When it comes to talking about PS4 Pro, we actually talk about a mighty game console with powerful set of hardware. It delivers cutting-edge gaming experience that pleases enthusiasts in all aspects, except the aspect that relates to storage. If it was only that PS4 Pro with 2tb hard drive, it would be almost without any disadvantages compared with other consoles. You will fully realize it when you get a PS4 Pro 2tb that offers double the space it had when you first bought it.
Samsung Electronics believes that the NAND flash industry will produce 253EB of flash memory in 2020, up from 84EB in 2015. The file system is not support' after connecting a drive to PS4 console. We don't recommend 2tb SSD for PS4 consoles and we prefer either an external hard drive add-on or an internal hard drive upgrade with 2tb SSHD.
Upgrade Ps4 Hard Drive 2tb
For this reason I have compiled this guide. It presents the best 2tb internal hard drive you can obtain for your PlayStation 4 Pro. It will not only expand the storage space of your console to 2tb, but also will improve its performance. That means, consequently, it will remarkably enhance the way you play. I also explain why you have to change/replace PS4 Pro internal hard drive with a modern drive. Additionally, you'll learn why I support this method over adding an external storage solution.
Seagate is currently the only HDD manufacturer that offers a 2tb hard drive in 2.5-inch form factor that fits into PS4 Slim drive bay. An excellent example of an external backup device that supports multiple hard drives is the Drobo. Western Digital WD 2TB 2.5' Playstation 4 Hard Drive (PS4) SATA III 6.0Gb/s 128MB Cache / WD20SPZX WD20SPZX 7mm thin 2.5' SATA III Hard Drive 2TB /2000GB 5400RPM, Works with any PS4 Model, laptops that take 2.5' 9.5mm or 7mm SATA hard drives Cache: 128MB. Best cheap PS4 and Xbox One external hard drive If you're on a budget, then the cheapest external drive we recommend for PS4 or Xbox One is the Toshiba Canvio Basics.
Worth it to say that I've published a complete guide on upgrading PS4 Pro internal HDD. So, check it out if you want to learn more about this topic. As for this guide, it specializes more on the 2tb storage capacity that most PS4 Pro users like to get.
Note that also that you might want to consider a 2tb SSD for your PS4 Pro instead. So, visit our PS4 Pro SSD Guide to learn more about that option.
That said, this guide is only about upgrading PS4 Pro internal Hard Drive to 2tb. It doesn't support the use of external hard drives to expand PS4 Pro storage space. If you're looking for a 2tb external hard drive for your game console, visit our PS4 Pro External Storage Guide.
Best PS4 Pro 2tb Hard Drives
On the market today, there is only a couple of 2tb hard drives I can recommend for PS4 Pro. Both of these hard drives are from Seagate. That's because it's the only company that still develops mechanical hard drives in 2.5-inch form factor, whereas other manufacturers abandoned this industry.
Seagate Firecuda 2tb Gaming SSHD
The first 2tb hard drive that I strongly recommend and deem the best 2tb HDD for PS4 Pro, is actually a Solid State Hybrid Drive (SSHD). It's a combination between the classical HDD and a small portion of SSD to deliver the maximum possible performance.
Seagate Firecuda ST2000LX001 is my top choice for PS4 Pro 2tb HDD. Although it's specifically classified as a solid state hybrid drive (SSHD), it belongs to the general category of hard drives.
Generally, the primary concept of an SSHD is to combine the technology of mechanical hard drives and that of an SSD into one place. That way the SSHD guarantees the capacious, low-price storage space of HDD and the blazing speed of SSD at a minimal cost. Therefore, it features a good compromise for space, speed and price. Every hard drive has a caching memory (cache buffer) which's an embedded memory in a hard disk drive (HDD). It acts as a buffer between the rest of the computer and the physical hard disk platter that is used for storage. It's used to accelerate the data transfer speed between the CPU and the hard drive. Therefore, the larger this memory, the faster the drive is.
In SSHD, in addition to the cache buffer, there's a 2nd tier caching memory that utilizes a much larger portion of SSD. The reason for that is to increase the data transfer speed to much higher levels, that, although cannot match the speed of a mere SSD, will significantly increase the performance of the drive. Additionally, this nifty drive is backed by an industry-best 5-year limited warranty. A warranty that beats most competitive drive warranties by up to 2 or 3 years. The cutting edge has never felt so safe.
That said, don't wonder why I have picked this drive as the best PS4 Pro 2tb hard drive upgrade you can ever think of.
