PlayStation fans rejoice! The long-awaited firmware 4.5 has been in the wild for some time now, and besides the improvements to system stability (so important), the most notable changes are Boost Mode for the Pro and the ability to support external hard drives. Space in your PS4 is a premium, and if you have been afraid to open it up and change the internal HDD, or just want more storage, now you can just get an external drive and plug it in.

Digital downloads, save data, game installs, everything will now use the external HDD by default, and you will have probably more storage than you will ever need.

Now before you head outside and grab the first external HDD you see, here are some guidelines that can inform your decision.

1. Make sure the new HDD is USB 3.0 compatible.
   If you have a USB 2.0 only drive, tough luck there.
2. Get an enclosure if you already have an extra HDD, save that money!
   No need for you to spend more money than you should, an enclosure will save you cash and grant your old drive another lease of life. Here are some you can consider.
3. Ignore the fancy features/brands
   All that software on your new HDD will do nothing on your PS4, you do not need that extra encryption. Storage should be your one and only concern, and USB 3.0 compatibility of course.
4. SSHD vs SSD
   Getting a full SSD can be costly, and if you really want that slight improvement to your load times and boot up times, get an SSHD. It is cheaper, and it will achieve the same results. Pair an enclosure with an SSHD like the Seagate FireCuda Gaming 2.5” 2TB Internal Hard Drive and you are set.
5. 3TB or less – Go portable | 4TB or more – Desktop it is
   If you are going for a significant increase in storage, what you need to consider next is portability. For 3TB or less, portable drives are more convenient and require less setup, getting a desktop hard drive for that size only adds to your hassle. At 4TB and up, however, the price gap will be more significant, and hopefully, you wouldn’t be moving your PS4 around much.

With that out of the way, here are some recommended hard drives that the Geek Culture crew are rocking or planning to get in order to take advantage of firmware 4.5. These drives are sturdy and stable, and most importantly, affordable, which means more money for games! (Drives are listed in ascending prices)

1TB Portable HDD

• Seagate Expansion 1TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0 (Recommended)
• WD 1TB Black USB 3.0 My Passport Portable External Hard Drive
• HGST Touro S 1TB 7200RPM High-Performance Portable Drive

2TB Portable HDD

• Seagate Expansion 2TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0
• WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive – USB 3.0 (Recommended)
• Toshiba Canvio Connect II 2TB Portable Hard Drive

3TB Portable HDD

• Toshiba Canvio Basics 3TB Portable Hard Drive
• Toshiba Canvio Connect II 3TB Portable Hard Drive
• WD 3TB Black USB 3.0 My Passport Portable External Hard Drive (Recommended)

4TB Portable HDD

• WD Passport 4TB USB 3.0 Portable
• Seagate Backup Plus 4TB USB 3.0 Portable (Recommended)
• Seagate Expansion 4TB USB 3.0 Portable

Non-portable HDD

• Seagate Expansion 4TB USB 3.0 Desktop (Recommended)
• Seagate Expansion 5TB Desktop External Hard Drive USB 3.0
• WD 6TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive – USB 3.0
• Seagate Expansion 8TB Desktop External Hard Drive USB 3.0

Now get your dream external HDD and install all them games!

Jake Su

Jake is a full-time trophy hunter and achievement gatherer on consoles, and part-time Steam Sale victim. He has a thing for Batman and awesome statues, and running out of space for both. Send help.