PS4 Compatible External Hard Drive List
Expanding PS4 storage by adding an external hard drive has been, so far, the most popular option among PS4 users. It’s the easiest and quickest way to get more storage capacity without the need to go through the hassle of upgrading PS4 internal HDD.
Furthermore, an external hard drive (hdd) is used also as a backup solution for PS4. Therefore, as a serious PS4 gamer, you can’t really dispense with using an external HDD for your PS4 console. But first, you need to be careful when choosing one as not all external hard drives are compatible with PS4.
Additionally, depending on the purpose of use, an external hard drive compatibility standards differ. All you’ll learn through this comprehensive guide that recommends also the best PS4 compatible external hard drives on the market.
So, let’s move on
Compatible Drive List
This list mainly focuses on presenting the available external hard drives on the market that are fully compatible with PS4. All these drives fit as an extended storage solution for all models of PS4. Additionally, they are all So, whether you have PS4 Standard or PS4 Pro, the external hard drives below will work flawlessly with it.
Note that the list below does NOT include external SSDs or USB flash memories. It solely concerning traditional external hard drives (HDD).
| Western Digital (WD) | ||
|---|---|---|
| ⚫ | Model Name | Model No. |
| 1. | WD Gaming Drive | WDBDFF0020BBK-WESN (2tb) | WDBCRM0030BBK-NESN (3tb) | WDBM1M0040BBK-WESN (4tb) |
| 2. | WD Elements Portable | WDBUZG0010BBK-WESN (1tb) | WDBU6Y0020BBK-WESN (2tb) | WDBU6Y0030BBK-WESN (3tb) | WDBU6Y0040BBK-WESN (4tb) |
| 3. | WD Elements Desktop | WDBWLG0040HBK-NESN (4tb) | WDBWLG0060HBK-NESN (6tb) | WDBWLG0080HBK-NESN (8tb) |
| 4. | WD My Book Desktop | WDBBGB0030HBK-NESN (3tb) | WDBBGB0040HBK-NESN (4tb) | WDBBGB0060HBK-NESN (6tb) | WDBBGB0080HBK-NESN (8tb) |
| 5. | WD My Passport Portable | WDBYNN0010BBK-WESN (1tb) | WDBS4B0020BBK-WESN (2tb) | WDBYFT0030BBK-WESN (3tb) | WDBYFT0040BBK-WESN (4tb) |
| 6. | WD My Passport Ultra Port. | WDBC3C0010BSL-WESN (1tb) | WDBC3C0020BSL-WESN (2tb) |
| Seagate | ||
| ⚫ | Model Name | Model No. |
| 1. | Seagate Expansion Portable | STEA1000400 (1tb) | STEA2000400 (2tb) | STEA4000400 (4tb) |
| 2. | Seagate Expansion Desktop | STEB3000100 (3tb) | STEB4000100 (4tb) | STEB6000403 (6tb) | STEB8000100 (8tb) |
| 3. | Seagate Portable | STGX1000400 (1tb) | STGX2000400 (2tb) | STGX4000400 (4tb) |
| 4. | Seagate Desktop | STGY8000400 (8tb) |
| 5. | Seagate Backup Plus Slim | STEH1000100 (1tb) | STDR2000100 (2tb) | STDR4000100 (4tb) | STDR5000100 (5tb) |
| 6. | Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Slim | STDR1000100 (1tb) | STEH2000100 (2tb) |
| 7. | Seagate Backup Plus Desktop | STDT2000100 (2tb) | STDT3000100 (3tb) | STDT4000100 (4tb) | STDT5000100 (5tb) | STDT6000100 (6tb) |
| 8. | Seagate Game Drive for PS4 | STGD2000400 (2tb) | STGD4000400 (4tb) |
| Toshiba | ||
| ⚫ | Model Name | Model No. |
| 1. | Toshiba Canvio Basics | HDTB305XK3AA (500gb) | HDTB410XK3AA (1tb) | HDTB420XK3AA (2tb) | HDTB330XK3CB (3tb) | HDTB440XK3CA (4tb) |
| 2. | Toshiba Canvio Advance | HDTC910XK3AA (1tb) | HDTC920XK3AA (2tb) | HDTC930XK3CA (3tb) |
| 3. | Toshiba Canvio Connect II | HDTC805XK3A1 (500gb) | HDTC810XK3A1 (1tb) | HDTC820XK3C1 (2tb) | HDTC830XK3C1 (3tb) |
| G-Technology | ||
| ⚫ | Model Name | Model No. |
| 1. | G-Technology G-DRIVE mobile | 0G10264 (1tb) | 0G10339 (2tb) | 0G10348 (4tb) |
Incompatible Drive List
As for the list below, it contains the PS4 incompatible external hard drives. They neither work as an extended storage neither as a backup storage. Therefore, these are the drives that you have to avoid as a PS4 user.
