Best external hard drive for PS5 & PS4 2022

Finding the best external hard drive and SSD memory  for PS5 and PS4 is becoming increasingly important as games evolve and take up more and more space of the console’s internal memory.

If we look at the PS5, the internal memory is 825GB, but since the system should have some space for this, it only remains approx. 667GB to store games on. Then you can understand that the internal memory is quickly eaten up when several of today’s popular games are around 100GB each.

In addition to increasing the memory with an external hard drive, it is also possible to expand the internal memory of a PS5 console using an M.2 SSD. If you want to find tips on suitable models for PS5, you can look into our article with the  best internal SSD . 

Now we take and dive into the top list of external models!

Overview best external hard drive for PS5 & PS4 2022

1. Samsung T7 SSD

Best external SSD for PS5

• Optimal SSD for PlayStation 5

• Light and small like a bank card

• 1050 MB / s read & 1000 MB / s write

• Withstands falls up to 2 meters

• Password protected

2. SanDisk Extreme Pro V2

Best External SSD 2022 – Options

• Expensive external memory

• Very fast speeds

• 2000 MB / s read & 2000 MB / s write

• Water and dust resistant

• Smart loop in the corner

3. WD_BLACK P50 SSD

Best premium SSD for PS5 / PS4

• Awesome model developed specifically for gaming

• The shell is made of robust and shockproof metal

• Reads at 2000 MB / s & writes at 2000 MB / s

• Gives a nice impression

• 5 year warranty

4. Samsung T7 Shield

Best durable SSD for PS5 / PS4

• Really nice SSD memory

• Has a rubber shell with IP65 rating

• Perfect if you have children at home

• Reads at 1050 MB / s and writes at 1000 MB / s

• Can be password protected

5. Seagate Game Drive PlayStation

Best Cheap External Hard Drive for PS5 / PS4

• Affordable and inexpensive external hard drive

• Officially licensed by Sony

• Reads up to 140 MB / s

• Optimal if you have a large game library

• Available in 2TB and 4TB

Buying guide external hard drive PlayStation

When looking for the best external hard drive and SSD memory for your PS5 or PS4, there are a few things to keep in mind. One may ask what type of external memory should one invest in? Or what is the best choice between SSD and HDD? 

Below we go through the most important things to know before your choice, so that you get a good overall picture of what differentiates between different models and what fits your PlayStation console.

What is the difference between SSD and HDD?

To begin with, it is possible to buy two different types of external storage for PS5 and PS4. These are the newer solid state drive (SSD) memory and the older hard disk drive (HDD) memory. Their job is the same, to store data, but what sets them apart?

An HDD uses physical mechanical parts, while an SSD is made up of a flash memory, without any mechanics. What does this mean for the function then? Well, it makes an SSD memory faster, quieter, more energy efficient and more durable. However, it is still significantly more expensive than HDD.

So if you have the budget, an SSD is preferable, but an HDD is still significantly more affordable and will work well for both a PS4 and a PS5 as well. 

Which external hard drives are suitable for PS5?

All types of hard drives and SSDs that use USB 3.0 are suitable for PS5. The vast majority of external memories use at least USB 3.0 today.

How do I make the hard drive work on my PS5?

When the external hard disk or SSD is connected for the first time, it needs to be formatted to work with your PS5. How to use:

– Connect the SSD or hard disk drive  to a USB port on the back of the PS5 console.

– Go to Settings > Storage .

– Select Extended USB storage > Format as extended USB storage . Clear!

Which external memories are suitable for PS4?

Just like with the PS5, all external hard drives and SSDs that have USB 3.0 and up work. This means that most of today’s external memories that are sold work to use.

How do I make the hard drive work on my PS4?

Even on PS4, a new SSD memory or hard drive needs to be formatted for the first time to work with the console. Do this:

– Connect the external memory to a USB port on the back.

– Go to Settings > Devices > USB storage devices . 

– Select the USB storage device you want to format and select Format as extended storage . Clear!

How much extra memory for PS5?

It can be difficult to know how much extra memory to invest in. If you know that you are someone who likes to vary between many different games and would like to have a large library, you should invest in a larger hard drive around 2-4TB. 

For many gamers, however, it is enough to buy 1TB extra, which gives a little over 1.5 TB useful space to store games, with the PS5’s internal memory included.

Expand the internal memory of the PS5 instead?

On a PS5 you can not play PS5 games directly on an external memory, but you can only play PS4 games on the external memory and store PS5 games that you do not currently play. However, it is possible to expand the internal memory of a PS5 and play directly on it, so many choose to do so instead.

For a PS5 console, it is an M.2 SSD that fits and to find tips on good such models, you can check out our article with the  best internal SSD . When installing an internal memory in a PS5, Sony has produced a good own guide, which you can read  here .

Memory size

External hard drives and SSDs come in different sizes of memory. It is most common to find models that are between 500 GB-4 TB today. A larger memory means a higher price, everything else being equal.

