What Are the Best External Hard Drive for PS4? Top 8 Choice in 2023
The limited storage space is a persistent issue, especially in the gaming world, where game sizes continue to grow. Games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2020) require 100GB and 190GB of storage respectively, and upcoming games are expected to demand even more space.
The PS4 Pro has limited internal storage, making it necessary to use an external hard drive to expand storage capacity, with options available for the best external hard drive for PS4.
What Needs to Be Consider for the Best External Hard Drive for PS4
To determine the best external hard drive for PS4, we've established four key criteria to evaluate the top contenders. These metrics include [insert criteria here].
1. The most important factor is the hard drive's capacity, as it directly addresses the issue of low storage space. A drive with a higher capacity variance is preferred, making it easier to scale storage needs.
2. The speed at which a game loads depends on the speed of the hard drive where it is stored, with faster drives minimizing lags and glitches in highly immersive and graphic-rich games. A professional tool can be used to test and compare hard drive speeds.
3. The drives have USB 3.0, 3.2 Gen 2, and Type-C interfaces, but since PS4 or PS4 Pro only supports USB 3.0, an adapter may be needed for drives with faster interfaces.
4. For a large game library, a desktop-based external hard drive with at least 8TB of storage is ideal for a PS4, while a portable one with a maximum of 5TB is sufficient.
Top 8 Best External Hard Drive for PS4
After testing various external hard drive options for PS4, we have narrowed down the top 8 choices to help you select the best one. Most external hard drives for PS4 are not that great, but these 8 options stand out from the rest.
- Seagate Game Drive for PS4
- Toshiba Canvio Basics
- Western Digital 4TB My Passport Portable
- WD Black P10 Game Drive
- Samsung Portable SSD T5
- Seagate FireCuda Gaming SSD
- Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive
- SanDisk Extreme Portable
You can also choose the suitable one to upgrade your PS4 hard drive. Here's a short overview, specifications, pros and cons of these PS4 external hard drives: upgrade PS4 hard drive.
1. Seagate Game Drive for PS4
The Sony officially licensed external hard drive for PS4 is a great choice, as it's specifically built for the console, ensuring compatibility. It's also available in various PS4 game-themed designs, such as The Last of Us Part II, and has a design similar to the PS4, making it a nice addition to your gaming setup.
Specifications
- Type: Portable
- Storage Type: HDD
- Capacity: 2TB
- Interface: USB 3.0
- Spindle Speed: 5400RPM
- Dimensions (LWH): 76mm x 114mm x 12mm
- Weight: 149g
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Purchase Link: https://www.seagate.com/in/en/products/gaming-drives/playstation-gaming/game-drive-playstation/
2. Toshiba Canvio Basics
Toshiba Canvio Basics is the best affordable external hard drive for PS4, available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB variants. Despite its low prices, it doesn't compromise on quality, offering a decent speed and a simple setup process. Its sleek matte black design also complements the PS4 nicely, making it a great option for those on a budget.
Specifications
- Type: Portable
- Storage Type: HDD
- Capacity: 1TB to 4TB
- Interface: USB 3.0
- Spindle Speed: 5400RPM
- Dimensions (LWH): The dimensions for the 1TB and 2TB versions are 109.0mm x 78.0mm x 14.0mm, while the 4TB version is slightly larger at 109.0mm x 78.0mm x 19.5mm.
- Weight: 149g (1TB, 2TB), 218g (4TB)
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Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Toshiba-HDTB420XK3AA-Canvio-Portable-External/dp/B079D3D8NR?ref_=ast_sto_dp
3. Western Digital 4TB My Passport Portable
Probably the best-The WD My Passport Portable is a top-notch external hard drive, available in various colors, offering decent transfer speeds and a capacity of up to 5TB, with the 4TB variant being the most recommended.
Specifications
- Type: Portable
- Storage Type: HDD
- Capacity: 1TB to 5TB
- Interface: USB 3.1 Gen1/3.0/2.0
- Spindle Speed: 5400RPM
- Dimensions (LWH): The dimensions for the 4TB and 5TB storage devices are 107.2mm x 75mm x 19.15mm, while the dimensions for the 1TB and 2TB storage devices are 107.2mm x 75mm x 11.15mm.