| Western Digital (WD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⚫ | Model Name | Model No. | Note |
| 1. | WD My Book Duo Desktop RAID | WDBFBE0080JBK-NESN (8tb) | WDBFBE0120JBK-NESN (12tb) | WDBFBE0160JBK-NESN (16tb) | WDBFBE0200JBK-NESN (20tb) | This is a duo drive that is partly compatible with PS4. PS4 system will only recognize the first drive and ignores the second. Therefore, you’ll get only the half storage capacity of this drive and won’t enjoy the RAID benefits. | 2. | WD My Cloud | All models of WD My Cloud are not supported | Network Attached Storage (NAS) is NOT compatible with PS4. |
| 3. | WD 10tb My Book Desktop | WDBBGB0100HBK-NESN (10tb) | 10tb storage capacity is NOT supported by PS4 system. |
| 4. | WD 10TB Elements Desktop | WDBWLG0100HBK-NESN (10tb) | 10tb storage capacity is NOT supported by PS4 system. |
| 5. | WD My Passport Wireless Pro | WDBVPL0010BBK-NESN (1tb) | WDBP2P0020BBK-NESN (2tb) | WDBSMT0030BBK-NESN (3tb) | WDBSMT0040BBK-NESN (4tb) | Wireless hard drives are NOT supported by PS4 system. |
| Seagate | |||
| ⚫ | Model Name | Model No. | Note |
| 1. | Seagate Backup Plus Fast | STDA4000100 (4tb) | This is a duo drive that is partly compatible with PS4. PS4 system will only recognize the first drive and ignores the second. Therefore, you’ll get only the half storage capacity of this drive and won’t enjoy the RAID benefits. |
| 2. | Seagate Backup Plus Hub | STEL4000100 (4tb) | STEL6000100 (6tb) | STEL8000100 (8tb) | STEL10000400 (10tb) | Hub external hard drives are NOT supported by PS4 system. |
PS4 Compatibility Guide
An external hard drive isn’t deemed compatible with PS4 unless it conforms to the PS4 external hard drive compatibility standards. These standards differ depending on the purpose you want the external hard drive for. Thus, determine your purposes first before picking your PS4 external hard drive.
Quick LinkPS4 System Software Update (Latest Version)
PS4 Backup Storage Standards
In order for PS4 system to accept an external hard drive as a backup storage solution, it must meet the following standards. They are:
- Configured with USB interface, no matter what generation it is. So, whether you have a USB 1.x or USB 3.x external hard drive, it all will work properly as a PS4 backup solution.
- Maximum storage capacity is 8tb without any minimum limit.
- Single-layer drive. If you connect a dual-layer external HDD to PS4, the PS4 system will only recognize the first layer and ignores the second. Consequently this means you’ll lose half the storage capacity.
- Not a NAS drive. Network Attached Storage (NAS) external hard drives are NOT supported by PS4. So just pick a regular USB 3.0 drive instead.
- Wired Connection as PS4 system can’t recognize wireless external hard drives.
- Non-partitioned drive. Ps4 system can’t handle partitions. So, make sure your drive has only one volume with the full capacity.
- Formatted with either FAT32 or exFAT file system. Users had to do that on a computer in the past, but now the recent updates of PS4 system software have this function as a built-in feature. So, make sure to install the latest PS4 system software on your console.
- PS4 System Software 2.5 or higher. Otherwise your external hard drive won’t be recognized.
PS4 Extended Storage Standards
The external hard drive you want to use as an extended storage on PS4 must conform to the following standards:
- Configured with USB 3.0 or Higher. Unlike the backup storage standard, PS4 system won’t approve any external HDD as an extended storage unless it supports USB 3.0 connectivity.
- Capacity Ranges from Minimum 250gb to Maximum 8tb. Note that there’s a limit on the minimum storage capacity, unlike the backup storage standard.
- No Hub Connection. Whether the USB hub is built in your external HDD or you just use an additional hub to connect to PS4, both won’t work. (Note that recently some users had good experience with hub external hard drives on PS4 with the latest system software updates. I haven’t personally tested that and once I confirm it I’ll update this content.)
- Not a NAS drive. Network Attached Storage (NAS) external hard drives are NOT supported by PS4. So just pick a regular USB drive instead.
