Best SSD for PS4: Top Internal and External Drives

The best SSD for PS4 is the Samsung 870 EVO 1TB. It fits the PS4’s 2.5-inch SATA III bay, delivers consistent 550 MB/s reads, and dropped our God of War load times from 27 seconds to 11 seconds. We tested five SSDs across both the base PS4 and PS4 Pro to find the best options for internal and external upgrades.

#Which SSDs Work With the PS4?

The PS4 and PS4 Pro both accept any 2.5-inch SATA III SSD that’s 9.5mm thick or less. This is the same form factor used in most laptops, so you have plenty of options.

The PS4’s SATA II interface (base model) and SATA III interface (Pro model) cap data transfer speeds differently. According to Sony’s official PS4 support page, the internal drive bay accepts standard 2.5-inch drives. The base PS4 maxes out around 300 MB/s due to SATA II, while the Pro reaches closer to 500 MB/s with SATA III. Don’t pay extra for an NVMe SSD or a drive rated above 560 MB/s since your PS4 won’t use that extra speed.

For external storage, the PS4 supports USB 3.0 drives between 250GB and 8TB at roughly 400 MB/s in practice. If your PS4 database is corrupted or you’re running low on space, an external SSD is the quickest fix without opening the console.

#Best Internal SSDs for PS4

Here’s how the top three internal SSDs compare based on our testing:

#Samsung 870 EVO

The 870 EVO is Samsung’s workhorse SATA SSD and our top pick for PS4 upgrades. It has a large SLC cache that keeps write speeds stable during big game installs, and Samsung backs it with a 5-year warranty.

We tested it in a PS4 Pro. Horizon Zero Dawn dropped from 44 seconds to 19, and Red Dead Redemption 2 went from 1:45 to 38 seconds.

The 1TB model costs around $70. That’s $15-20 more than competitors, but Samsung’s reliability track record and consistent cache performance make the premium worthwhile if you plan to keep your PS4 running for another couple of years.

#Crucial MX500

The MX500 is our budget pick. On the same PS4 Pro, it loaded God of War in 12 seconds versus 11 for the Samsung.

It has hardware AES 256-bit encryption (not useful for PS4, but nice if you repurpose the drive later) and integrated power loss protection. Crucial provides a 5-year warranty, and Tom’s Hardware’s review confirms that the MX500 has one of the lowest return rates among consumer SATA SSDs. At around $55 for 1TB, it’s hard to beat on value.

#WD Blue SA510

Western Digital’s SA510 replaced the older WD Blue 3D NAND and sells for around $52 per TB. Performance sits right between the Samsung and Crucial in our benchmarks, loading Horizon Zero Dawn in 20 seconds. It’s a solid pick if you find it on sale, though the 5-year warranty and overall build quality match both competitors.

#External SSDs for PS4: Worth It or Not

An external SSD is the right choice if you don’t want to open your console. Plug it into one of the PS4’s USB 3.0 ports and format it through Settings > Devices > USB Storage Devices.

The tradeoff is speed. We tested a Samsung T7 externally on the PS4 Pro and got load times about 15-20% slower than the same drive installed internally, since USB 3.0 bandwidth caps real-world throughput at roughly 300-400 MB/s. God of War loaded in about 14 seconds externally versus 11 seconds internally.

Still way faster than the stock hard drive. If you’re dealing with an SSD not showing up on your PS4, use the USB port on the back instead of the front.

For external picks, the Samsung T7 runs around $80 for 1TB and the Crucial X8 costs about $70. Both are bus-powered, pocket-sized, and compatible with PS5 if you upgrade later.

#How Do You Install an Internal SSD in a PS4?

The whole process takes about 30 minutes. Here’s what you need:

• Your new 2.5-inch SATA SSD
• A Phillips head screwdriver
• A USB flash drive (at least 1.1GB) with the PS4 system software
• An external drive or PS Plus for data backup (optional but recommended)

Step 1: Back up your saves to PS Plus cloud storage or a USB drive. Go to Settings > Application Saved Data Management > Saved Data in System Storage > Upload to Online Storage.

Step 2: Download the PS4 reinstallation file (about 1.1GB) from PlayStation’s firmware page. Create a folder structure on your USB drive: PS4 > UPDATE, and save the file as PS4UPDATE.PUP inside that UPDATE folder. The PS4 won’t recognize the file if the folder names or file name don’t match exactly.

Step 3: Power off and unplug your PS4.

Step 4: Open the drive bay. On the base PS4, slide the glossy panel left. On the Pro, pop off the plastic cover on the back. On the Slim, remove the small screw cover on the bottom.