- Weight: 210g (4TB, 5TB), 120g (1TB, 2TB)
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Purchase Link: https://www.westerndigital.com/products/outlet/portable-drives/wd-my-passport-gaming-storage-usb-3-0-hdd#WDBZGE0040BBK-NESN
4. WD Black P10 Game Drive
The WD Black P10 Game Drive is a budget-friendly external hard drive for PS4 users, offering up to 5TB capacity to resolve storage issues, with a desktop version available up to 12TB. It's also one of the fastest HDDs, boasting average read and write speeds of over 130MB/sec.
Specifications
- Type: Portable
- Storage Type: HDD
- Capacity: 2TB, 4TB, 5TB
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1
- Spindle Speed: 5400RPM
- Dimensions (LWH): The dimensions of the external hard drive are 118mm x 88mm x 20.8mm for the 4TB and 5TB versions, and 118mm x 88mm x 12.8mm for the 2TB version.
- Weight: 230g (4TB, 5TB), 140g (2TB)
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Several users have reported that this drive gets overheated even during normal use, which may impact its overall performance and lifespan. |
Purchase Link: https://www.westerndigital.com/products/portable-drives/wd-black-p10-game-drive-usb-3-2-hdd#WDBA2W0020BBK-WESN
5. Samsung Portable SSD T5
The Samsung Portable SSD T5 is a top choice for PS5 and PS4 users due to its fast USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface, with read and write speeds of 554MB and 519MB per second, respectively. This makes it an ideal solution for those who want to minimize game loading times. Its high-speed performance and affordability make it a great option for gamers.
Specifications
- Type: Portable
- Storage Type: SSD
- Capacity: 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Interface: USB 3.1 Gen 2
- Spindle Speed: N/A
- Dimensions (LWH): 74mm x 57.3mm x 10.5mm
- Weight: 51g
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Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-T5-Portable-SSD-MU-PA1T0B/dp/B073H4GPLQ?th=1
6. Seagate FireCuda Gaming SSD
The WD Black P50 is the fastest external storage drive on the list, making it an overkill for the PS4, but a great investment for those planning to move to the PS5 soon, due to its potential 20GB per second transfer speed via its USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface. However, its high price may be out of reach for most users.
Specifications
- Type: Portable
- Storage Type: SSD
- Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
- Spindle Speed: N/A
- Dimensions (LWH): 10.0mm × 52.5mm × 104.4mm
- Weight: 100g
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Purchase Link: https://www.seagate.com/in/en/products/gaming-drives/pc-gaming/firecuda-gaming-ssd/
7. Seagate Backup Plus Desktop Drive
The Seagate Backup Plus desktop drive is the top choice among desktop drives, offering up to 8TB of capacity, making it ideal for large game libraries. It also boasts high performance, rivaling external HDDs, and features a USB-C cable for easy connectivity.
Specifications
- Type: Desktop
- Storage Type: HDD
- Capacity: 2TB. 3TB, 4TB, 5TB, 6TB, 8TB
- Interface: USB 3.0
- Spindle Speed: 5400RPM
- Dimensions (LWH): 179.4mm x 118.1mm x 41.50mm
- Weight: 860g
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Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Backup-Desktop-External-STDT4000100/dp/B00HFRWXQ0
8. SanDisk Extreme Portable
The SanDisk Extreme Portable is a top-notch external storage drive for the PS4, boasting extremely fast speeds of 442MB per second read and 497MB per second write. It's an ideal choice, with even faster variants available, but they might be too powerful for the PS4. The drive also comes with a 5-year warranty from SanDisk.
Specifications
- Type: Portable
- Storage Type: SSD
- Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2
- Spindle Speed: N/A
- Dimensions (LWH): 8.95mm x 52.42mm x 100.54mm
- Weight: 63g
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Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-2TB-Extreme-Portable-SDSSDE61-2T00-G25/dp/B08HN37XC1
Conclusion
After researching the top 8 external hard drives for PS4, it's clear that each has its pros and cons. Hard disk drives (HDDs) offer more storage space at a lower cost per gigabyte, while solid-state drives (SSDs) provide faster gameplay and a more rugged design. Ultimately, the best external hard drive for PS4 depends on your budget and specific needs.
After choosing the best external hard drive for your PS4, you'll also need to select the suitable format, which should be compatible with your console. This will ensure that your external hard drive works seamlessly with your PS4, allowing you to expand your storage capacity and enjoy more games and content without any issues.
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