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It doesn’t seem like that long ago that console games were stored on cartridges or discs. As internet connections became common and people adopted more online playing habits, games went digital. At the same time that games were going online, they were also getting exponentially larger. Shelf space used to be an issue for game collectors, but that’s been replaced with a demand for larger hard drives. Today, we will look at the best options for expanding your digital shelf and explore your options for the best external hard drive for PS4.
Product FAQ
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Before we dive into our ten choices for the best external hard drive for PS4, we want to address some of the most common questions people have. There can be some technical nuances with adding new console hardware. It’s important to know what you need to before you choose a new external hard drive.
1. What Is an External Hard Drive?
An external hard drive is a piece of hardware you can install on your PS4 console to gain additional storage space. Most of the drives on the market are external, which means there is no need to install them in the actual console case.
2. Why Would You Need an External Hard Drive?
Ten years ago, the largest games were only three or four gigabytes, which could easily fit on a DVD style disc. Unfortunately, as games got larger, the discs could no longer store an entire game on them. Since “disc switching” is a pain only tolerated by PC gamers, it became necessary to move the titles to the digital cloud.
Once they were converted to an entirely digital platform, there was no longer a need to limit the ultimate size of the console games. Modern triple-A games can come in sizes well above seventy gigabytes. When you consider the add-ons and expansions available for most triple-A class games, it’s not impossible one title will eat up one hundred gigs of data storage. Now, consider the average console gamer actively plays three or four titles at one time, you need some massive storage space.
3. Can Any External Drive Work With PS4?
No, you can’t use just any old external drive with your PS4. It’s important to look at the compatibility of not only the hardware but the associated software for the hard drive. At the least, you need a solid-state drive that’s USB 3.0 compatible. The PS4 and PS4 Pro use powered USB 3.0 ports on the back of the console for connections, so that’s a minimum requirement to consider when looking for the best external hard drive for PS4.
4. How Do You Install an External Hard Drive?
The beauty of external drives should be clear, as there’s no need to open up the console and change the delicate insides of the machine. An external hard drive is often consideredto be “plug and play” compatible. This means the drives require a connection to the available USB ports, and you’re up and running. There are a few items we put on the list of best external hard drive for PS4 that aren’t purely external, but the features and price compelled us to share them for this review so you can choose the best of the best.
5. How Much Storage Should an External Drive Have?
That will depend on how many games you have and the size of those games. Considering that the average best selling games today come in around eighty to ninety gigabytes, a one terabyte drive (one thousand gigabytes) could store around a dozen games. If you are an avid collector or full-time gamer, you might need to look at the three to four terabyte drives on this list. On the list for the best external hard drive for PS4, we have a size range of five hundred gigabytes to eight terabytes, while the average size of these drives was 2 terabytes.
The Best External Hard Drive for PS4: How We Reviewed
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We looked at several metrics to determine what items would make the list of best external hard drive for PS4. While the obvious features like drive size, price, and compatibility came into play, we also looked at lesser-known features like reading and write speed, software performance, drive integrity, and the manufacturer warranty. To be considered the best external hard drive for PS4, each piece of hardware on this list had to excel in most, if not all, of these categories.
Overall Price Range
The price range for the best external hard drive for PS4 started at around $90 and topped out around $500.
What We Reviewed
- Seagate Fast SSD 500GB External Solid State Drive Portable
- Samsung T5 Portable SSD – 2TB – USB 3.1 External SSD
- CalDigit Tuff USB-C 2TB HDD
- ADATA SE730H 512GB USB 3.1
- WD 1TB My Passport Wireless SSD External Portable Drive
- Western Digital 4TB Black My Passport Portable External Hard Drive
- Seagate FireCuda 2TB Solid State Hybrid Drive Performance SSHD
- HGST Touro S 1TB 7200RPM High-Performance Portable Drive
- Western Digital 8TB Elements Desktop Hard Drive
- Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5-Inch
Seagate Fast SSD 500GB External Solid State Drive Portable
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Features
Seagate is going to pop up repeatedly when you’re looking for the best external hard drive for PS4 and for good reason. They have been making drives for longer than Sony has been in the console business, so Seagate knows what they’re doing. This solid state drive has a great read/write speed, using the new USB 3.0 connection to its full potential. It comes pre-loaded with some trial software, so you will need to do a few reworks before plugging it into your console.
PROS
- Best value for the small size
- Fast USB connection
CONS
- Only 500 GB size
- Pre-loaded with unnecessary software
- Warranty
- Where to Buy
Seagate offers a limited three-year warranty on this series of hard drives. This warranty would cover any problems considered a factory defect.
You can find more information about this hard drive or make a purchase at the following link:
Samsung T5 Portable SSD – 2TB – USB 3.1 External SSD
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Features
Another brand that captured more than one spot on this list was Samsung. You can’t talk about the best external hard drive for PS4 without bringing up Samsung more than once. This two terabyte drive is the smallest on the list, measuring just under three inches by two-and-a-half inches. That tiny case size means it is, literally, a pocket-sized external drive. If you are looking for something with some hefty storage but need it to travel light, this is the model for you.
PROS
- Pocket-sized
- Great warranty coverage
CONS
- Clunky install software
- No internal protections
- Warranty
- Where to Buy
Samsung offers a strong three-year warranty that covers any issues considered a factory defect. They also have a strong return and exchange policy that makes it easy to get a quick resolution to your hardware problems.
You can find more information about this hard drive or make a purchase at the following link:
CalDigit Tuff USB-C 2TB HDD
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Features
This is a great option for someone looking for size and durability. The premiere casing makes this model highly shock resistant, and the external coating adds protection against nasty dust particles. While most of the drives on this list use USB 3.0 or better, this drive is designed for the Type-C interface, which might make a universal transfer between consoles a little tricky.
