One of the greatest things that ever happened in the history of the Sony PlayStation is its 4th iteration, the PS4, released in 2013. Originally, users were only limited to the use of the console’s own internal hard drive. In 2017 though, Sony released an update that allowed the use of an external hard drive. This update let players store more games and files both internally and externally.
But whether it’s external or internal, a good hard drive is vital to every gamer’s gaming experience. So what exactly makes a good hard drive for PS4? Read on to find out!
PS4 Hard Drive Size (Physical)
The first and most important thing that you have to consider when picking a good hard drive for your PS4 is the HDD’s size. We’re talking about its physical size here, as in its size measured in diameters. Why is this important? Well, simply put, the PS4 comes with a 500GB 2.5 inch SATA HDD, which means all replacements must fit in this size. On top of that, anything higher than 9.5mm won’t fit in this slot. This means that users are mostly limited to 1TB options, at least for now, since most current 2TB options are too thick.
PS4 Hard Drive Size (Memory)
A good PS4 hard drive can store all its user’s files and games in one safe place. This means that a good hard drive for PS4 must have sufficient storage in order to fit everything, especially considering that PS4 games tend to be on the larger side. Most PS4 games are about 40GB-50GB in size, which means a standard 500GB hard drive can only fit about 10-12 games. Understandably, many gamers, especially the more serious ones, would like to increase this amount. After all, how can they play if their favorite games if they can’t even fit everything in one place?
If you’re one such gamer, you should probably consider getting a 1TB hard drive replacement. This effectively doubles your hard drive storage, letting you avoid the risk of running out of space when you most need it. If you can’t afford 1TB, since the higher the size, the higher the price, at least opt for something more than 500GB, which is the default size for the PS4 hard drive.
PS4 Hard Drive USB Type
The PS4 only supports 3.0 drives, so you have to make sure that the hard drive you’re planning to buy is 3.0 compatible. This means that 2.0 drives are a no-no. Your only options are 3.0 or higher, like 3.1. Most modern hard drives are already 3.0 compatible anyway, but you’re still better off checking, just to be 100% sure. You wouldn’t want to buy the ‘perfect’ hard drive only to realize that it’s not compatible once you’re already home.
PS4 Hard Drive Speed
Hard drives all have different speeds, which is measured in RPM or revolutions per minute. In layman’s terms, we define RPM as the speed that your hard disk can read and write material on your disk. As a standard, hard drives usually have a 5,400 RPM rating. Generally, you can opt to go for something higher too, like a 7,200 RPM HDD, if you want a faster system. Most of the time, this only applies to computers, though. For PS4s, RPM speeds don’t really have that much effect on gameplay.
HDD or SSD
Another option to consider when deciding on a replacement for your PS4 hard drive is whether to go for a hard disk drive or a solid state drive. Solid state drives (SSDs) are noticeably faster and less laggy than their HDD (hard disk drive) counterpart, but they do come at a price… literally. SSD prices can be atrociously high, especially if you want something higher than 500GB. They can even go double the prices that HDDs can be sold for. If you have some money to spare, you may want to consider SSDs, but if not, HDDs are already fine enough on their own, especially since the PS4’s own hardware can’t fully support the SSDs’ top speeds, anyway.
HDD Features
If you’ve ever bought an external hard drive before, you’ll know that these drives usually come with a lot of extra features. Some offer backup recovery, some offer password protection, others offer all sorts of different things. These are all nice if you’re using the hard drive on a laptop or a PC, but if you’re using it for your PS4, then don’t even bother looking at the features. Your PS4 won’t be able to use them, anyway. Plus, these extra features usually come at a cost, and you’re better off buying something cheaper without these unnecessary frills instead.
Buying a new hard drive, be it a replacement drive or a supplementary drive to your already existing one, can be pretty stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! Just consider the items on this list and you’ll surely be able to find the perfect PS4 hard drive for you in no time at all.
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