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Picking up one of the best PS4 SSDs can give your console a well-needed boost, so you can store all of your PS4 games comfortably. The PS4 is in a weird spot at the moment - PS4 games available through PS Plus are gradually being phased out, which has only made the pool of games smaller and smaller as the years go on. But even so, if you're looking to give your aging pixel-pusher a bit of an upgrade, investing in a PS4 SSD is a great way to do just that.
Even now, many Sony fans don't realize how easy it is to fully upgrade the PS4's internal HDD to a SATA SSD. It may take a few hours to do, depending on data back-up, restore times, and your comfort level with computer-style surgeries, but it's easily done if you have the right tools.
Growing up on a tight gaming budget, I'm a firm believer in making the most of what you have and that includes still playing the PS4 if you aren't able to make the next-gen upgrade. One of the best ways to push Sony's last console further is by grabbing an SSD, but console storage can be a minefield of confusion. That's why I'm using my decades of experience with Sony hardware, and years of experience as a gaming tech journalist to help recommend what storage is worth picking up to give your old Sony machine a little boost.
The best internal PS4 SSDs
When it comes to SSDs, the EVO series has long been the gold standard, and the 860 EVO offers serious performance, teamed with modern design and parts.
SSD speeds are 3 to 4 times quicker than those of HDDs, and while there are a number of other factors at play when it comes to console gaming, you will notice a boost in performance with a pure, internal SSD. What's more, this is actually a cheaper option than buying an external SSD drive for your PS4. While the EVO is mid-range in terms of price, it's one of the best SATA drives for performance. What's more, you'll often find the EVO series on sale via sites like Amazon, so you'll rarely pay full price for it.
This is such a good SATA-type SSD, that I'm even considering it for my PS3 to breathe new life and durability into that console!
Anyway, there's never been a better time to go for an SATA drive for your PS4 or PS4 Pro as they are superior to hard drives, and the value they offer is incredible - you can pick them up so cheap now that they are one of the best PS4 SSDs on value alone.
The Crucial MX500 is one of the best going, too. Especially since it costs considerably less than other SATA SSD models at just $80-90 or £60-70 for 1TB. And for that investment, you're getting a reliable drive, with fewer moving g parts than an HDD, and one that will last a while. The speeds are decent for an SSD and definitely great for a PS4: about 550MB/s read speed, and 460MB/s write speed.
We're sort of cheating (but not really) with this option. The Seagate Firecuda offers SSD-like performance but is technically a hybrid drive. This keeps the price down in the first instance, but also gets you a solid performer that brings good elements of both drive type to the party. It's a 2.5" drive, so it'll fit neatly into your console (doubling the storage of your PS4 Pro, and potentially quadrupling the size of a regular 500GB model), and Seagate is a big, well-established name in PC storage, so this model is always going to be reliable and efficient.
What's more, the Firecuda offers better read and write speeds than a standard HDD, which means you get near-SSD performance at a cheaper price. That's common sense, right there.
The best PS4 external SSDs
The WD_Black P40 SSD is the latest in WD's gaming-focused external hard drives, and it's one of the best performers you can get your hands on. It takes the speedy specs and robust design of the P50 and carries both over to a small form factor body that makes use of some lovely ambient RGB lighting.
Read and write speeds were great in testing. The 2000MB/s speed you see on the box is as good as you'll get in an external hard drive, but in reality, it translates to some great load times and transfer speeds on PS5 and PC. I had a load of game capture footage stored on my PS5 I had been meaning to move across to my computer for video editing, and even though it was about 30 clips spanning a total of 22GB, the P40 swallowed it up from the PS5 in about a minute. The same was true of games once I formatted the drive for some extra storage. I transferred three games that added up to 18GB, and it moved across in just shy of a minute.
Unfortunately, the P40 is one of the more expensive options up and down this list, particularly because it's a recent release from one of the biggest names in storage. For your purchase though, you get the drive itself, WD's Windows dashboard, a USB-C cable and USB-A adapter, a quick install guide, and a 5-year warranty I'd be surprised if you need to use.
It's a tough call at the top of our best PS4 SSD list but the P50 probably just about takes it. The P50 has it all: a quality, cool design, a robust build, and exquisite speeds.
On the outside, it's a palm-sized rectangular drive that has a very cool-looking military style with molded metal and the traditional sleek WD_Black aesthetic and marking. Its USB-C port can be used on your devices as either a USB-A or USB-C connection and in our testing, we got the same speeds through either port so it shouldn't matter which you have free or available, or if you change the device it's used with during its lifetime. There's a small but clear LED indicator on one of the short ends which is always a help, but one small downside is that it does get a little warm when in use so it'll pay to keep that in mind when positioning it.
When it comes to speeds, what you're told you're getting and what happens is pretty much bang on. Its incredible performance for an external SSD and the stated speeds of 'up to 2000MB/s' was on the money in our testing. Real-world performance-wise, the P50 gives you everything a high-quality external SSD should do: games were loaded incredibly quickly, files were retrieved in the snap of a finger, and the performance levels were incredibly consistent. Of course, it might almost be too fast for the standard USB ports on the PS4, but it certainly maximises the use out of them and their own speeds - and it'll also be a perfect PS5 SSD for when you need to move everything over to the new generation.
It's a surefire SSD that will rapidly improve your gaming experience by far reducing the time looking at loading screens and increasing the time when you're actually playing. A true winner.
