The Best External Hard Drives For PS4

This sleek, all black aluminum-enclosed hard drive houses all your favorite games and apps in one place. It carries two terabytes of data, which translates to roughly 50 games.

The hard drive is officially licensed by PS4, so formatting should be totally painless. And, to make the hard drive look even more official, there's an impressive PS4 logo that keeps all your electronics looking fresh and uniform.

The simple design offers you the opportunity to simply plug in your device via USB and then get started playing your favorite games right away.

With this hard drive, you can minimize fumbling with technology and focus your attention on the game.

Key Features

• Officially licensed with PS4
• Straightforward plug-and-play setup
• No power cable required

Games tend to take up about 36 GBs of space (depending on what you're playing, of course), so with five terabytes of storage, you can store over 125 games. That's a lot of content all coexisting in one convenient location.

We love the storage opportunities with this hard drive, as well as its shock-resistant outside material. Though this doesn't mean you should throw this hard drive around intentionally, Western Digital's hard drive should be able to survive a little wear and tear without corrupting your beloved games.

Plus, the crenelated black exterior looks pretty impressive in our opinion, which is only a perk.

Key Features

• Speeds up to 140 MB/S
• Shock-resistant exterior
• Can store about 125 of your tried-and-true video games

Avolusion's external hard drive comes pre-formatted for PS4 so all you should need to do is plug in and immediately start the downloading process. Once all your favorites are backed up, you can game to your heart's content, knowing your data is backed up just as it should be.

We love that this hard drives stores up to four terabytes of data, but that comes with its own challenges. Unlike other multi-terabyte models, Avolusion's hard drive has some weight to it. This hard drive weighs well over a pound, whereas similar models weigh well under.

In addition to the heavier feel, you'll have also have to plug in your hard drive to a USB connector and a power source. That being said, we can look past the old school design because this hard drive definitely stores a lot, and without costing too much.

Key Features

• 4 TB of space that will house all your favorite games
• Pre-formatted for a PS4
• Requires wall outlet for power

This sleek, uber lightweight hard drive can fit up to one terabyte of the gaming content you want to hold onto forever.

With a stylish yet durable exterior and easy assembly, this hard drive is a great option for all. Weighing only 5 ounces, it's super portable if you plan to transport it often.

This hard drive might require some formatting before you start saving your games, but the process is a cinch thanks to a detailed instruction manual.

Key Features

• Compatible with USB 2.0 and 3.0
• Uber slim and lightweight design, only .43 inches thick
• Stylish brushed surface

Below are a few things to pay attention to before purchasing a hard drive for your PS4.

Capacity

The appropriate capacity of a hard drive varies from gamer to gamer.

Storage space starts off as small as a few hundred gigabytes and goes up multi-terabytes. Though the science isn't exact, two terabytes will store about 50 games. If you're a more committed gamer and need to store more, storage can go as high up as 5 or more terabytes. Five terabytes holds about 125 games.

Formatting Your Hard Drive

Formatting will most likely be a requirement before you get started saving your games to your hard drive. The formatting process shouldn't take long, but make sure to follow along closely with the instructions to ensure your hard drive will function properly in the future.

Beware: once your hard drive is formatted for your PS4, that's all you can use the hard drive for. If you decide to use the hard drive for another purpose, you'll have to save your PS4 files elsewhere, because you could lose all your files if you try to format to another device in addition to your pre-existing PS4 data.

Long-Term Maintenance

Hard drives can be touchy. To protect yours in the long-term, try the following.

You'll want to make sure your hard drive is in a stable space, so on a firm table or a counter instead of on the floor. If the hard drive is tampered with or jostled while your PS4 is on, your files are at risk of being compromised or destroyed.

Also, if you're using your PS4, use your hard drive at the same time. Don't unplug your hard drive mid-gaming -- use the same routine for both the gaming system and the hard drive.

Lastly, consider investing in a hard drive case that's shockproof and water-resistant (or better, waterproof), so that you can safely store your hard drive in between uses.