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Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
You’ve spent hours reading about the upcoming release. The next installment of your favorite series is here, and you can’t wait to play. You quickly snag yourself a copy on the PlayStation Store. You rush to fire up the installation process, rubbing your hands with glee. Then, an error message. You’ve run out of space!
Our line of thinking is this: you can never have too many games. That’s especially true in this case, considering all the incredible PS4 exclusives out there. Fortunately, keeping all your favorite games (and precious save data) at hand is easy as can be with an external HDD for PS4.
So, what’s the best external hard drive for PS4? It all depends on your specific needs. This article shows you exactly how to find the right drive for your gaming setup, and presents 7 of the best options on the market. Ready to roll? Let’s lock and load.
Zoom Out: Top 7 PS4-Ready External Hard Drives Comparison
We’ve curated this comparison table of the 7 best external hard drives for PS4, categorized by features and listed in price-ascending order. For a closer look at each model, check out the Zoom In section below.
| Image | Drive | Capacity | Colors | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Toshiba Canvio Basics | 500GB – 4TB | 2 | 💰💰 | Check Price |
 | 2. Silicon Power Armor A60 | 500GB – 5TB | 4 | 💰💰 | Check Price |
 | 3. WD My Passport | 1TB – 5TB | 3 | 💰💰 | Check Price |
 | 4. G-Force 3 | 500GB – 16TB | 2 | 💰💰💰 | Check Price |
 | 5. WD Gaming Drive | 2TB – 4TB | 1 | 💰💰💰 | Check Price |
 | 6. Seagate Game Drive | 2TB – 4TB | 1 | 💰💰💰 | Check Price |
 | 7. Samsung T5 | 500GB – 2TB | 4 | 💰💰💰💰 | Check Price |
What to Look For
Before we take an in-depth look at the options, let’s go over the 3 primary factors to consider when choosing an external hard drive for the PS4.
1. Capacity
First up is capacity. How much extra storage do you need? The answer depends on how many games you want to download and store on your hard drive.
As a rule of thumb, games on the PS4 average 40GB in size.
If you’re more of a casual player, a 500GB HDD that stores 12 additional titles may be just right.
But if you’re a hardcore gamer, or someone who takes pride in their extensive library, bigger is better. For players in this category, we’d recommend a 2 – 4 TB drive. This size drive holds 50+ games, with plenty of room for DLCs and save data.
2. Interface
By interface, we’re referring to the I/O panel. As in, how the hard drive connects to your PS4.
Most of the options on our list use USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, which offer data transfer rates up to 5 GB/s.
But we’ve also included an SSD, or solid-state drive, on our list. SSDs are even faster than standard hard disk drives (and typically feature Gen 2 ports), but you’ll pay a premium for the performance boost.
3. Design
The third consideration? Design.
As you might expect, the external hard drives for PS4 come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. You can opt for compact options that weigh just a few ounces, or you can pick an external hard drive hub that’s loaded with features.
Either way, there are tons of color and material choices as well. Find the one that best matches your gear, then jump back to the game in style.
Zoom In: A Close Look at Our Top 7 Picks
The time has come for an in-depth look at the best PS4 HDD options on the market.
Our pick for the best cheap external hard drive for PS4
Manufacturer: Toshiba | Capacity: 500GB – 4TB | Interface: USB 3.2 | Colors: 2 | Size: 4.5 x 3 x 0.5 inches – 4.5 x 3 x 1 inches | Weight: 5.5 – 7.5 oz | Price: 💰💰
Go back to basics with the Canvio from Toshiba. This simple external hard drive comes in 5 capacities, ranging from 500GB to 4TB. It also comes in 2 different styles, including Classic or Contemporary.
No matter which configuration you choose, the Toshiba Canvio boasts a plug & play design that’s incredibly easy to use. And PS4 Slim owners are in luck, as the Canvio’s small form factor makes it one of the best external hard drives for PS4 Slim.
▲ PROS
✔ Minimal black design
✔ No software required
✔ Lightweight & portable
▼ CONS
✘ QC issues
✘ Slower speeds
Our pick for the best durable external HDD for PS4
Manufacturer: Silicon Power | Capacity: 500GB – 5TB | Interface: USB 3.2 | Colors: 4 | Size: 5.5 x 1 x 3.5 inches | Weight: 8 – 12 oz | Price: 💰💰
Take durability to the next level with the Armor A60 External HDD from Silicon Power. This military-grade accessory can handle anywhere from 500GB to 5TB of your favorite PS4 titles with ease. It’s also shockproof, water-resistant, and ready to plug & play. As for looks? The rugged green and black exterior perfectly matches your FPS arsenal for bonus style points.
