your PS4, etc. Try the following instructions!
How to connect an external hard drive on your PS4?
The corresponding settings with the HDD and PS4
How to connect an external hard drive on your PS4?
Since 2017, PlayStation has allowed using an Extended Storage Device for more storage. If you don’t have enough space in your PS4 system storage, say goodbye to the 500 GB internal driver in the PS4 or the 1 TB driver in the PS4 Pro, and connect an external hard drive for your PS4.
You can now add an external hard drive of 250 GB minimum and 8 TB maximum to your PS4, which allows you to install as many applications and add-ons as you want.
Things to check before getting started
- PS4 system software version must be 4.50 or later.
- External Hard Disk Drive with capacity of 250 GB minimum and 8 TB maximum. You can buy an external hard drive with high quality and reasonable price like this drive.
- USB 3.0 port or later (USB hub is not supported to connect with your PS4, and you’ll need the extended storage device to directly connect to your PS4).
How to connect the external hard drive to your PS4?
1) Connect the drive to one of the USB 3.0 ports (the PS4 has two ports on the front of the console, while the PS4 Pro has two on the front and one on the rear of the console).
2) Go to PS4 Settings > Devices > USB Storage Devices.
3) Press the X button to select your USB storage device.
4) Select Format as Extended Storage.
5) Select Next > Yes. Then wait for a while for it to complete the formatting process.
6) Click OK after formatting successfully.
Then you have added the external hard drive to your PS4. You will see the extended storage device when checking the Storage in Settings.
The corresponding settings with the HDD and PS4
After successfully connecting the external HDD to your PS4 system, you can now check how to set up the external hard drive for your PS4. You can click the list below to directly check which settings you want to configure.
How to change the Application Installation Location?
How to move applications to the external hard drive?
How to disconnect Extended Storage from your PS4?
How to change the Application Installation Location?
Since we can’t change the location when we are downloading the applications and add-ons, we would need to change the Application Installation Location to the external hard drive after connection.
1) Go to PS4 Settings > Storage.
2) Press the OPTIONS button. Then select Extended Storage.
3) Select Application Install Location > Extended Storage.
Now you can save the applications and add-ons to the external hard drive when you are downloading the applications and add-ons.
How to move applications to the external hard drive?
you now have added the external HDD to your PS4, and you may want to move the installed applications to the external storage to clear more space for your system storage. It’s pretty easy! Check it out:
1) Go to PS4 Settings > Storage.
2) Select the storage where those applications are currently located in, generally the System Storage, and select Applications.
3) Press the OPTIONS button and select Move to Extended Storage.
4) Select the applications you want to move, or select Select All to select all the applications by one click.
5) Select Move.
6) Select OK to confirm.
Then you can check those applications in the external storage now, and spare more space for your system storage.
How to disconnect Extended Storage from your PS4?
If you currently don’t need the connected external hard drive in your PS4, or you want to use another hard drive for your PS4, you can disconnect the external hard drive from your PS4. There are two ways to do it:
Way 1:
1) Go to PS4 Settings > Sound/Device.
2) Select Stop Using Extended Storage on the quick menu.
3) Click Yes to Confirm the disconnection.
Way 2:
1) Go to PS4 Settings > Devices.
2) Select USB Storage Devices.
3) Select Stop Using This Extended Storage.
4) Click Yes to Confirm the disconnection.
These are the easy instructions to connect the external hard drive and configure the corresponding setting on your PS4. It’s pretty easy, isn’t it?! Feel free to comment below if you have any questions, and we’ll see what more we can do to help.
