Having an external hard drive to expand your PS5’s storage is recommended to get the most out of your console. However, sometimes problems arise that can affect its performance.
We provide useful information and tips for troubleshooting PS5 external hard drive issues. From authentication errors to data transfer issues, we’ll guide you step-by-step so you can enjoy exceptional storage without interruptions. Don’t miss these valuable tips and keep reading to learn how to troubleshoot your external hard drives on the PS5!
- Check the physical connection: Make sure the USB cable connecting the external hard drive to the PS5 is securely connected at both ends.
- Check compatibility: Make sure the external hard drive is compatible with the PS5. Some older varieties do not work well.
- Restart the console: Restart the PS5. Sometimes a reset can fix temporary connection problems with an external hard drive.
- Format the hard drive: If the external hard drive is not recognized by the PS5, it may need to be formatted by Sony following the steps given on their official website
- PS5 software update: Make sure you have the latest PS5 software installed on your console. The update may resolve compatibility issues with external devices.
- Check hard drive capacity: If the external hard drive doesn’t show up correctly on the PS5, make sure it’s properly partitioned and recommended for use with the console.
- Try a different USB port: If the PS5 has multiple USB ports, try connecting an external hard drive to a different port to fix the problem with that port.
- Factory reset: If you can’t fix the problem, you can try to reset your PS5 to factory settings. Please note that this will delete all your data, so be sure to make a backup first.
Why do You Need a PS5 Externa Hard Drive?
The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a home video console released by Sony Interactive Entertainment in November 2020. It is designed with two versions: a standard version and a digital version. The latter does not have a Blu-ray compatible optical disc.
As the successor of the PlayStation 4 (PS4), the PS5 has greatly improved its interface. It features a brand new architecture, faster storage and better decision support, making it very popular among gaming enthusiasts. It has received many praises from users since its release.
How to Connect an External Hard Drive to PS5?
However, the PS5 does not offer much storage compared to the PS4. The PS5 is designed with an SSD that only offers 825GB of storage capacity while the PS4 offers an HDD with up to 1TB of storage capacity.
Subtracting the storage taken up by the system only leaves about 667GB for users on the PS5. This could be bad news for users planning to install multiple games on the console.
PS5 External Hard Drive Requirements
Not all external storage devices are guaranteed to work with the PS5 console. If you decide to use an external hard drive on the PS5, the following requirements must be met.
- The transfer rate of the PS5 external hard drive must be SuperSpeedUSB 5Gbps (USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen1/USB 3.2 Gen1) or higher.
- External hard disk capacity must be at least 250GB and not more than 8TB.
- An external hard drive cannot be connected to the PS5 via a USB hub. You cannot connect multiple USB drives to your PS5 at the same time, which means you can only use one at a time.
How to Use PS5 External Hard Drive
By formatting the external hard drive to exFAT, you can use it as a PS5 extended storage device. What can you do about it? Continue reading for more details.
The PS5 is backwards compatible with PS4 games, and most PS4 games are playable on the PS5. To save storage space on your PS5’s SSD, you can download and install PS4 games on your external hard drive, and these games can be played directly from the drive.
And on the PS5 console, you can set your external hard drive as the default backup for new PS4 games downloaded from the store.
