Ever since the PS4 came out, players have been concerned over the amount of storage space on the console. The standard PS4 hard drive only accommodates around 500GB or 1TB of space. Given how storage intensive installing games on the console is it is unlikely that the standard hard drive will be able to sustain the average gamer’s installations for the rest of the PS4’s lifetime (At least not without some clear-outs every now and again!). Until recently, gamers who wanted to boost their storage capacity have often been restricted to the default hard drive upgrade of up to 2TB.
However, ever since the PS4 software upgrade 4.5 established support for external hard drives, gamers have been rushing to set themselves up with additional storage. The PS4 can only support hard drives of up to 8TB, but offers an unlimited amount of storage in total. Below we take a look at some of the best external HDDs, allowing you to have external storage beyond what the PS4 is equipped with. So, here we help PS4 owners to find the one that’s right for you.
Toshiba Canvio Connect II
The Toshiba Canvio Connect II is one of the most popular external hard drives for the PS4 right now. The Canvio Connect II can be purchased new for around $74, which will give you a respectable 2TB to work with. For gamers who aren’t looking for that much storage, there is a 1TB version available for $54.99. The size of this model is ideal for gamers with standard PS4’s looking to increase their storage. Stylistically, the Canvio Connect II looks very sleek and fits in perfectly with your PS4. For its price, the Canvio Connect II is one of the best external hard drives available.
Samsung SSD T3
The Samsung SSD T3 is the go-to model if you’re concerned about loading speeds. The SSD T3 boasts read-write speeds of up to 450 MB/s with Internal SSD level performance. However, even though the SSD T3 is fast, you’ll pay much more for your storage. With a price tag of $169.99, you’ll only get 500GB. This is very low when compared to most other models on the market. There are 1TB and 2TB versions available but they are not worth the premium you’ll pay. The price of the Samsung SSD T3 makes this model unsuitable for those looking for lots of additional storage as there much more affordable hard drives available with more storage.
Western Digital My Passport External Hard Drive
Western Digital My Passport is a solid choice no matter your needs offering a high storage level of up to 4TB, and includes an automatic backup with WD Backup software. The WD My Passport is USB 2.0, and 3.0 compatible with a price of $78.99 for the 2TB version (The 4TB version will cost around $113.83). Although the body is large it will fit on most TV stands without looking out of place. The storage capacity of the WD My Passport makes it a great option for those looking to be able to store libraries worth of games without spending a fortune. If you’d like a smaller version you’ll be able to get smaller builds with1TB and 3TB depending on your needs.
Seagate Expansion 5TB
For gamers intended to install a mass of PS4 games, there’s no better option than the Seagate Expansion 5TB. The Samsung Expansion 5TB is the go to external hard drive for those looking for serious storage space at a competitive price. For this hard drive, you’ll pay $119.00 for a whopping 5TB of space. That’s only slightly more than the WD My Passport 4TB, for 5TB of space. To put it in perspective, 5TB is around 1250000 hours of video. Though it doesn’t have the processing speed of the Samsung SSD T3 it’s shear bang for your buck makes it one of the most cost-effective options available for those looking for serious digital storage.
Our Pick: Toshiba Canvio Connect II
Based on the price, the storage capacity and the stylish design, the Toshiba Canvio Connect II is our number one pick. The Canvio Connect II is a great HDD for gamers looking to bolster their PS4 without going overboard either in terms of size or financially. Whilst hard drives like the SSD T3 may load faster, you’ll pay triple the price for the luxury! The Canvio Connect II offers gamers a great entry point in to the HDD market without going into the deep end and buying endless Terabytes of space! Of course, if you’re a gamer looking for storage power then go with the Seagate Expansion 5TB, but if you’re in doubt about whether you need all of that extra space, the Canvio Connect Il should do you just fine.