The PS5 is almost upon us, and this handy guide will help you move PS4 titles over to an external HDD, perfect to plug into your next-gen console and carry on.
External hard drive (HDD) storage was added to the PS4 back in 2017, but you may be new to the feature. Just in case, here’s how it’s done.
How to format an external HDD for usage on PS4
When you plug in an external HDD, you might be greeted by a message that says, “This USB storage device’s file system is unsupported”.
That’s no problem, as you can format the drive to work properly. Here’s how:
- Go to Settings > Devices > USB Storage Devices
- Select the HDD you’ve just plugged in
- Select Format as Extended Storage and confirm
How to move PS4 games to an external HDD
- Go to Settings > Storage > System Storage
- Select Applications
- Hit the Options button, then Move to Extended Storage
- You can then select all the games you’d like to move or copy. Select Move to begin the process.
That’s it! The external HDD can be plugged into your PS5 when you’ve got it — while older PS4 games can be played from said drive, new PS5 games will need to be played off of internal storage.
The PS5 heads to store shelves on 12 November.
This article may contain affiliate links, meaning we could earn a small commission if you click-through and make a purchase. Stevivor is an independent outlet and our journalism is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative.
