How to Format an External Hard Drive for PS4 : PS4 comes with limited internal storage that may drain out if you install and play multiple games. If you are a pro gamer, you may run out of space or encounter errors for storage. If you have come across “Cannot start the PS4” or “Cannot access system storage error” this article is for you! An external hard drive can be a great option to fix such issues and play multiple games.
Before you connect an external hard drive, you will need to explore how to format an external hard drive for PS4. A backup external hard drive can enhance your gaming experience and give you more room for new games and game updates. The external hard drive should be ready enough to sync with your internal storage and gaming console. You can Troubleshoot PS4 Issues with basic troubleshooting steps. Here’s how to format a hard drive for PS4!
Tips to Connect External Hard Drive
- Format USB for PS4 before using.
- PS4 works best on FAT32 and exFAT file formats.
- Use a USB 5Gbps speed drive for a better experience.
- Storage space should be a minimum of 512 GB to 2 TB.
- Update your PlayStation version before formatting.
- Quick format option is good for PS4 formatting.
- You can store PS4 games and PS5 games.
How to Format External Hard Drive on PS4
Formatting a USB hard drive for PS4 is easy. You just need to ensure that your hard drive is backed up properly before formatting and there is no data on the drive. You can seek more support on formatting an external hard drive on PS5.
Step 1. Connect your external hard drive at the back of your PS4.
Step 2. Turn ON your PS4 and explore the Settings section.
Step 3. Go to the Storage tab and select USB Extended Storage from options.
Step 4. Click on the ‘Format as USB Extended Storage’ option and follow the wizard. If you have connected multiple drives, you can click on the ‘Select another USB Drive’ option to switch between USB drives.
Step 5. Let the process complete before you remove the USB drive. Do not interrupt or turn OFF the device to avoid data loss, damage or corruption on the drive.
Format Hard Drive for PS4 on a PC
Formatting an external hard drive on a PC is easy! You should take a proper backup before you format the external hard drive to safeguard your important files and documents.
Step 1. Connect your External Hard Drive to the PC and check if it is discovered.
Step 2. Press (Win +E) to access Windows Explorer and click on the External hard drive in the left-hand side panel of the explorer.
Step 3. Right-click on the external hard drive and click on the Format option.
Step 4. Select the File System as FAT32 or exFAT. Put a tick on Quick Format under Format Options.
Step 5. Click on the Start button to initiate formatting your external hard drive for PS4. Click on the Ok button to finish formatting.
Connect the external hard drive with the PS4 and check in the settings section if you are able to discover the external storage.
Format USB for PS4
If you want to use a USB flash drive as an external storage device for PS4, you just need to ensure that the USB drive is of a minimum of 256 GB. You can use it to transfer files from internal storage to external storage however may not install multiple games. The process to format USB for PS4 is the same. You can connect it to the PS4 and format it using the settings. You can also format it using a PC with the above steps. If you face issues with PS4 or your PS4 Cannot Access System Storage, you can follow this troubleshooting guide.
Format Hard Drive for PS4 Using Data Recovery Software
The Best Data Recovery Software can offer you a lot of utilities for storage devices. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard can help you backup, restore, manage, format, clone, copy, delete, extend, or shrink hard drive partitions. You can take a backup of all your data on the external hard drive before you format the drive.
EaseUS Data Recovery will help you create partitions on the external hard drive. You can use one partition for gaming on PS4 and use the other half to keep your data backed up and secured. This data backup software can safeguard your data avoid game crashes. It can also help you recover deleted files from formatted, crashed, or corrupt devices. You can recover files from internal/external HDD, SSD, 4K Drive, USB Drive, SD Card and all other storage devices.
Summing Up
This article on how to format an external hard drive for PS4 has all the basic steps to format a hard drive for PS4. You can format a hard drive by connecting it to the PS4 or connecting it to the PC. The Best Data Recovery is also a great solution to automate the process and ease up your task. Troubleshoot the USB drive to ensure your external drive is compatible and working properly.