▲ PROS
✔ Plug & play
✔ Military-grade durability
✔ Speedy 5Gb/s data transfer
▼ CONS
✘ Bulky
✘ Speeds fluctuate
Our pick for the best portable external drive for PS4
Manufacturer: Western Digital | Capacity: 1TB – 5TB | Interface: USB 3.2 | Colors: 3 | Size: 4 x 3 x 0.5 | Weight: 4 – 7.5 oz | Price: 💰💰
This external hard drive from Western Digital is your passport to the big leagues. Frequently cited as one of the top external HDDs on the market, you can be sure of its stability and performance in all areas. It comes equipped with automatic backup, 256 bit AES encryption, and a 3-year warranty. It’s by far the best portable hard drive for PS4 around.
▲ PROS
✔ 3-year warranty
✔ Automatic backups
✔ Superspeed connectivity
▼ CONS
✘ Capped at 5TB
✘ Slower than SSDs
Our pick for the best PS4 external drive hub
Manufacturer: Fantom Drives | Capacity: 500GB – 16TB | Interface: USB 3.2 | Colors: 2 | Size: 8 x 4.5 x 1.5 inches – 11 x 9 x 4 inches | Weight: 2.5 – 5 lbs | Price: 💰💰💰
Prefer something a bit bigger? Go pro with a G-Force 3 USB Hub from Fantom Drives. This baby comes in a variety of sizes, from 500GB all the way to 16TB. It’s designed as a standalone unit and features a sleek, brushed aluminum enclosure that’s durable and offers plenty of airflow with its ventilated side panels. Hook it up via USB 3.2, load on the games, and get back to destroying the competition. It’s as simple as 1, 2, G-Force 3.
▲ PROS
✔ Sleek aluminum casing
✔ Range of storage options
✔ Standalone functionality
▼ CONS
✘ Bulky
✘ Heavy
Our pick for the best PS4 hard drive upgrade
Manufacturer: Western Digital | Capacity: 2TB – 4TB | Interface: USB 3.2 | Colors: 1 | Size: 4.5 x 3 x 0.5 inches | Weight: 4.5 – 8 oz | Price: 💰💰💰
If you’re looking for the best PS4 replacement hard drive, look no further. The Gaming Drive from WD is an external powerhouse that’s ready to go straight from the box. With 2TB, 3TB, and 4TB options, it can hold up to 100 of your favorite titles, DLCs, patches, and more. Plus, the sexy blue and black color palette perfectly matches the ghostly exterior of the PS4 — all backed by a 3-year warranty.
▲ PROS
✔ Quick ‘n easy setup
✔ Large storage capacity
✔ Blue & black design matches the PS4
▼ CONS
✘ Subpar cables
✘ Medium speeds
Our pick for the best external hard drive for PS4 PRO
Manufacturer: Seagate | Capacity: 2TB – 4TB | Interface: USB 3.2 | Colors: 1 | Size: 4.5 x 3 x 0.5 inches – 4.5 x 3 x 1 in | Weight: 3.5 – 8 oz | Price: 💰💰💰
As the only model on our list officially licensed by Sony, you can expect potent performance from the Seagate Game Drive. This bad boy adds 2 or 4TB of additional storage with no drop in frames. Not only that, but it’s pre-configured from the factory to work right from the get-go — no hoops to jump through. Plug her in and load her up, then sit back and enjoy your extensive library of games. It’s the perfect external hard drive for PS4 PRO users.
▲ PROS
✔ Lightning-quick speeds
✔ Officially licensed by Sony
✔ Pre-configured to work with PS4
▼ CONS
✘ QC issues
✘ Expensive
Our pick for the best external SSD for PS4
Manufacturer: Samsung | Capacity: 500GB – 2TB | Interface: USB 3.2 | Colors: 4 | Size: 3 x 2.5 x 0.5 inches | Weight: 2 oz | Price: 💰💰💰💰
The best hard drive for PS4 isn’t actually a hard drive. It’s an SSD!
With the Samsung T5, you can enjoy an immersive gaming experience with unmatched reliability. That means read & write speeds up to 540 MB/s, AES encryption, and USB 3.2 technology that’s guaranteed to blow your mind. The sleek portable units come in 500GB, 1TB, or 2TB capacities and feature 4 style variants for the perfect pop of color. The T5 is for gamers seeking the very best gameplay possible.
▲ PROS
✔ Sleek, portable design
✔ Speeds up to 540 MB/s
✔ Backed by AES encryption
▼ CONS
✘ Costly solution
✘ Requires reformatting
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