As you may have found, if you rummage around the PS4 SSD market a bit more thoroughly, you'll find 'hidden' gems, away from the usual suspects. The drives from the likes of OWC and Silicon Power are absolutely indicative of that. And the Bolt B75 Pro is no different: it's a cracking little drive and will offer a great value alternative from a smaller, but equally reliable name. In short, the Bolt B75 Pro is dependable, robust, competitively priced, and quality.
This is an Incredibly light, but incredibly robust unit, which means it's easily transportable yet you can have great confidence in it if you're prone to mishaps, or just want that extra protection. Its military-grade shockproof, aluminum case will look after the important stuff inside easily and the casing definitely exudes the rugged quality that was intended. The unit as a whole doesn't feel solid but that comes from its lightness - some folks may prefer a more hefty unit.
The SSD's performance is very solid, but nothing too spectacular. As a result, if you're after something that offers good value, want to upgrade from an existing HDD to SSD to ensure you get that better and faster performance without number chasing too much, and you want something robust then this is a great contender.
Crucial is another well-known and trusted storage maker, and their most recent additions - the X6 and X8 primarily - Emake for solid PS4 SSD options - as well as cross-gen ones for when you're ready to move to PS5. (Please note: this is a USB-C drive but comes with an adapter.)
The speeds might not be as astronomically quick as some on this list, but at 540 MB/s or so, it's still perfectly adequate for PS4 - and PS5 for that matter - and the lower speeds also help the bang for buck ratio to be weighted firmly in your favour. Its speeds are just as much of an upgrade from an HDD in real-world testing as any other SSD feels, and will have your games loaded snappily and safely.
However, there are a couple of caveats: the USB-C cable is very short and left the SSD hanging a bit when using it vertically. But the drive is so small and lightweight, it never feels at risk of coming loose. Grabbing an extra terabyte or two of reliable and speedy storage for our PS4 at a reasonable price makes this very bearable though.
The Crucial X10 Pro truly is a tiny drive - you can very easily fit in your pocket. While I was a bit too scared to test its durability properly, it's marketed as being resistant to splashes, dust, and drops. For those reasons, we award it with the best external hard drive for portability.
Its speeds aren't too shabby either. Used with the PS5, I managed to move a hefty 439.5GB from the console to the X10 Pro in 34 mins. While that might seem like a small eternity with today's Gen 5 SSD speeds, just imagine the time it'd take to download that much raw data. Transferring 46GB worth of 2018's God of War from the hard drive to console storage, meanwhile, took only 5 minutes and 16 seconds. The speeds on the box here are 2,100MB/s read, and 2,000MB/s write, so it wouldn't shy away from the absolute best options on the top of this list.
The only problem is, this is meant for professionals, not necessarily gamers. Its short cable is almost as annoying as its high price tag. Regardless, this is definitely one of the best external hard drives on the market if you want a portable solution for gaming, work, or content creation.
How we test PS4 SSDs
You can find out the specifics of how we test SSDs in our full GamesRadar Hardware Policy, but it's worth going stating here, too. At GamesRadar, we utilize extensive testing methods when reviewing the latest SSDs and hard drives, either for standalone write-ups or in lists just like this one.
For P45 SSDs, the biggest tests that we conduct are similar to that of the PS5 and are as follows:
CrystalDiskMark benchmarking tests
File transfer speed tests (from the console's internal storage and back again)
In-game loading times (time clocked between menus and gameplay, etc.)
When considering what makes a PS4 SSD one of the best available right now, we believe that money and price-to-performance ratio are paramount. When testing, we make sure to put the SSD through its paces on the PC, as well as the PS4, unless there are compatibility issues as play.
We also use CrystalDiskMark to benchmark the PCs in an environment where they're more likely to show their potential. We'll then install an SSD inside a PS4 and look at the console's own formatting benchmark, which shows just how much you'll get out of one in an actual PS4 console.
How to change your PS4's hard drive
If you're still unsure of the process, here's a quick video that shows you how to change your PS4's hard drive.
Best PS4 SSD FAQ
Do PS4 games run better on SSD?
SSD is a faster form of storage than HDD, so load times of PS4 games will definitely be quicker running off an SSD. You have a few options here, you can find an external SSD with good transfer speeds (like USB-C external drives), which have become more affordable of late. Alternatively, you can upgrade the internal HDD of your PS4 to a SATA SSD which will give you a roughly 30% performance boost across the board. Of course, if you have a PS5, PS4 games will run quicker on the newer hardware thanks to the internal SSD.
Is PS4 better with SSD?
SSD is, without a doubt, a superior form of storage to HDD. This is thanks to more intuitive architecture and machinery, which results in vastly better performance. In terms of the PS4, this will equate to much fast load times, and much of the time, more storage if you buy in larger capacities than what you've got in your PS4. For reference, SATA SSDs can have sequential read and write times like 550MB/s, whereas the fastest HDDs would be lucky if they reach 200MB/s.
Which SSD should I buy for my PS4?
The best PS4 SSD is either an external one, or a SATA SSD that can replace your internal HDD. Either will bring you massive quality of life updates to a console that's approaching 10 years on the market. In terms of internal options, we'd recommend the Samsung 860 EVO 1TB SSD, or, if you're watching your pennies, the Seagate 1TB Gaming SSHD ST1000LM014.
Does the PS4 Pro have an SSD?
The PS4 Pro does not come with an SSD, and instead comes with a 1TB HDD. However, this can be upgraded, like the launch PS4 and PS4 Slim, but the SSD that you integrate with the last-gen console must be no thicker than 9.5mm.
If you're after more ways of upgrading your PlayStation set up, take a look at the best PS5 accessories, or the best PS5 controllers and best PS5 headsets, many of which are compatible with Sony's last-gen console.