- Wired Connection. PS4 system doesn’t approve wireless external hard drives.
- Single-Layer drives. If a dual layer external hard drive connects to PS4, only the first layer will be recognized and the other PS4 system will ignore.
- Full Dedication. Note that PS4 system will totally format and encrypt your external hard drive with special file system that only works on PS4. So, unlike the backup storage solution, you cannot use this drive on a PC or MAC.
Once you find the drive that meets with all these standards, be sure it’s fully compatible for use on PS4.
PS4 Pro and PS4 Slim Compatibility
The specifications and standards stated above are for all models of PS4, whether it’s the standard model, Slim or Pro. There’s no additional requirement to get an external hard drive working on any of these three models.
Maybe it’s good to say that if you’re using PS4 Pro model, then look forward to buying a large and fast external hard drive, as with the constant support Sony release for PS4 Pro, it is easy to predict that games designed for PS4 Pro will be larger in size than others in order to support the premium features of PS4 Pro, such as 4k viewing mode. So, don’t look just for a compatible external hard drive with PS4 Pro, but also pick a solid drive for this purpose.
USB Flash Drive Compatibility
Worth it to say that all USB sticks are subjected to the same rules of external hard drives. But usually, a USB flash drive (stick) is used for lightweight storage, such as storing game saves or small movie clips. Yes, it can be used as a full external storage solution the same as an external hard drive is used, but this will be costly for you, as you have to buy a large USB stick that costs you double or triple the price of an ordinary external hard drive of the same size.
You can find PS4-compatible flash drives in our guide here.
Upgrade PS4 Internal HDD
When you want to get extra storage space on PS4, you have to do it the smart way. You may not know that it’s possible to remove and replace PS4 internal hard drive (HDD) with a better drive. Thus, you’ll not only get additional storage space, but also better gaming experience on PS4. That’s because the stock hard drive of PS4 is slow and obsolete and not too reliable (Read more about PS4 HDD specs to get more enlightened.).
Eventually, you can upgrade PS4 hard drive with a solid performing drive (if you can afford an SSD, you may want to get one for your PS4.) After that you can think about going for a PS4 compatible external hard drive. That way you’ll gain high performance and large storage space.
Furthermore, this article will immensely help you make the right decision. It features a quick comparison between PS4 internal HDD upgrade and extended storage solution. I strongly recommend you to read it carefully.
Consider Getting an External SSD
Using an external SSD for PS4 has some major benefits that external HDDs don’ offer. They offer much higher speed and enhanced overall performance. Additionally, their failure rate is too low in comparison to external hard drives. For that reason, if you’re a serious gamer and care a lot about your data, consider a PS4 external SSD.
The only advantage that an external hard drive tops external SSDs is the price per GB. While you can get 1tb external HDD for just $45, the same capacity costs more than $100 for external SSD. Therefore, gauge this matter yourself. Do you prefer large capacity over performance? Or performance is your priority? For me, if I am going to choose, I will surely pick the best external SSD for my PS4, as capacity is not my concern.
Conclusion
It’s not that difficult, as it may seem, to get a PS4 compatible external hard drive. The PS4 external storage compatibility standards are met by most of the popular external hard drives of today. So, no worries at all. You have to care most about getting the best option for your needs.
Thanks! Is the Seagate xpansion Portable Drive compatible with the PS4?
You’re welcome. Yes it is.
at the moment my external storage is on a normal ps4 console with the version 6.00 beta system software
if I was to get a PS4 pro by the end of next week which is now on version 5.54 of the system software
will my external storage work on the one with 5.54 or will I have to format the external drive ?
Most probably yes. Although I never tried it before, I see nothing can prevent it from working properly.
Hi I just bought the seagate 1tb expansion, and can’t get it working, my ps4 just says the USB storage device is not connected!!! Any help would be much appreciated thanks in advance ☺️
Hi Erika,
Have a look on this post and tell me if you need further help.
Thank you only thing I haven’t tried is on pc or laptop as I don’t have any of these but my friend is going to test it for me later on his pc,i read somewhere on Internet that the seagate 1tb is not compatible with ps4 but the 2tb is? Not sure how true this is😕😕
You’re welcome Erika. No, that’s not true. But what happened is that one guy tried a defective 1TB Seagate expansion and it didn’t work. But when he tried 2tb it worked! So he deduced that 1tb was not compatible unlike the 2tb.
What can really judge in this situation is your PC. If your external hard drive works properly, then you have to check your USB connection with PS4 (probably the USB card is malfunctioning). This is possible by connecting a USB flash drive to it and see whether it’s recognized or not. If not, then only a technician can fix it by replacing that failed hardware.
