Many PS4 users are looking for ways to increase their storage capacity. Wondering how to get more storage onPS4? This post shares several proven methods to help you expand storage effectively.
The first step in freeing up space on your PS4 is to understand exactly what’s taking up storage. By identifying how much space is used by applications, saved data, themes, and screenshots, you can make informed decisions about what to delete.
Here’s how to check what’s occupying space on your PS4:
Step 1. From the Home screen, press Up on the D-pad to access the Function menu.
Step 2. Select the Settings icon and press X on your controller.
Step 3. Go to System Storage Management. Here, you can view a detailed breakdown of your storage, including Applications, Capture Gallery, Saved Data, and Screenshots.
Once you know what’s taking up space, you can take effective steps to free up storage and make room for more games and content. Let’s explore how to expand your PS4 storage next.
Here’s a clear breakdown of ways to get more storage on your PS4:
One of the fastest and most effective ways to expand your PS4 storage is by connecting an external hard drive. Since games and apps can only reside on either the PS4’s internal system storage or an approved external drive, running out of internal space can quickly become a problem. Adding an external hard drive is a practical solution to keep your library growing without deleting anything.
Before proceeding, ensure your external hard drive meets these essential requirements:
• Your PS4 system must be running version 4.5 or later. You can update via USB if needed.
• The external drive should have a capacity between 250GB and 8TB.
• Use a drive with USB 3.0 ports or newer for optimal performance.
• Only one external drive can be connected at a time; multiple drives will trigger an error.
• Connect the drive directly to the PS4—avoid hubs or adapters.
• With these preparations in place, you’re ready to expand your PS4 storage seamlessly.
To use an external hard drive with your PS4, it must be formatted to either FAT32 or exFAT. This ensures compatibility for installing games and apps. There are two straightforward methods to format your drive and prepare it for expanded storage.
Method 1: Format Directly on PS4
Step 1. Connect the external hard drive to your PS4.
Step 2. From the Home screen, go to Settings > Devices > USB Storage Devices.
Step 3. Select the connected external drive and choose Format as Extended Storage, then click Next in the prompt.
Step 4. When prompted, click Format to proceed.
Step 5. Confirm by selecting Yes and wait for the process to complete. Once the message “This device has been formatted as extended storage” appears, click OK to finish.
Method 2: Format via AOMEI Partition Assistant
For a quicker and more versatile approach, you can format your external hard drive using AOMEI Partition Assistant. This reliable partition management tool offers features like converting FAT to NTFS, rebuilding MBR, resizing partitions, and migrating your OS between drives. Simply download and install the program on your computer to format your PS4 external drive with ease.
Step 1. Download AOMEI Partition Assistant, install and launch it. To change cluster size of a partition, right-click it, select Format Partition.
Step 2. In the format partition window, you can edit partition label, select file system, and change cluster size in the drop-down menu. Click OK. Here we change cluster size from 4k to 64k.
Step 3. Here you will go back to the main interface, click Apply to execute the whole operation.
Once your external hard drive is formatted to exFAT or FAT, you need to set it as the default storage for new applications. Follow these steps:
Step 1. From the PS4 Home screen, go to Settings > Devices.
Step 2. Press the OPTIONS button, then choose Application Install Location > Extended Storage.
Step 3. Allow a moment for the system to apply the change. After this, all future applications will install directly to the external drive.
If your internal storage is getting full, you can easily transfer existing games and applications to your PS4 external hard drive. Here’s how:
Step 1. Open Settings on your PS4 and select Storage.
Step 2. Choose System Storage, then go to Applications to view your installed games and apps.
Step 3. Press the OPTIONS button and select Move to Extended Storage.
Step 4. Pick the games and apps you want to transfer, then click Move.
Step 5. Confirm by selecting OK, and wait for the process to finish.
This method instantly frees up internal space while keeping your library intact. Beyond adding an external drive, you can also reclaim storage by removing unused data. To learn how to free up more space on your PS4, continue reading.
One of the simplest ways to reclaim space on your PS4 is by removing games and apps you rarely use. Clearing out these unused files can free significant storage quickly.
Important Tip: Focus on deleting disc-based games rather than digital ones. Disc games can be reinstalled quickly from the disc, whereas digital downloads can take much longer to restore.
Step 1. Open Settings and go to System Storage Management.
Step 2. Select Applications, check the games or apps you wish to remove, and click Delete.
This process helps streamline your storage, keeping your PS4 ready for new games and updates.
Another effective way to free up space on your PS4 is by removing saved data stored on the system. This can help clear unnecessary files from games you no longer play or need.
Step 1. Go to Settings and select Application Saved Data Management.
Step 2. Choose Saved Data in System Storage, then select the saved files you want to remove and click Delete.
This method quickly reclaims storage without affecting the games themselves, keeping your PS4 running efficiently.
If a large portion of your PS4 storage is occupied by the Capture Gallery, your screenshots and recorded videos may be the culprits. Removing unnecessary media files can quickly free up space.
Step 1. From the PS4 Home screen, go to Settings > System Storage Management.
Step 2. Select Capture Gallery to view stored media.
Step 3. To remove all screenshots and videos from a specific game, choose the game icon, press the OPTIONS button, and select Delete.
This simple step helps reclaim storage without affecting your installed games.
If you prefer not to delete any data or rely on an external drive, upgrading your PS4’s internal hard drive to a larger capacity is an excellent solution.
Before swapping drives, it’s crucial to back up your existing data to prevent any loss. Tools like AOMEI Partition Assistant make it easy to copy your current hard drive to the new one safely.
Step 1. Install and launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, click "Clone" in the main interface and select "Clone Disk".
Step 2. Choose the hard disk that you need to clone as the source disk and click "Next".
Step 3. Select the destination disk to store the data on the source disk, and then click "Next".
Step 4. Then, you can check the source and destination disk in the next window or change to “Sector to Sector clone”, and click the "Confirm" button to continue if there is no problem.
Here, you can also click the "Settings" button to adjust the partition size on the destination disk or tick "4k alignment" to improve the reading and writing speed of SSD if the target disk is an SSD drive.
Step 5. At last, click "Apply" and "Proceed" in the main interface to start cloning the hard drive.
Step 1. Turn off the PS4 completely and unplug all power cables.
Step 2. For PS4 Pro, remove the rear cover, or for the standard PS4, remove the top-left chassis panel.
Step 3. Use a screwdriver to remove the hard drive bracket.
Step 4. Unscrew the old hard drive from the bracket and install the new one in its place.
Step 5. Reassemble all parts, restoring everything to its original position.
Step 6. Upgrading your internal drive provides significantly more storage while keeping all your data intact.
Expanding PS4 storage is simple—whether by adding an external hard drive, deleting unused apps, clearing saved data, or upgrading the internal drive. Managing storage smartly keeps your console running smoothly and ensures space for new games and updates, letting you enjoy a seamless gaming experience without worrying about running out of room.