PROS
- Dust and shock resistant case
- One of the better values
CONS
- Type-C USB interface
- One-year limited warranty
- Warranty
- Where to Buy
This manufacturer offers a limited one-year warranty that only covers immediate issues caused by a factory defect.
You can find more information about this hard drive or make a purchase at the following link:
ADATA SE730H 512GB USB 3.1
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Features
If you need a portable drive that will survive the ravages of time, then this is the model for you. Though it’s smaller than most of the other options on this list, this little guy can take some serious punishment. Manufactured with a reinforced body and alloy casing, this gold beauty can withstand serious drops and shocks. An additional layer of moisture protection makes it ideal for the toughest environments.
PROS
- Waterproof and shockproof
- Extended warranty for three years
CONS
- Only 512 GB storage space
- Slow read/write speed
- Warranty
- Where to Buy
This manufacturer offers a three-year limited warranty on all of their solid-state external hard drives, which covers any problem deemed a factory issue.
You can find more information about this hard drive or make a purchase at the following link:
WD 1TB My Passport Wireless SSD External Portable Drive
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Features
Western Digital brings us the only wireless drive on the list. Though the wireless function is not compatible (or desirable) for the PS4, it opens up the possibility of easy data transfer from outside machines. If you are someone that likes to change out your music on your PS4, or if you watch movies downloaded from an external source, then the wireless transfer can make it as easy as using WiFi iTunes to update your media collection.
PROS
- Wireless connectivity
- Three-year limited warranty
CONS
- One of the more expensive models
- Requires complicated setup
- Warranty
- Where to Buy
Western Digital offers a limited three-year warranty on this series of hard drives, covering anything considered a factory defect.
You can find more information about this hard drive or make a purchase at the following link:
Western Digital 4TB Black My Passport Portable External Hard Drive
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Features
This is one of the best values on the list when you consider the size. This four terabyte drive has a great write speed and can transfer data as fast as models twice the price and half the size. This model comes with built-in encryption, which is great if you like to use it for multi-function storage between different consoles.
PROS
- 4 TB of portable space
- Three-year warranty
CONS
- Oversized casing
- Pre-installed backup software
- Warranty
- Where to Buy
Western Digital offers a three-year limited warranty on this series of external hard drives, covering any defects that came from manufacturing.
You can find more information about this hard drive or make a purchase at the following link:
Seagate FireCuda 2TB Solid State Hybrid Drive Performance SSHD
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Features
Seagate is at it again with the FireCuda, a drive series specifically geared towards the most serious gamers. This is an all-purpose utility drive, which makes it transferable between Linux, Windows, or Mac runtime environments. This is a great value if you don’t mind a bit of installation, which also means it’s not the most portable unit on the list.
PROS
- One of the better values
- Sequential read/write
CONS
- Requires some installation
- Not very durable
- Warranty
- Where to Buy
Seagate offers a two-year limited warranty that covers any defects that originated at the factory.
You can find more information about this hard drive or make a purchase at the following link:
HGST Touro S 1TB 7200RPM High-Performance Portable Drive
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Features
This is one of the fastest drives we reviewed for this list, coming in with a blazing fast 7,200 RPM. This makes it a great game-playing drive, especially if you have a larger file size than normal. It works well with the Linux based system of the PS4 but has less than ideal customization for the cloud backup system. The small size makes it great for traveling, so if you need a hefty sized drive that can travel between consoles, this is a great choice.
PROS
- 7,200 RPM write/read speed
- Warranty for cloud software
CONS
- Designed for cloud storage
- No backup setting for PS4
- Warranty
- Where to Buy
Touro offers a two-year limited warranty on the Platinum series of hard drives which covers anything considered a manufacturing defect. The software and cloud-based piece had a one-year warranty for service and upgrades.
You can find more information about this hard drive or make a purchase at the following link:
Western Digital 8TB Elements Desktop Hard Drive
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Features
This is yet another Western Digital entry on the list for a best external hard drive for PS4, and this one is a beast. The Elements Desktop drive comes in at a savagely large eight terabytes, which rivals most drives in and out of the world of PCs. The size of this drive means you might never have to upgrade again, and if you do, there’s an expandable port option that’s compatible with this model.
PROS
- Massive 8 TB of space
- Fantastic value for the storage size
CONS
- Windows-based cloud software
- Slow transfer speed
- Warranty
- Where to Buy
Western Digital offers a two-year limited warranty on all of their Element Series hard drives, as long as it was purchased new and not through a reseller.
You can find more information about this hard drive or make a purchase at the following link:
Samsung 850 EVO 1TB 2.5-Inch
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Features
Even though this is one of the smaller drives on this list, going in with only one terabyte of storage, it happens to be one of the fastest. The SATA drive can read/write at 6GB per second. This is the best external hard drive for PS4 if you need Linux compatibility with an SATA enabled system, and since the PS4 is Linux with a pretty face, you know it will be compatible with all of your games and other outside-box software.
PROS
- Fast read/write speed
- Five years of warranty coverage
CONS
- Maximum one terabyte of storage
- One of the most expensive on the list
- Warranty
- Where to Buy
Samsung offers one of the strongest hardware warranties on the market, giving its external hard drives a limited five-year warranty. This protects you against any manufacturing related defects.
You can find more information about this hard drive or make a purchase at the following link:
The Best External Hard Drive for PS4: The Verdict
Looking at this top ten list, it’s impossible to choose just one to call the best external hard drive for PS4. That being said, there are definitely some standouts amongst the competitors. We really liked the Platinum series of hard drives for the complete suite of features, and at the average price, it’s hard to beat. The EVO series of external drives from Samsung had the best overall reliability, which combined with the stellar warranty from the manufacturer makes it a robust drive for your PS4.
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