What Is a Good SSD Upgrade for My PS4: Best Options and How to Install It

Your PS4 takes forever to load games, and you know the old hard drive is the bottleneck but you do not know which SSD actually fits or helps. This page names the exact drive type you need and walks you through the whole upgrade so you can stop waiting on the spinner.

The SSD your PS4 actually accepts: skip M.2 and PCIe

The most common question is whether a modern M.2 NVMe drive will make the PS4 even faster. It will not. The PS4 standard and the PS4 Pro both use a 2.5-inch SATA III bay. There is more on internal drive capacity selection in a separate guide.

They do not have an M.2 slot for storage. Any M.2 drive, including the Acer Predator GM7 on our parts shelf, is physically incompatible and useless for this specific console.

Buy a 2.5-inch SATA III SSD. This is the only solid-state drive form factor that fits the drive cage in the back of the console. The SATA interface itself is not a bottleneck for the PS4; the system has been limited by the slower mechanical spinning drives for years.

• Interface: 2.5-inch SATA III
• Form Factor: 7mm thin is best, 9.5mm works fine
• Capacity: 512GB is the minimum for a modern game library

Pick a capacity that fits how you actually play

The right size depends on how many games you keep installed at once. A high-capacity drive changes your daily routine because you can keep your biggest titles ready to play without deleting anything else.

• 256GB: Only good if you download one or two games at a time and play in cycles.
• 512GB: The sweet spot. Holds 5 to 7 large AAA games and leaves room for system files.
• 1TB: Best if you keep a massive library installed. It costs more but means you never have to delete a game to make space.

If you are running out of space constantly, 512GB is the minimum you should buy. If you play many games, go to 1TB.

Before you start: back up and prepare the PS4

Before you open the console, you need to back up your save data. The new SSD will be wiped completely during setup, so anything not on a backup will be lost forever. This is the most important step of the whole job.

• Back up your data: Go to Settings > System > Backup and Restore > Back Up Your System. Use a USB external hard drive. This saves your games, saves, and settings.
• Power off and unplug: Turn the PS4 off completely. Unplug the power cable and all other cables.
• Discharge static: Hold the power button for 3 seconds until it clicks, then ground yourself by touching the metal computer case or a grounded outlet before touching the console.

Safety: Always power off and disconnect the battery (the power cord) before opening the case. Never open a device that is plugged in. For the detail, see our notes on test notebook battery.

What you need for the 20-minute swap

This is a do-it-yourself job. You will not need to buy any special proprietary tools. The only things you need are a Phillips #00 screwdriver and the new drive.

• Phillips #00 screwdriver: A small precision screwdriver. Some PS4s also use a security Torx 8 screw on the back, so a T8 Torx bit is a good backup.
• The new 2.5-inch SATA III SSD: 512GB is a solid choice. Check that it is a standard 7mm or 9.5mm drive.
• Your PS4: Either the original PS4 or the PS4 Pro. Both use the same bay.

Once you have these, the physical install is just removing the back cover, swapping the drive, and putting the cover back. It is one of the easiest hardware upgrades you can do.

The four steps to swap the drive

The whole physical job is four steps. Do them in this order.

1. Remove the back cover: Lay the PS4 down. Remove the small screw (or release the clip) on the bottom back of the console. Slide the back cover off. It just pulls off, no screwdriver needed on most PS4s.
2. Take out the old drive: Find the hard drive in its cage. You will usually need to remove a few small screws (Phillips #00 or Torx T8) that hold the drive bracket. Slide the old drive out carefully.
3. Put in the new SSD: Line up the new 2.5-inch SATA III SSD with the bracket. Put it in and tighten the screws. Do not over-tighten.
4. Close up the PS4: Slide the back cover back on until it clicks. Put the final screw or clip back in.

If you are using a PS4 Pro, the drive cage is slightly deeper, but the steps are identical. You just have to slide the drive in a bit further.

How to tell it actually worked

Once the drive is in, you need to tell the PS4 to use it. You will boot into recovery mode. Hold the power button until you hear two beeps. This tells the system to start up in a special setup mode.

Follow the on-screen prompts. You will choose “Install System Software” or “Restore from Backup”. Choose restore and plug in your USB drive where you put your backup. The PS4 will pull all your games and saves back. We cover what is an expansion slot in a pc in a guide of its own.

How to know it worked: The clearest sign is speed. Boot the console. Load a game you know takes a long time on the old drive. You should see the blue spinning light go away much faster, and the game should launch in seconds. If the drive shows up in the storage list with the right capacity, you are good.

When to skip it and get help instead

If the PS4 is making loud grinding noises from the old hard drive, or if the case is broken or the clips are missing, the risk of a DIY install goes up. A broken plastic clip can ruin the console.

If you do not feel comfortable opening the case, do not force it. This is a budget to mid-price repair at any electronics shop. They will have the right screwdrivers and the experience to work with broken clips.

If your backup fails or your USB external drive is not detected, stop and troubleshoot the backup first. Do not start the install without a confirmed, working backup of your save data.

The bottom line

Frequently asked questions