The Slowdown Solution: Eliminate Lag, Maximize Playtime
Are you tired of waiting? Whether it’s watching the endless spinning icon in your favorite RPG or waiting ages for a fast-travel to load, the PS4 Pro’s original internal Hard Disk Drive (HDD) is the single biggest bottleneck to your fun. As a dedicated gamer, you deserve better!
The great news is that you don’t need a soldering iron or complicated tech skills to fix this. Forget about tricky internal swaps. An External Portable SSD (Solid State Drive) is the simplest, safest, and most effective way to inject a major speed boost into your console. Just plug it in, format it once, and watch loading times dramatically drop—often by 40% or more! It’s all the speed, with none of the hassle. Let’s get your PS4 Pro flying!
Step 1: Choosing The Right Drive
You’ve made the key decision to go with an SSD for speed, but the PS4 Pro has a few specific requirements for any external storage device to work as “Extended Storage.”
The CRUCIAL Specs You Need
-
Interface: Must be USB 3.0 or later. This is non-negotiable for compatibility and performance.
-
Capacity: The PS4 supports a minimum of 250GB up to a massive 8TB. We recommend a 2TB capacity to comfortably hold your entire library of AAA games without constantly worrying about deleting titles.
-
Type: Choose a highly-rated Portable SSD to ensure durability and portability.
Top 2TB Portable SSD Recommendations
Based on compatibility, speed, and real-world performance, these two drives are proven winners for the PS4 Pro:
-
Samsung Portable SSD T7 (2TB): A sleek, pocket-sized drive with phenomenal read/write speeds. Its proven reliability and compact form factor make it a fantastic choice.
-
SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD (2TB): This drive is known for its rugged, durable, and splash-resistant design. It delivers top-tier performance for gaming while being tough enough for travel.
These 2TB external SSDs offer the perfect balance of massive storage and speed, giving you a competitive edge and more time playing!
Step 2: The Plug-and-Play Setup
Once you have your new drive, the setup process is refreshingly simple and takes just a few minutes.
-
Connect the Drive: Plug the external SSD’s USB cable directly into one of the PS4 Pro’s USB ports. We recommend using one of the rear USB ports to keep the front of the console tidy and ensure a solid, uninterrupted connection.
-
Navigate to Settings: From the PS4 Home Screen, use your controller to go up to the function area and select Settings.
-
Find USB Devices: Scroll down and select Devices, then choose USB Storage Devices. Your newly connected SSD will appear on this list.
-
Format for Extended Storage: Select your new SSD from the list and choose Format as Extended Storage. Follow the on-screen instructions, confirming that you want to format the drive.
⚠️ Warning: Formatting the drive will erase all data currently on it! Make sure the drive is empty before you begin.
Step 3: Set Your New SSD as the Default
The final step is critical: telling your PS4 Pro to install all new games directly onto your SSD to ensure you get that sweet speed boost every time you download a title.
-
From the Home Screen, go back to Settings.
-
Select Storage. You will now see two options: System Storage (your slow, original drive) and Extended Storage (your new, fast SSD).
-
Highlight the Storage option and press the OPTIONS button on your controller.
-
A sidebar menu will appear. Select Application Install Location.
-
Choose Extended Storage.
That’s it! 🎉 All future game downloads and installations will now automatically go to your 2TB external SSD. You’ve successfully streamlined your console for a dramatically better gaming experience. Get ready for total load time liberation!
