Can you connect an external hard drive to a PS5?
The answer to this question is yes, you can connect an external hard drive to a PS5, but there are some caveats and requirements that need to be considered, such as the minimum speed and storage capacity of the drive. The PS5 supports USB 3.0 or later external hard drives with a minimum capacity of 250 GB and a maximum capacity of 8 TB, but they can only be used for storing and playing PS4 games, and storing PS5 games that need to be moved to the internal storage to be played.
Connecting an External Hard Drive to PS5
To connect an external hard drive to a PS5, you’ll need to make sure it meets the system’s requirements, including a minimum speed of USB 3.0 and a storage capacity of at least 250 GB. It’s also important to note that the PS5 can only read one external hard drive at a time, and you can’t connect the drive through a USB hub.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about connecting an external hard drive to a PS5:
- What is the minimum speed required for an external hard drive to work with PS5? The minimum speed required for an external hard drive to work with PS5 is USB 3.0 or later.
- Can I use any external hard drive with my PS5? No, not all external hard drives are compatible with the PS5; they need to meet the system’s requirements, including a minimum capacity of 250 GB and a maximum capacity of 8 TB.
- How many external hard drives can I connect to my PS5 at the same time? The PS5 can only read one external hard drive at a time.
- Can I connect my external hard drive to my PS5 through a USB hub? No, you can’t connect the drive through a USB hub.
- What is the best external hard drive for PS5? Some of the best PS5 external hard drives include the WD_Black 5TB P10 game drive, Toshiba Canvio portable external hard drive, WD Elements portable external hard drive, Seagate portable external hard drive HDD, and Samsung Portable SSD T7.
- Can I play PS5 games directly from an external hard drive? No, you cannot play PS5 games directly from an external hard drive; you need to move them to the internal storage first.
- Why can’t I play PS5 games from an external hard drive? PS5 games require faster loading times and more bandwidth than what an external hard drive can provide, which is why you need to move them to the internal SSD storage.
- Will my PS5 run slower with an external hard drive? Yes, using an external hard drive with your PS5 may cause some performance issues, as the speed of the external drive is much slower than the internal NVME SSD.
- How many games can a 2TB external hard drive hold for PS5? A 2TB external hard drive can store up to 50 games, depending on the size of each game.
- Should I get an internal or external hard drive for my PS5? If your library is mostly made up of PlayStation 5 titles, you are much better off installing an internal SSD, as you can’t play PS5 games directly from an external drive.
- Why is my PS5 not recognizing my external hard drive? If your PS5 is not recognizing your external hard drive, try formatting the drive as USB Extended Storage or check if the drive is properly connected to the console.
- How many games can the PS5 hold internally? The PS5‘s internal SSD can store around 10-15 games, depending on their size.
- Can I backup my PS5 games to an external hard drive? Yes, you can backup your PS5 games to an external hard drive by going to your Game Library, highlighting the data you want to move, pressing the options button, and then selecting Move Games and Apps.
- Is it better to get a PS5 digital or disc edition? The choice between the PS5 Digital Edition and the standard PS5 depends on your preferences; the Digital Edition is cheaper, but you won’t be able to play physical games.
- How do I add more storage to my PS5? You can add more storage to your PS5 by using an external hard drive or by installing an M.2 SSD in the console’s empty SSD slot.