Despite a PS4 being a console and a PC is a computer they both are computers and share similar hardware. But can a PC read a PS4 hard drive? You will find out in this article.
A PC can read and manage files stored inside a PS4 hard drive, but the PS4 hard drive will need to be converted into a FAT format first (either exFAT or FAT32), it initially will not recognize the HDD before being formatted.
When your format the PS4 HDD all files will be forever lost, remember this before you format the HDD.
I will explain how to use a PS4 hard drive on a PC, how to get data off a PS4 hard drive, and how to connect a PS4 hard drive to your PC. Read on to find out.
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How To Use A PS4 Hard Drive On A PC
IMPORTANT: BACK-UP YOUR PS4 FILES BEFORE FORMATTING, TO AVOID ANY IMPORTANT DATA LOSSES.
- Connect PS4 HDD to the computer either via external USB or internal drive slot, and right-click on the drive
- Choose ‘Disk Management’ which will show all the disc drives connected to your PC, choose the PS4 external hard drive it is usually the last disk drive to see if the memory matches up with your PS4.
- Right-click on the blue shaded portion and choose to ‘delete volume’ click yes when asked
- Repeat step 3 for every blue-shaded portion until a single black shaded portion is left on the drive and
- Right-click on the black-shaded portion and choose ‘new simple volume’, a new simple volume wizard should appear
- Click ‘next’ until the next format partition section comes up and change the File System to ‘exFAT’ or ‘FAT32’ (whichever is applicable).
- Keep on clicking next until the end of the wizard and press ‘Finish’ to complete the formatting process. Your external drive is reformatted into a working disc drive for your PC!
After successfully reformatting your PS4 HDD as a new storage drive for your PC, you can now ideally look into replacing your missing PS4’s internal storage drive with an improved Solid State Drive (SDD) for bigger memory space, and a better gaming experience.
A great option is the Seagate 2TB drive built for gaming PC’s, it’s super fast at 6GB/s and perfect for your PS4 you can get it for a bargain on Amazon.
Don’t know how to install it? It’s quite easy see my article on how to do it.
HOW DO I GET DATA OFF MY PS4 HARD DRIVE?
Here are some methods for you to back-up those precious save files stored within the PS4’s HDD:
1. Always save your data files into a dedicated online cloud server via PlayStation Plus, whether automatically or manually. However, this will only be applicable to PlayStation Plus subscribers.
2. Transfer back-up files or saved data into an external USB storage device. You may format the USB drive as exFAT or FAT32 to save some time, although the PS4 will still format it for you during first-time use.
The practice of replacing your PS4’s internal hard drive with new and improved storage alternatives may frighten you, especially when you’ve unlocked plenty of game achievements and trophies, as well as clocked hundreds of hours of in-game time.
Still, the limited storage space provided will eventually become a persistent problem in the near future. With new game titles launching every month on the PlayStation Store, the issue will need to be addressed sooner or later.
But how much space do you really require, if 500GB of internal storage proves to be insufficient? Read this to understand how much storage space is the ideal size for your gaming pursuits.
How Do I Connect My PS4 External Hard Drive To My PC
You will definitely have no problems connecting a PS4 hard drive to your computer, see the two main methods below.
- Manually install the PS4 HDD into the PC motherboard hard drive slot
- Open the PC case and insert the hard drive into any dedicated drive slots
- Connect the PS4 HDD via an external USB SATA/ IDE adapter or cable.
- Attach the hard drive with the cable and plug it into your PC USB slot(certain adapters provide casings to protect the HDD
- Your computer will read it like a normal disc drive if done correctly
The issue with the second method is the PS4 hard drive is encrypted in a format that Windows does not recognize, refer to the beginning of the article to know how to fix this so your PC can read and access the PS4 external hard drive.
Should you buy the PS5 or wait for the PS5 pro to come out. Learn the truth and if the PS5 will even have a pro version in my article.
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