When you sit down to play your favorite games on Sony’s PlayStation 5 (PS5) gaming console, there’s nothing more frustrating than not having enough storage space. Especially the most popular Call of Duty This problem becomes even more pronounced with large-sized productions such as games. Even if you buy the game on a physical disc, you still need to install the game into the system memory. In this case, you either have to delete an existing game or find a solution to expand the storage space of your PS5. Fortunately, expanding storage is now much easier and more affordable. Here are the most effective ways to increase PS5 storage.
External storage usage and advantages
Since PS5 is backward compatible, you may also want to play old PS4 games. At this point, using an external drive can be quite advantageous. The drive you purchase for external storage must be compatible with PS5 and formatted. After connecting your drive to PS5 via USB, go to Settings > Storage > Extended Storage and format the drive in exFAT format. Once this step is complete, the drive will be ready to be used with PS5.
If you want to use the external drive as the main storage for PS4 games, you can enable the “Always Install PS4 Games to Extended Storage” option. You can also move PS4 games installed on your internal drive to the external drive. To do this, go to Console Storage > Games & Apps > Portable Items. After selecting the games you want to move, click the “Move” button in the lower right corner. If you are moving a lot of games, this process may take a while, but you will be able to expand your storage without losing any games.
One thing to note at this point is that in order to play games from an external disk, the disk must be constantly connected to the PS5.
External storage requirements for PS5
If you are thinking of using an external drive for PS5, you should pay attention to some technical requirements. Here are the criteria stated by Sony:
- SuperSpeed USB 5Gbps or a faster connection.
- 250GB minimum, 8TB maximum capacity.
- Not all devices may be fully compatible with PS5.
- External hard drives cannot be powered via a USB hub.
- Two or more external disks cannot be connected at the same time.
Once you choose a drive that meets these criteria, it should work seamlessly with your PS5. You should also pay particular attention to a SuperSpeed USB connection, especially one that is 5Gbps. Drives with slower speeds will not work with the PS5.
Increase storage space with internal storage
If you’re not afraid to make hardware changes, you can expand the PS5’s internal storage with an SSD (Solid State Drive). Installing an SSD requires a bit of technical know-how, but it can significantly speed up game loading.
Recommended external hard drives
There are many external hard drive options that are compatible with PS5. Here are the most recommended models:
- WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0
- Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Slim 2TB Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0
- Seagate Expansion 4TB Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0
- WD 8TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0
- SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable External SSD – USB-C, USB 3.1
It is possible to find a suitable drive for different budgets and game collections. 2TB capacity drives usually provide enough space, but if you have a larger game collection, you can also go for 4TB or 8TB options. You can expand your PS5’s game library by choosing one that suits your storage needs and budget.