Basic Features
- 2.5-inch form factor
- 128mb cache buffer (1st tier)
- 8gb SSD memory (2nd tier)
- Slim design—7mm z-height
- SATA III interface
- 2tb storage capacity
- 5400rpm spindle speed
- 5-year limited warranty
Detailed Review
You can read more on this drive in the Seagate Firecuda 2tb SSHD review.
Full Upgrade Kit
Alternatively, you can get a complete upgrade kit like 'Fantom Drives PS4 Hard Drive Upgrade Kit' that includes, in addition to the above drive, everything you need for a seamless upgrade process.
Seagate Barracuda 2tb HDD
If, for any reason, you don't like to opt for an SSHD, you can go for a traditional hard drive like Seagate Barracuda 2tb HDD. It's exactly the same drive as above with all features except that it doesn't have a 2nd-tier SSD caching plus the warranty is only 2 years.
In opposite to what's stated on the official sales page of Seagate Barracuda HDD, this drive does NOT support Multi-caching. Have a look at the official drive's datasheet (download it from here) and skip to page 8, where you can find the drive specification summary, and you will realize that this is a mere classical hard drive without any multi-caching system. Whereas the drive specification page of Seagate Firecuda SSHD states clearly this fact. (download it from here and go to page 7)
Anyway, if you are mainly interested in expanding PS4 Pro storage to 2tb, and the current performance of PS4 Pro satisfies you to the extent that you don't want to improve it, you can go for this drive and save around $10 only. It's still a good bargain, as it is faster and more reliable than the stock PS4 Pro hard drive. With it you can enjoy 2tb of storage space on your PS4 Pro without the fear of running out of space any sooner.
Basic Features
After this point there's no other drive we can recommend for PS4 Pro 2tb HDD upgrade. We stated already that all of the 2tb capacity hard drives are manufactured by Seagate only, so other options in hands are just obsolete models like Seagate Mobile HDD and Seagate SpinPoint M9T.
Why Go for PS4 Pro 2tb Hard Drive
There are several reasons that justify/promote going for PS4 Pro 2tb hard drive upgrade, which are:
- The stock hard drive of PS4 Pro is an old and obsolete hard drive model that's no longer developed. Replacing it with a new 2tb drive that meets the modern standards of storage technologies will grant you more space for games and movies. Also, you'd get a better performance and reliability, although the performance boost you'll feel is not that big unless you go for an SSHD.
- PS4 AAA-grade games are dramatically increasing in file size. Soon you'll find that the 500gb or even the 1tb offered by PS4 Pro is not enough. A 2tb hard drive can stay with you a year or two without worrying about running out of space.
- If you pick a 2tb hybrid hard drive, you'll gain a good performance boost for your gaming experience. The games and applications will load notably faster than before (Check the Seagate Firecuda 2tb SSHD review for more details).
- Modern hard drives in general offer more reliability and durability than old models. That means, the new 2tb hard drive you pick will be more protected from failure/error than the stock hard drive that many users started to experience defects with it. That's all featured by the long guarantee time of new hard drives offered by the manufacturer (can be up to 5 years. It's just like the case with Seagate Firecuda 2tb SSHD).
- Upgrading the internal hard drive of PS4 Pro to 2tb won't require you to attach any external device to it. Now you can store everything in-house, and everything will be handy and accessible on the fly.
You can also check the best 5 methods to expand PS4 storage capacity for more options and insights.
How to Upgrade
If you've finally decided to upgrade your PS4 Pro HDD to 2tb, you need to learn about the upgrade process. It's actually quite simple. Just get one of the above drives in hand, and get a Philips-head screwdriver. You need also a USB flash drive stick to install the PS4 operating system from scratch. An external hard drive enclosure is strongly recommended in order to make use of the replaced drive. You may also want an external hard drive to backup your data before upgrading PS4 Pro to 2tb.
Now, first off, go download the full installation package of PS4 System Software Update. Remember, the FULL PACKAGE, which comes in almost 900mb, NOT the patch.
Now, when everything is ready with you, follow the guidelines in this video below.
Conclusion
Having a PS4 Pro 2tb hard drive is the best thing you can do for your game console. It's not only about the 2tb storage capacity that you'll get. But also the performance boost and solid reliability that can every PS4 model needs. Moreover, the 2tb PS4 Pro HDD will make you rest assured that no shortage of storage space will occur anymore. At least for the coming one or two years. Unless you are an enthusiast with exceptional needs, then you'll need a larger capacity. Try it and enjoy. You'll surely feel the difference.
