Sony’s PlayStation 5 has a flowery, built-in SSD, however till you possibly can afford a $500 console, you’re caught with agonizingly sluggish loading instances on the PS4. Nonetheless, all shouldn’t be misplaced. You possibly can improve your present console’s drive to an SSD and breathe new life into an getting older gaming machine.
The 5400 RPM onerous drive that comes with the PS4 and PS4 Professional is bone-chillingly sluggish at this level, so an SSD shall be a pleasant improve. It received’t make loading instances instantaneous, however it will possibly lower them by 10 to twenty seconds or extra. Each recreation is totally different, although, and a few might not see as noticeable advantages—however hey, if you’re sitting there ready, each second counts.
You don’t have to fret an excessive amount of about selecting the quickest doable SSD, however you will have to be sure to purchase a 2.5-inch mannequin—not the M.2 SSDs which have develop into in style in PCs lately. I’m utilizing this Western Digital Blue mannequin, which presents nice efficiency for the worth.
Swapping the drive itself is easy—all you want is a screwdriver. You’ll, nonetheless, must again up all of your knowledge first, reinstall the PS4 working system on the brand new drive, after which restore your knowledge, which might be complicated at first. For that, you will have one (perhaps two) USB drives. If executed proper, although, the entire course of ought to solely take quarter-hour or so. Let’s stroll by way of the steps.
Step 1: Again Up Your Recreation Saves
(Credit score: Whitson Gordon)Because you’ll be beginning contemporary with a clear drive, you’ll have to again up all of your knowledge earlier than selecting up the screwdriver. You want a USB drive to again up your recreation saves and different knowledge. Insert your USB drive, head to Settings > System > Again Up and Restorethen choose the Again Up PS4 choice. You wish to again up saved knowledge, since that features your recreation saves, however it’s also possible to again up purposes like Netflix if you wish to keep away from re-downloading all of them.
When you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you possibly can ditch the USB drive and again up the info to the cloud. Head to Settings > Software Saved Information Administration > Saved Information in System Storage and choose Add to On-line Storage. Any trophies you’ve gotten acquired is not going to be included on this save knowledge. When you care sufficient to protect these, head to the Trophies part of the PS4 menu, press the Choices button in your controller, and choose Sync Trophies with PSN.
As soon as the backup course of is completed, shut down your PS4 utterly by going to Energy > Energy Choices > Flip Off PS4. You don’t wish to be in Relaxation Mode. Watch for the sunshine to cease blinking to make sure it’s utterly off, then unplug the facility cable earlier than persevering with.
Step 2: Substitute the Drive
(Credit score: Whitson Gordon)Sony made changing the onerous drive tremendous simple (far simpler than the method of including a second SSD to the PS5), nonetheless, the precise course of differs relying on which model of the PS4 you personal. Listed below are the directions for every mannequin:
- Authentic PlayStation 4: Slide the shiny panel on the highest of the unit to the left till it comes off utterly. Unscrew the screw closest to you on the left, then pull the onerous drive cage towards you. Unscrew the 4 screws holding the drive in place and change it together with your SSD.
- PlayStation 4 Slim: Flip the unit round. To the appropriate of the ports, there’s a black piece of plastic with textual content on it—apply some strain and slide it to the appropriate to take away it. Take away the big screw beneath, then slide the drive cage out the aspect of the PS4 utilizing the black ribbon. Unscrew the 4 screws holding the drive in place and change it together with your SSD.
- PlayStation 4 Professional: Flip the unit round and search for the onerous drive cowl to the appropriate of the ports. Discover the notch on the aspect and use your finger to swing it open—it’s sort of like just a little door. (I needed to apply an honest quantity of power to get it open.) Take away the screw that lives below it and slide out the onerous drive cage. Unscrew the 4 screws holding the drive in place and change it together with your SSD.
After you have put your SSD into the console, shut all of it up and plug it again in. Earlier than you flip it on, although, you’ll want to go to your pc.
Step 3: Reinstall the PS4 Software program
(Credit score: Whitson Gordon)In your pc, insert a USB drive (not the one you’re utilizing in your PS4 backup). Proper-click the drive in File Explorer/Finder and select Formatwith FAT32 as your file system. Create a folder on the drive named PS4and inside that folder create one other folder referred to as UPDATE.
Subsequent, head to How one can reinstall the PS4 console system software program part on Sony’s help web page and click on PS4 console reinstallation file to obtain the PlayStation 4’s system software program. You can even open the Reinstall PS4 system software program drop-down to view Sony’s directions. Save the file within the UPDATE folder you created earlier. Don’t rename the file—it must be named PS4UPDATE.PUP to work.
Eject the flash drive and head again to your PS4. You’ll have to plug in your controller with a USB cable, then press and maintain the facility button till you hear the second beep (about seven seconds). This may convey you into Protected Mode. Choose the Initialize PS4 (Reinstall System Software program) choice, and press X.
Insert your USB drive with the replace file and press OK on-screen. As soon as it finds the replace, select Subsequent to put in the PS4 software program in your new, speedy drive. When the method is completed, your PS4 will reboot and drop you on the preliminary setup display screen.
Step 4: Restore Your Information and Reinstall Your Video games
(Credit score: Whitson Gordon)You’ll need to log into your PlayStation account once more, as should you had been organising a brand new PS4 for the primary time. Earlier than persevering with, although, it is advisable to restore the info you beforehand backed up.
When you needed to manually again up your knowledge on a USB drive, insert it into the console, then head to Settings > System > Again Up and Restore > Restore PS4. When you backed up through PS Plus, open Settings > Software Saved Information Administration > Saved Information in On-line Storage > Obtain to System Storage.
You then have to re-download and/or re-install your video games, however as soon as that’s executed, you need to have the ability to hop again in such as you by no means left—and with shorter loading instances getting you in to play as quick as doable.
