Next Sony PlayStation 4 Update Will Add Support For External Hard Drives

PlayStation 4 Pro
If you are the owner of a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 4 Pro, we have some good news for you. Sony just announced today that an upcoming software update will bring support for external hard drives (among other things).

While Sony has always made it [relatively] easy to upgrade the hard drive in the PlayStation 4 (and the PlayStation 3 before it), some people don’t want to be bothered with unscrewing an access door, reinstalling the operating system and then copying over your data.

With System Software Update 4.50, simply plugging in a USB 3.0 hard drive will immediately give you access to additional storage for all of your game and media files. You can choose whether to install new content on your internal storage or external storage, and you can also manage where saved content goes using the settings menu.

ps4 hdd

External hard drive support will be capped at 8TB, which should satisfy the needs of most PlayStation 4 gamers.

Other features found within System Software Update 4.50 include the ability to set an in-game screens as your system wallpaper and some design tweaks to the Quick Menu:

Now the Quick Menu will cover even less of your gameplay screen, and you’ll be able to access handy Party features via Online Friends, like creating new parties, inviting friends, and joining parties, without transitioning to the separate Party app. The goal is to keep you in the game — and not stuck in menus.

Sony has also cleaned up the Notifications area and has added the ability to post directly to a PlayStation Network Activity Feed. Last, but not least, you’ll be able to watch 3D Blu-ray movies with your PlayStation VR.

Brandon Hill

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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