Now we take a look at the top models for PS5!

Best external hard drive for PS5 & PS4 2022

1. Samsung T7

Best external SSD for PS5

• Capacity : 500GB – 2TB
• Read speed: Up to 1050MB / s

• Interface: USB 3.2, USB-C
• External power source: No.

Samsung has long been one of the market leaders when it comes to internal and external SSDs and their model T7 is in our opinion the best model right now for external storage for a PS5 and PS4.

The T7 is a fast and quiet SSD that is easy to configure. Something we like extra much is the size, this memory is no bigger than a regular debit card or ID. This makes it easy to carry and easy to hide.

The shell is built of durable aluminum that can withstand falls up to a height of 2 meters. Furthermore, this model comes with both a USB-C cable and a USB-A cable. If you want to protect the contents of the disk, it is also possible to password protect the contents.

2. SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD V2

Best SSD 2022 for Playstation 5 – Options

• Capacity : 250GB – 4TB
• Read speed: Up to 2000MB / s

• Interface: USB 3.2, USB-C
• External power source: No.

SanDisk Extreme Pro V2 is a lavish SSD memory that is IP55-rated, which means that it is water and dust resistant. In addition, it is robust and durable built, with a slightly larger size than the Samsung T7 above. We like that there is a small loop in the corner to attach the counter if you are on the go.

This version offers fast speeds up to 2000MB / s, which makes the transfer fast to your PS5 or PS4. There is also an older version of this SSD that offers 1050 MB / s read speed, it is only called Extreme Pro, without V2 in the name.

The SanDisk Extreme Pro V2 comes with both a USB-C to USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-A cable. Furthermore, you can also password protect the content.

3. WD_Black P50

Best external premium SSD for PS5

• Capacity : 500GB – 4TB
• Read speed: Up to 2000MB / s

• Interface: USB 3.2, USB-C
• External power source: No.

From the well-known memory manufacturer Western Digital comes this fast SSD, with a sleek design and layout. This SSD is specifically designed for gaming and is perfect for a PlayStation console.

P50 is well made and shockproof in a robust metal shell. It is slightly larger and more clumsy compared to other models, e.g. our first choice Samsung T7.

With speeds up to 2000MB / s, however, the WD_Black P50 is one of the fastest external SSD models right now. It comes with a Superspeed USB-C to USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-A cable. But if it tastes good, it costs and this is also one of the most expensive external SSD memories and suits you who want the sharpest regardless of price tag.

4. Samsung T7 Shield

Best durable external SSD for PS5

• Capacity : 1TB – 2TB
• Read speed: Up to 1050MB / s

• Interface: USB 3.2, USB-C
• External power source: No.

The T7 Shield is a slightly more lavish version of the regular T7, where the difference is that this is significantly more durable, but also has a higher price tag. The shell is made of rubber and absorbs bangs and shocks exemplary, perfect if you have younger children at home who may accidentally tear down the SSD memory.

Thanks to its IP65 rating, it is also completely dustproof and can withstand water jets and rain. Inside the shell, it has the same performance as regular T7s, which means fast read speeds of up to 1050MB / s.

T7 Shield is available in the colors black, blue and beige and in terms of size it is possible to choose between 1TB or 2TB.

5. Seagate Game Drive PlayStation

Best Cheap External Hard Drive PS5, PS4 2022

• Capacity : 2TB – 4TB
• Read speed: Up to 140MB / s

• Interface: USB 3.0, USB-C
• External power source: No.

Seagate Game Drive is an affordable and inexpensive external hard drive for PS5 and PS4. It is also officially licensed for PlayStation and matches the consoles nicely. 

With this hard drive you get a lot of memory for the money and can store 30+ PS5 games and 50+ PS4 games on the 2TB disk in round robins as well as 60+ PS5 games and 100+ PS4 games on the 4TB version.

The hard drive has a durable and stylish aluminum shell, where the 2TB version comes with a completely black design and 4TB has a black and blue design.

Summary best SSD & hard drive for PS5 2022

The internal memory of a PlayStation console is limited and today’s games are getting bigger in size, which can quickly eat up the space in the console. Thanks to an external hard drive or SSD for your PS5 and PS4 console, you can expand the memory for a reasonable amount of money.

On a PlayStation 5, the internal memory is a little over 670GB, as the system takes up a large part of the storage. If you want space for more games, it is therefore wise to expand the memory to avoid worrying about deleting games every time you want to install a new one.

When it comes to the type of storage, you can either choose on hard disk (HDD) or flash memory (SSD). The former is an older variant that is significantly cheaper, but slower and less durable. We recommend choosing an SSD if you have the budget for it.

Our top list of external hard drives and SSDs for PlayStation 2022 looks like this:

1. Samsung T7 SSD
2. SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD V2
3. WD_Black P50 SSD
4. Samsung T7 Shield SSD
5. Seagate Game Drive PlayStation HDD