1Best PS4 Pro 2tb Hard DrivesSummary :
Do you know what hard drive is compatible with your PS3? How to replace or upgrade your PS3? If you don't know those, you should read this post, in which MiniTool recommends you 4 suitable hard drives and shows you how to replace the PS3 hard drive.
Quick Navigation :
PlayStation 3 is a home console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released in 2006 and discontinued in 2017. So far, most players may have already bought more advanced gaming devices like PS4, but there are still some players continue to use PS3 due to nostalgia or other reasons.
Now, PS5 is coming on the way. Get more information from this post: Sony PlayStation PS5 New Features, Games and Specs.
Most hard drives shipped with the PS3 consoles have a small capacity and the largest capacity is 500GB, which means that the storage space will soon run out and you have to delete some games. To avoid that situation, you can upgrade your PS3 hard drive to a lager one or add a PS3 external hard drive. If so, this post is worth reading.
Best PS3 Internal Hard Drive
If you want to upgrade PS3 internal hard drive, you may wonder what hard drives are compatible with PS3. In practical terms, you just need to make sure that the new PS3 hard drive is a 2.5-inch 9.5mm SATA drive.
However, there are still some principles you need to adhere to when purchasing a PS3 hard drive:
Capacity: It seems that the max capacity supported by PS3 is 1TB. Although there are some people saying they have installed 2TB hard drive into PS3 successfully, there are also some people saying their PS3 can't work after installing 2TB hard drive.
Interface: The interface equipped on the PS3 console is SATA I (150 MB/s). If you want to save money, you can buy a hard drive with SATA II (300 MB/s). However, if you want to use this drive on other devices after eliminating the PS3 completely, you should buy a hard drive with SATA III (600 MB/s).
Here I recommend two PS3 internal hard drives to you.
Ps4 External Hard Drive 2tb
1. HGST Travelstar 7K1000 2.5-Inch Hard Drive 0J22423
Capacity: 1 TB
Cache: 32 MB
Rotational speed: 7,200 rpm
Interface: SATA III
Price: $68
HGST hard drives have always been known for their reliability. The HGST Travelstar drive 0J22423 has no exception. In addition, the high rotational speed brings you a smooth gaming experience on PS3.
2. Western Digital 500GB 2.5-Inch PS3/PS4 Hard Drive WD500LPCX
Capacity: 500 GB
Cache: 8 MB
Rotational speed: 5,400 rpm
Interface: SATA III
Warranty: 2 years
Price: $31.39
This drive is very cheap and can work with any PS3/PS4 Model. If 500 GB is enough for you, you can buy this drive. Its rotational speed is not low and can also bring you a smooth gaming experience.
Best PS3 External Hard Drive
Another way to enlarge PS3 storage space is adding a PS3 external hard drive, which is also the easiest way. You just need to buy a PS3 external hard drive, format it to FAT32 (it is the only file system supported by PS3), and then connect it to your PS3 console.
Although PS3 consoles come with a USB 2.0 interface (60 MB/s), I suggest you should buy an external hard drive with USB 3.0 interface (625 MB/s), which is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and performs ten times faster than USB 2.0 HDDs.
In addition, if you choose USB 3.0, you can use this drive in other occasions (PC, PS4, etc.) without worry about speed.
Here I recommend two PS3 external hard drives to you.
1. Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk External Hard Drive
Capacity: 1 TB, 2 TB, 3 TB
Interface: USB 3.0
Warranty: 2 years
File system: NTFS
Price: Starts at $92
The GoFlex Desk external drive delivers high-capacity storage, backup and encryption for all your files with its plug-and-play USB 3.0 connectivity. You can use it in many situations and it performs well.
2. WD Gaming Drive
Capacity: 2 TB, 3 TB, 4TB
Interface: USB 3.0
Warranty: 3 years Best vst plugins 2020.
Price: Starts at $78.99
This drive is originally designed for PS4 console, but its USB 3.0 interface makes it also compatible with PS3. Setup is easy. Just connect this drive to a PS3 console and make a quick formatting. You're game-on in next-to-no time.
How to Upgrade
If you've finally decided to upgrade your PS4 Pro HDD to 2tb, you need to learn about the upgrade process. It's actually quite simple. Just get one of the above drives in hand, and get a Philips-head screwdriver. You need also a USB flash drive stick to install the PS4 operating system from scratch. An external hard drive enclosure is strongly recommended in order to make use of the replaced drive. You may also want an external hard drive to backup your data before upgrading PS4 Pro to 2tb.
Now, first off, go download the full installation package of PS4 System Software Update. Remember, the FULL PACKAGE, which comes in almost 900mb, NOT the patch.