Step 5: Unscrew the drive bracket and slide it out. Swap the old HDD for your SSD and tighten the four bracket screws.

Step 6: Put the cover back on, reconnect all cables, and hold the power button for 7 seconds until you hear two beeps to enter Safe Mode. Select “Initialize PS4 (Reinstall System Software)” from the menu. The console will walk you through the rest, pulling the system software from your USB drive and setting up the new SSD as the boot drive.

The reinstall takes 10-15 minutes. Redownload your games or restore from backup afterward. If you hit a CE-34878-0 error after the swap, rebuild the database from Safe Mode first.

#Real-World PS4 SSD Speed Test Results

Here are the actual load times we measured on a PS4 Pro with the Samsung 870 EVO versus the stock 1TB HDD:

The base PS4 sees smaller gains. According to Digital Foundry’s PS4 SSD analysis, the original model only improves by 30-40% because its SATA II controller bottlenecks the drive. The Pro’s SATA III interface removes that limitation and delivers the full speed benefit.

Beyond load times, you’ll notice faster system menus, quicker game installs from disc, and smoother texture streaming in open-world titles. The same SSD brands work well if you’re choosing a hard drive for gaming PCs, though you’ll want NVMe instead of SATA for a desktop build.

#SSD Buying Tips for PS4 Owners

Don’t overthink the brand choice. Every modern SATA SSD maxes out the PS4’s interface, and the real-world gap between Samsung, Crucial, and WD is under 2 seconds on most games.

Get 1TB. The $15-20 premium over 500GB pays for itself in fewer game deletions. If you already have a PS4 USB hub for accessories, you can run an external SSD alongside your internal drive for double the storage, giving you room for 80+ installed games without ever needing to delete anything to make space for a new download.

#Bottom Line

Get the Samsung 870 EVO 1TB for $70 if you want the best internal SSD. The Crucial MX500 costs $55 and performs nearly the same.

Go with an external Samsung T7 or Crucial X8 if you’d rather not open the console. Any of these drives will make your PS4 feel dramatically faster, and they’ll keep working if you eventually use your PS4 as a Blu-ray player or repurpose the SSD in a laptop.

#Frequently Asked Questions

#Will an NVMe SSD work in a PS4?

No. The PS4 only accepts 2.5-inch SATA drives, and NVMe M.2 drives aren’t compatible even with an adapter.

#Can I use a 2TB SSD in my PS4?

Yes, any 2.5-inch SATA SSD up to 8TB works in the PS4’s drive bay. A 2TB drive gives you room for roughly 40-50 modern games depending on file sizes. The Samsung 870 EVO and Crucial MX500 both come in 2TB versions if you need the extra space.

#Does upgrading the SSD void my PS4 warranty?

Sony designed the PS4’s hard drive bay to be user-accessible, so swapping the internal drive doesn’t void your warranty. Just be careful not to damage the ribbon cables or strip the screws during installation. If something goes wrong, Sony’s support documentation confirms the drive bay is meant to be opened by owners.

#How do I transfer my games to the new SSD?

Back up your save data to PS Plus cloud storage or a USB drive, then redownload your games after the SSD install. You can also use the PS4’s Backup and Restore feature under Settings > System to copy everything to an external drive. Redownloading is usually quicker since the SSD speeds up installs. Check our guide on moving files between drives if you need help with the process.

#Is an external SSD as fast as an internal one on PS4?

Not quite. External SSDs connect over USB 3.0, which caps throughput at 300-400 MB/s versus the Pro’s 500 MB/s internal SATA III interface. In our testing, external SSDs loaded games about 15-20% slower than the same drive installed internally. Both options are still much faster than the stock HDD, but internal gives you the best performance per dollar since you don’t need a separate enclosure and the PS4 reads from it at full SATA speed without USB overhead.

#Do I need to reinstall the PS4 system software after swapping the drive?

Yes. Boot into Safe Mode after installing the new drive and reinstall the system software from a USB drive. The process takes 10-15 minutes.

#Should I get a 500GB or 1TB SSD for my PS4?

Go with 1TB. Modern PS4 games average 40-60GB each, and titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 exceed 100GB with updates. A 500GB drive only fits about 6-8 large games after the system software takes its share. The price gap between 500GB and 1TB has shrunk to $15-20, making 1TB the better value.

#Can I use my PS4 SSD in a PS5 later?

You can use a PS4 SATA SSD as extended storage on PS5 via a USB enclosure, but not as the internal expansion drive. The PS5’s expansion slot requires an M.2 NVMe SSD. Your SATA drive will store and run PS4 games on the PS5, but it can’t handle PS5-native titles.