Will a USB Hard Drive Work on PS5?
The PlayStation 5 (PS5) allows you to expand its internal storage capacity using external devices, such as USB external hard drives. However, some users may be wondering if external hard drives can be connected directly to the PS5 console and used to install games and store data, without the need for special software or adapters. As it turns out, things are not as straightforward. In this article, we’ll explore the possibilities, limitations, and requirements when using a USB hard drive with your PS5, so you can make the most of your gaming storage needs.
Can PS5 Recognize USB HDD?
The PS5 does recognize USB external hard drives, but there is a catch. According to Sony’s official documentation, the only type of file system your PS5 can read/write is exFAT or FAT32. This means, if your USB hard drive uses a different file system, such as NTFS, HFS+, ext4, or others, the PS5 will have trouble recognizing it.
Currently, most external hard drive manufacturers provide their products as NTFS-formatted drives, which your PS5 cannot readwrite directly. To use most USB external hard drives as additional storage for your games, you’ll need a device that can convert a NTFS files system to exFAT or FAT32.
Available File Systems | Work on PS5? |
---|---|
exFAT | **Work on PS5** |
FAT32 | **Work on PS5** |
NTFS | **No native support on PS5 (requires conversion before use) |
What Limitations Do I Need To Be Aware Of?
• No natively supported NTFS/NTFS+: When you plug in a USP external hard drive not formatted with exFAT or FAT32, most PS5 consoles will ask you to format the HDD using a different file system.
• No installing games directly: You might be able to transfer smaller files like screenshots, screen recordings, or savefiles to the USB hard disk, but you cannot direct install games from the PlayStation Store to the external SSD. Instead, you could copy your games from CD/DVD or download PC copies.
• Other file systems not supported.: Other file systems from macOS, Linux, UNIX, and other operating environments might not be compatible by default with the PS console. Always check compatibility
Can I Transfer Folders or Files Directly to PS5?
On PS5, you do have the option to play back Photos and Play Videos from a NTFS-formatted USB (HDD) drive:
• Photos: Most images are supported, i.e., JPEG, WebP, PNG, JPG, BMP, GIF TIFF.
• Videos : AVI, WEBM, MP4, MP3, AAC, LPCM.
To transfer movies and pictures, you’ve got a few options at your disposal:
• Insert your USB drive into USB ports 1 or 2 on the Console
• Navigate to Gallery > USB (External Device)
• Selecting USB Storage Device
– Locate your desired files (Supported file types only)
– Double-tap the X-Bot button to copy an item
How-to Convert NTFS to Other File Systems?
Luckily, there are several PC applications that can convert different file systems to exFAT or FAT32 (FAT32).
• Ease-US File Conversion Software: Use the ‘Convert NTFS to FAT32’ free version or purchase the total edition.
• Check Disk (chkdsk): Built-in utilities (e.g., chckdsk for NTFS) can allow file conversions.
• Drive conversion tools: Some utility programs for Windows, also can do this.
Do keep in mind that different conversions and formatting may damage or destroy data on HDD.
Conclusion
From this analysis, we are clear that the PS 5 is compatible with drives using exFAT or FAT 32 file systems if they’re formatted with suitable files and folders. Compatibility limitations do exist for less supported file systems. Understanding your external hard drive device compatibility before purchasing is now a necessity.