Now, when everything is ready with you, follow the guidelines in this video below.
Conclusion
Having a PS4 Pro 2tb hard drive is the best thing you can do for your game console. It's not only about the 2tb storage capacity that you'll get. But also the performance boost and solid reliability that can every PS4 model needs. Moreover, the 2tb PS4 Pro HDD will make you rest assured that no shortage of storage space will occur anymore. At least for the coming one or two years. Unless you are an enthusiast with exceptional needs, then you'll need a larger capacity. Try it and enjoy. You'll surely feel the difference.
1Best PS4 Pro 2tb Hard DrivesSummary :
Do you know what hard drive is compatible with your PS3? How to replace or upgrade your PS3? If you don't know those, you should read this post, in which MiniTool recommends you 4 suitable hard drives and shows you how to replace the PS3 hard drive.
Quick Navigation :
PlayStation 3 is a home console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was released in 2006 and discontinued in 2017. So far, most players may have already bought more advanced gaming devices like PS4, but there are still some players continue to use PS3 due to nostalgia or other reasons.
Now, PS5 is coming on the way. Get more information from this post: Sony PlayStation PS5 New Features, Games and Specs.
Most hard drives shipped with the PS3 consoles have a small capacity and the largest capacity is 500GB, which means that the storage space will soon run out and you have to delete some games. To avoid that situation, you can upgrade your PS3 hard drive to a lager one or add a PS3 external hard drive. If so, this post is worth reading.
Best PS3 Internal Hard Drive
If you want to upgrade PS3 internal hard drive, you may wonder what hard drives are compatible with PS3. In practical terms, you just need to make sure that the new PS3 hard drive is a 2.5-inch 9.5mm SATA drive.
However, there are still some principles you need to adhere to when purchasing a PS3 hard drive:
Capacity: It seems that the max capacity supported by PS3 is 1TB. Although there are some people saying they have installed 2TB hard drive into PS3 successfully, there are also some people saying their PS3 can't work after installing 2TB hard drive.
Interface: The interface equipped on the PS3 console is SATA I (150 MB/s). If you want to save money, you can buy a hard drive with SATA II (300 MB/s). However, if you want to use this drive on other devices after eliminating the PS3 completely, you should buy a hard drive with SATA III (600 MB/s).
Here I recommend two PS3 internal hard drives to you.
Ps4 External Hard Drive 2tb
1. HGST Travelstar 7K1000 2.5-Inch Hard Drive 0J22423
Capacity: 1 TB
Cache: 32 MB
Rotational speed: 7,200 rpm
Interface: SATA III
Price: $68
HGST hard drives have always been known for their reliability. The HGST Travelstar drive 0J22423 has no exception. In addition, the high rotational speed brings you a smooth gaming experience on PS3.
2. Western Digital 500GB 2.5-Inch PS3/PS4 Hard Drive WD500LPCX
Capacity: 500 GB
Cache: 8 MB
Rotational speed: 5,400 rpm
Interface: SATA III
Warranty: 2 years
Price: $31.39
This drive is very cheap and can work with any PS3/PS4 Model. If 500 GB is enough for you, you can buy this drive. Its rotational speed is not low and can also bring you a smooth gaming experience.
Best PS3 External Hard Drive
Another way to enlarge PS3 storage space is adding a PS3 external hard drive, which is also the easiest way. You just need to buy a PS3 external hard drive, format it to FAT32 (it is the only file system supported by PS3), and then connect it to your PS3 console.
Although PS3 consoles come with a USB 2.0 interface (60 MB/s), I suggest you should buy an external hard drive with USB 3.0 interface (625 MB/s), which is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and performs ten times faster than USB 2.0 HDDs.
In addition, if you choose USB 3.0, you can use this drive in other occasions (PC, PS4, etc.) without worry about speed.
Here I recommend two PS3 external hard drives to you.
1. Seagate FreeAgent GoFlex Desk External Hard Drive
Capacity: 1 TB, 2 TB, 3 TB
Interface: USB 3.0
Warranty: 2 years
File system: NTFS
Price: Starts at $92
The GoFlex Desk external drive delivers high-capacity storage, backup and encryption for all your files with its plug-and-play USB 3.0 connectivity. You can use it in many situations and it performs well.
2. WD Gaming Drive
Capacity: 2 TB, 3 TB, 4TB
Interface: USB 3.0
Warranty: 3 years Best vst plugins 2020.
Price: Starts at $78.99
This drive is originally designed for PS4 console, but its USB 3.0 interface makes it also compatible with PS3. Setup is easy. Just connect this drive to a PS3 console and make a quick formatting. You're game-on in next-to-no time.