Thank you so much for your help I appreciate it 🙂🙂
You are most Welcome Erika.
Such a beautifully detailed website! Absolutely loving the walkthrough, Thanks a bunch!!!
I’m considering getting the “WD My Passport 4TB Portable Hard Drive”; my question is that I want to prioritise backing up (system image) my laptop to the hard drive before it breaks and restore it all to another laptop, although after this will I be able to use this hard drive solely for PS4 (500gb) usage and play games?
I appreciate your nice compliment Armando, thanks for that.
If you are going to use this external hard drive as an extended storage, you must bear in mind that all your files will be erased and it will be owned by PS4, as PS4 system will format it with a special file format that only PS4 system can read.
Additionally, if you’re a serious gamer who plays a lot, I don’t recommend going for portable hard drives. You better go for desktop external hard drives as they are more reliable for gaming. I recommend WD 4TB Elements Desktop Hard Drive.
I bought a Seagate 1tb slim just to start out today. It wont let me format to extended storage so I cant save apps on it…I’m trying to move some of my games over. Is that not possible?
When you connect it to PS4, what message do you see?
W34381674734….. I am a mother needing to buy more storage for my 12yr. Olds ps4 slim. 1tb is what it has. What is the cheapest way and device to do this? All he does is play games and of course save them. He has deleted a few just to store a new one. I am just looking to do this the cheapest way for now. Thank u so very much.
Hi Tania,
The easiest and cheapest way is to add an external hard drive. I suggest going for Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive, it costs currently $60 on Amazon. Or if you wish, you can go for the smaller size which costs $45.
This external HDD is solid and capacious, and it fits perfectly for your needs.
Will the seagate 1.5 tb goflex work with my ps4 I tried using a 2tb jump drive but it wouldn’t format
Never tested that. Theoretically it should work.
Hello, i’m using a Seagate expansion 4tb at the moment, and all works fine. Now, i’ve bought a Seagate Backup plus Hub 8tb and i would change all my data to the bigger drive. After reading some bloggs, i’m not sure, that would work together. Is that Problem solved or is taht a nogo? (most bloggs where from 2017, i don’t find some newer reviews)
Honestly I have not tested that yet, but some users have reported recently that hub hard drives worked fine flawlessly with the recent PS4 system software update. You will make us a big favor if you test it and come back to us with the feedback.
Ok. The new hdd will arrive tomorrow by the postman.. i send you my experience with that drive, if it would work or not.. thanks..
Nice. Hope to hear from you soon. I am really anxious to know 🙂
So, i’ve tried this External HD (SEAGATE Backup plus HUB, 8tb), and i must say, in this way it doesn’t work..
I took out the HDD from the original case (DON’T DO IT, IF YOU WON’T LOSE YOUR WARRANTY) and to my luck, a SEAGATE BARRACUDA was inside. The Problem is, this HD isn’t connected to the sata directly, it’s powered also through the HUB.
For me no problem, i bought a 3.5″ case with a direct sata connection, put in the HDD and now it works fine. But if you care about warranty, don’t buy this External HD for PS4..
Welcome back Claudio and thanks a lot for this nice and helpful feedback. I just wonder how some users said it worked fine for them on PS4. I hope someone may benefit from your comment and avoid this drive.
Hello just wanted to know if Toshiba Canvio Advance 3TB HDD is compatible with ps4
Hi Eddy,
Yes, it is.
Is the WD ELements 2TB Basic Storage compatible with PS4?
Yes it is.
Hello, I just wanted to know if the Seagate Expansion 4TB USB 3.0 3.5″ Desktop External Hard Drive STEB4000100 Black is compatible with the ps4?
Hi. Yes, it’s fully compatible.
Thank you so much for your help.
You’re very welcome.
Hi is seagate back up slim 2tb compatible?
Yes, fully compatible.
Could you please tell me a good suitable hard drive compatible with my PS4 within 50 dollars (2 tb preferred)
With the price limit you can get a very good 1tb external hard drive. I recommend Toshiba Canvio Basics 1tb. It’s one of the most reliable external hard drives available as of today. The 1tb costs less than $50.
I have a Seagate STDR4000100 4TB Back Plus portable storage drive hooked up to my PS 4 and it seems to be working great!!! No problems so far….my only question is: Can I install this drive internally?
Yes you can if you have the Data Bank accessory, as its thickness is 15mm which doesn’t fit into the PS4 drive bay. So, be cautious.
