PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S: How to use external storage

As your collection of console games grows, you’ll need more storage space, and the internal storage on your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S won’t last forever. This can result in having to regularly uninstall and reinstall games.

You have options. The PlayStation 5 has an internal slot for expanding the built-in storage, which is fairly easy to access by popping off a couple panels and turning a single screw. As for the Xbox, you can buy storage expansion cards, which slide into a special slot on the back of the console for quick and easy (though often expensive) upgrades.

At the same time, you’ll need to upgrade your console’s internal storage.

Adding external drives can also help lighten the load by giving you access to «plug and play» gigabytes or even terabytes of additional storage. And because you’re simply plugging in an external drive, it’s not a complicated or time-consuming operation, although there are a few technical points to be aware of.

Add external drives can also help lighten the load, giving you access to
plug and play gigabytes or even terabytes of additional storage.

How to add an external drive to your PlayStation 5

With system files included, the PlayStation 5 only has about 667GB of internal disk space left.

As noted earlier, the PlayStation 5 comes with a slot to expand internal storage with an M.2 SSD. The console will use the SSD almost like internal storage, and you’ll be able to run games directly from it.

The PlayStation 5 comes with a slot to expand internal storage with an M.2 SSD. The console will use the SSD almost like internal storage, and you’ll be able to run games directly from it.

Plugging an external drive into the spare USB port on the PS5 is faster and easier, but comes with more caveats. You can use these drives to store and play PS4 games, but you can only store PlayStation 5 games on them.(When you actually want to play them, you’ll need to move them back into the internal storage.)

It’s still more convenient than waiting to re-download the PlayStation 5 games you bought. The size of any SSD or hard drive you plug in should be between 256GB and 8TB and support data transfer rates of 5Gbps or higher – commonly referred to as USB 3.0, USB 3.1, and USB 3.2, or sometimes “SuperSpeed USB.” That means most modern drives will work, but not older USB 2.0 drives.

Additional USB 3.0 drives will work, but not older USB 2.0 drives.

After you buy a new SSD or hard drive (or replace another drive), plug it directly into one of the large USB-A ports on the back of the PS5 or the small USB-C port on the front, as Sony recommends. The USB-A port on the front of the PS5 doesn’t support external storage, and you shouldn’t use a USB hub to connect the drive to the console either.

Before you can use the drive, you’ll need to format it.

• Open Settings.
• Select Storage> Extended USB storage to start the process.

.

How to transfer games for PlayStation 5 to external storage:

• Open Settings and select Storage> Storage for Console> Games and Apps.

.

• Select a game, then Select items to move, and you will be able to select one or more titles to move to the disk you just connected.

.

• It’s the same process to move them back: just select extended USB storage instead of console storage in storage on the menu to find the games you want to move.

.

• Note: All of your installed PS4 games will automatically be placed on the attached external drive. While this is probably the most convenient place to store them, if you want to switch it for any reason – for example, if you don’t intend to permanently connect an external drive to your PlayStation 5 – you can. In Settings select Storage> Installation Location> Games & Apps for PS4.

.

• You can eject the drive in Settings via Storage> Extended USB Storage> Safely Remove from PlayStation 5. You can also erase it by selecting the three dots to the right of the Safely Remove from PlayStation 5 button, then format it as exFAT. (ExFAT disks can be read on both Windows and Mac computers, as well as Linux computers.)

How to add an external drive to your Xbox Series X/S

As for Xbox Series X/S, you get 1TB or 512GB of internal storage space respectively, though it’s not really that much when you consider system files. There’s no internal expansion slot like on the PS5, so if you need more space, you’ll have to use an external one.

Here’s how to add an external drive to your Xbox Series X/S.

Official Expansion card storage —is the best choice because you’re guaranteed uninterrupted, high-speed storage, but it’s also the most expensive. Currently, only Seagate and Western Digital make these cards in 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB capacities, and they plug directly into a special slot on the back of the Xbox.

An external storage card is the best choice, because you’re guaranteed uninterrupted, high-speed storage, but it’s also the most expensive.

Alternatively, you can use an SSD or hard drive of your choice and plug it into any spare USB port on your Xbox Series X/S, as long as they provide 128GB or more of storage capacity and USB 3.0 speed or faster. This will cost less, but you won’t be able to run games created for the current-generation Xbox from the disk, only save them – you’ll need to move them back to internal storage if you want to play them. (Games made for older Xbox consoles can also be stored and launched from an external disk.)

And if you want to play them, you’ll need to move them back to internal storage if you want to play them.

The steps for installing and working with a storage expansion card or external drive are pretty much the same, with the only difference being that you may need to format the external SSD or hard drive if you haven’t used it before.

• If you’re using a Seagate or Western Digital storage expansion card, insert the card into the dedicated slot on the back panel: it’s just above the power cord slot on both consoles and is labeled «Storage Expansion».
• If you’re using another external drive, you can plug it into either of the USB ports on the front or back of your Xbox. If it’s a new drive or a drive you’ve used for something else, you may see a screen asking for permission to format it to make it ready for use.

.

• When using any type of storage, you’ll see a message asking if you want to change the location settings for game storage – you can do this on request if you want, but the same screens can be found by opening Settings (via the gear icon at the top of the interface), then System > Storage Devices.

.

• Select Change Install Locations to tell Xbox where to save new Xbox Series X/S games, backward-compatible (older) games, and default apps. In each case, you can choose an internal or external drive, or Let Xbox decide, which means the choice will be made for you depending on where more storage space is available.

.

• If you want to change the location of your game, go back to the «Storage Devices« screen, select internal or external drive, and then tap «Move or Copy«. Select one or more of your games, and then Move Selected to move them to an external drive for storage or an internal drive for playback.
• Also on the «Storage Devices» screen, when you select an external drive, you see the option «Change the way the drive is configured». This allows you to specify whether the drive is used with one or more Xbox consoles: the latter allows you to easily switch games between Xbox consoles. However, if you select this, games won’t update automatically. To manually update games, select the drive, then select View Content> Manage> Updates.

.

• When removing a drive from your Xbox, first turn off the console before unplugging it. To erase it, select it from the «Storage Devices« page, then select «Format«.

.

.