What's the difference between an internal and external hard drive for PS4? When you need to expand the storage of PS4, which one will you choose?
How to Upgrade PS3 Hard Drive
How to Upgrade PS3 Hard Drive
- Back up game data via the backup utility on the PS3.
- Replace the PS3 hard drive.
- Reinstall the system software.
- Restore the game data.
Then, read the following content to get a detailed guide.
First Move: Back up PS3 Game Data
Step 1: Prepare a USB drive or an external hard drive and connect it to your computer. Please note that this drive should be large enough to store all the content of the original PS3 hard drive.
Step 2: Convert the partition on the drive to FAT32 file system. If you do this in Disk Management, you should delete the partition and then create many small FAT32 partitions, which is not convenient. Therefore, I suggest you use MiniTool Partition Wizard.
- Download MiniTool Partition Wizard and launch it.
- Right-click the partition to choose Format if the partition is not larger than 2 TB and there is no data in the partition; Choose Convert NTFS to FAT (not free) if there is important data in the partition and the partition is not larger than 2 TB; Choose Delete if the partition is larger than 2 TB or it is not an NTFS partition.
- If you choose Delete, you should then right-click the gray unallocated space and choose Create to create a new FAT32 partition.
- Click the Apply button to execute all the pending operations.
Are you searching for a FAT32 formatter to format your USB drive, SD card, external hard drive to FAT32? Four ways are here.
Step 3: Connect the FAT32 drive to your PS3 console and then back up all your favorite or important data.
- From the PS3 Home screen, go to System Settings > Backup Utility.
- Select Back Up and then Yes.
- Choose the destination (the drive you inserted just now). Then, the backup process starts and you just need to wait for it to finish.
Then, you can perform PS3 hard drive replacement as the following contents.
Second Move: Replace PS3 Hard Drive
Step 1: Turn off the PS3 and the system. Then, remove the plug for the power cord from the electrical outlet, and then detach the other cables from the system.
Step 2: Remove the HDD bay on the system.
- In some PS3 models, the HDD bay is located on the left side of the system. You should use a small screwdriver to remove the HDD bay cover, remove the blue screw, then raise the metal handle to pull the hard disk out from the system, or raise the metal handle, slide the hard disk to the right, and then pull out the hard disk.
- In some PS3 models, the HDD bay is located at the bottom of the system. You should place the system upside down and then open the screw cover. Then, remove the blue screw that fastens the hard disk in place, slide the HDD bay cover to the left to remove it, and then pull the handle upwards to pull out the hard disk from the system.
Step 3: Use a crosshead screwdriver to remove the screws (4 places) and then lift one end and slide the hard disk out to remove it from the metal frame.
Step 4: Mount the PS3 replacement hard disk into the metal frame and install it back in the system. Then, reattach the blue screw and the HDD bay cover.
Third Move: Reinstall the System Software
2tb Ps4 Hard Drive Replacement
After the PS3 hard drive replacement, you should reinstall the PS3 system as follows:
Step 1: Turn on the PS3 system. Follow the on-screen instructions to perform initial setup.
Step 2: Reinstall the PS3 system software.
- Click here to download PS3 system software to your computer.
- Name the software 'PUP' and then save it on a USB storage device. The store path should be 'USB drive > PS3 > UPDATE> PS3UPDAT.PUP', which means that you should create a folder 'PS3' in the USB drive and then create a folder 'UPDATE' in the PS3 folder.
- Connect the USB storage device that contains the update file to your PS3 system, and then follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall the PS3 system.
PS4 can't read USB storage drive when plugging a USB flash drive to PlayStation 4? This post will provide you with solutions about 2 cases.
Fourth Move: Restore PS3 Game Data
After the PS3 system is reinstalled, you can restore your PS3 data. Please refer to the following steps:
Step 1: Connect the drive containing the backup data to the PS3 console.
Step 2: From the PS3 Home screen, go to System Settings > Backup Utility and select Restore. Then, click Yes button.
Step 3: Choose the storage media that contains the backup data and then select the backup data to restore. Then, click Yes to restore the data.
PS3 Hard Drive FAQ
This post recommends 4 suitable PS4 SSDs to you and shows you how to upgrade PS4 to SSD without data loss.
Bottom Line
After reading this post, do you have any doubt about PS3 hard drive compatibility and replacement? Do you have any doubt about converting PS3 external hard drive to FAT32 file system?
If you have any question, please leave a comment below or contact us via [email protected]. We will reply to you as soon as possible.