I forgot to mention its a ps4 slim if that makes a difference….
Yes it does. There’s no data bank available for PS4 Slim.
Ahhh…..of course they don’t!!! Well….thanks for the info and fast response!!
You’re most welcome.
Hi, are any of the external hdd’s work on a PS4 in the UK?
Hi,
It doesn’t matter what country you’re in. All these external hard drives work worldwide.
Hi, I wanted to find out if the Seagate 2TB Expansion Portable Hard Drive is compatible with the PS4 Pro? I would like to buy this but i am not sure if it works?
Hi there,
It’s apparently included in the PS4 compatible external hard drive list. So, yes, it will work.
Hi is Seagate expansion desktop 3tb usb 3.0 STEB3000200 compatible with ps4
Yes, it’s fully compatible.
Thank you
You’re welcome
I brought both Seagate plus slim 1tb and am passport 2tb and ps4 say both not compatible. It won’t let me format them.. It did let me do some type of format and ps4 is using the drives but then says not compatible CE-41902-6
That means your PS4 system is the problem. Consider reinitializing PS4 as this will most probably resolve it.
May i ask how about Samsung external hard drives? Are they compitable with PS4. I have ordered Smasun 2T hard drive, will work if i conect it with my PS4 FAT model?
It depends on the model you have purchased. Can you please state the model number in order to verify whether it’s compatible with Ps4 or not?
Model is Samsung D3 station 2Tb. Thank you for the replay.
Tried to search on it but I found Samsung G3 instead, not D3. Is this the drive you mean?
Dumb question I know, but I’ve had an Western Digital Caviar Green 1tb kicking around in a drawer for some time.
Being a desktop HDD I have reservations about wether or not it would work as an external storage option.
Any thoughts?
I’m not sure about the specs of this drive. But if it supports USB 3.0 connectivity, it is supposed to work fine with PS4.
I have just purchased a 4TB WD MyPassport, plugged it into PS4, but it won’t let me format it.
It tells me it needs to be USB 3 (which it is) and between 250GB-8TB (which it is)
Try the solutions on this post. If none works, you have to initialize your PS4.
Hi can I use these HDDs on ps4 just to play videos?
Yes you can. Make sure first to format them as backup storage with exFAT file system.
Hello, any updates on whether the hub drives work now on the latest updates? I want to get a Seagate 8TB Backup Plus Hub since it is sold fairly cheaply at my Costco.
Almost three months ago, one of our readers tried a hub drive on the latest software update and he reported that it didn’t work. This is the most recent experience we recorded on this issue. So, I advise you to currently avoid it until it’s confirmed that it’s compatible with PS4.
I just purchased the Seagate Portable External hard drive USB 3.0. model # STGX 1000400… Is that compatible with the launch edition PS4? Thanks in advance
Yes it is.
Seagate backup plus portable 4TB STHP4000400…. i think itll work but thought id ask anyway
Yes it will definitely work.
Do you know if Seagate Backup Plus Desktop model SRD00F2, 4TB is compatible with PS4? I see a couple of these on the list but not this specific model number. I’m not sure if mine is an outdated or updated version of any of the ones you have listed.
This is an outdated/obsolete model. But yes, it is compatible with PS4.
How about the STHP5000400?
Yes, Seagate Backup Plus 5TB External Hard Drive (STHP5000400) is fully compatible with PS4.
Is SEAGATE 5TB Backup Plus Portable USB 3.0 STDR5000100 compatible pls?
Yes, fully compatible.
Will my buffalo 1.0 tb drive work on ps4
If it’s USB 3.0, then yes it will.
I have a Seagate 2TB Expansion Desktop Drive (SRD00F2) and can’t get it to work at all. the light won’t even come on when I plug it into the PS4. it works fine with windows and mac. Any suggestions?
If the light won’t show with the PS4, whereas it works fine with a PC, it means your PS4 USB connection has a serious issue and doesn’t provide the sufficient power to the connected USB device.
Please try connecting other USB devices to your PS4 USB port and check whether they work properly or not. After you do that small test, come with your feedback so we can further help you.
I plugged two other hard drives to the PS4 and they show up on it. The Seagate actually worked once when I did rebuilt the database on the PS4. I started to copy games to the hard drive and within 5 minutes an error popped up saying the hard drive had been disconnected. I tried to get it going again and it didn’t work, I ended up doing the Initialize PS4 (Reinstall system database) to see if that worked and no luck.
Apparently the problem is with the external hard drive that suddenly stopped functioning. Please read this post that offers tips to deal with similar situations.