Do you use USB drive to download, back up, or play your PS4 games? How much do you know about PS4 USB flash drive? If you want to learn more about PS4 USB drive, you should read this post. Here, MiniTool gives an introduction about it, recommends some popular PS4 USB drives, and shows you how to upgrade PS4 flash drive.
About PS4 USB Flash Drive
USB flash drive is also known as USB memory sticks, memory unit, thumb drive, USB drive, or simply USB in our daily life. It is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated USB interface which enables it to be easily connected to different devices.
Compared with other storage devices like external hard drive (HDD) or SSD, USB flash drive provides users with a storage solution of higher portability. It is designed to be tiny and you can put it in your wallet or clothes pocket. Besides, it allows you to plug and play without the need for cable or any other connection medium.
The USB flash drive is also popular among PS4 users. Similar to other PS4 storage devices, you might use PS4 USB drive commonly for the following purposes:
- To back up PS4. When you are trying to perform certain operations that might affect your PS4 data, such as initializing PS4 to fix issues, you should back up your PS4 data to an external storage device like PS4 USB drive in advance to avoid any data loss.
- To share or transfer files, games, or applications on PS4. If you want to share a certain PS4 game or some game screenshots with friends, or transfer them on your computer for convenient management, you just need a PS4 USB drive of small capacity.
- To upgrade PS4 system software. You need to download the related file on your computer to upgrade PS4 system software. During this process, you need a media to store the file and install the operating system from it after being connected PS4. PS4 USB flash drive is always the best choice in this case.
- To extend PS4 storage. The USB drive can also be used as extended storage on your PS4. By doing this, you can save and install your games on the PS4 USB drive directly to spare the space on your PS4 system/internal storage.
Perhaps you are using PS4 USB flash drive for one of the above purposes. If you are not, you can choose to use it when needed. It is worth mentioning that you can use any type of USB drive to achieve the above purposes, except the last one. If you want to use a USB memory stick to extend your PS4 storage, the USB drive have to meet the following requirements:
- It supports USB 3.0 or higher connection.
- Its usable storage space is 250GB at least.
Note: Due to the different calculation methods of hard drive capacity, the actual usable storage space of a 256GB USB flash drive purchased on the market is only about 247.5GB which cannot be used for PS4 extended storage purpose. So, you should use a 512GB or larger USB drive for PS4 to extend storage.
PS4 USB Drive vs. External Hard Drive/SSD
When it comes to PS4 storage devices, there are commonly 3 choices: USB flash drive, external hard drive, and SSD. Which one would you choose? Is it better to use PS4 USB drive or external hard drive/SSD? Actually, all of them have their advantages and disadvantages. You had better make decisions according to your own needs.
As you have already known, hard drive disk offers large capacity with lower prices, and SSD offers better performance with higher prices. As for the PS4 USB flash drive, it works like a miniature of an ordinary external hard drive, but it offers some conveniences for PS4 users that external hard drive/SSD doesn’t have.
- It is much smaller and more portable, providing users with great flexibility.
- It is more secure and reliable than ordinary external hard drive as it uses flash memory technology and has lower failure rate.
- It can be directly connected to PS4 without any cable.
Some high-end USB flash drives can even provide SSD-like performance, but they are much more expensive than SSD. However, the performance of PS4 USB drive cannot go beyond SSD, which means that external SSD offers better reliability than USB drive in the long term.
Related article: Best SSDs for PS4 and How to Upgrade to PS4 SSD
Recommended USB Drive for PS4
After learning about PS4 flash drive, you might want to choose a USB drive for PS4 now. As mentioned before, there are no restrictions of type on the USB drive used for backing up and sharing PS4 data and for upgrading PS4 system. If you want to extend the storage of your PS4 with a USB drive, you might spend some time on choosing a suitable one.
In this part, I will display 3 USB memory sticks that meet the requirements of PS4 extended storage. Let’s see the details.
1. Kingston HyperX Savage
Capacity: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Interface: USB 3.1 Gen 1, compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0
Transfer speed: 350 MB/s read and 250 MB/s
Warranty: 5-year warranty with free technical support
Price: Starting at $51.99 in Amazon and about $282.28 for 512GB
This type of USB flash drive is designed for gaming PCs and Consoles, including PS4, PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360. It is available in 512 GB and offers blazing fast transfer speed that allows it to work perfectly in your PS4 as extended storage.
2. Corsair Flash Voyager GTX 3.1 Premium
Capacity: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Interface: USB 3.1, compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0
Transfer speed: 440 MB/s read and 440MB/s write
Warranty: 5 years
Price: Starting at $55.99 in Amazon and about $132.99 for 512GB
This USB drive offers the best performance among the listed three products, putting SSD performance in your pocket. It can work on PS4 of any model without driver installation needed.
3. Corsair Flash Voyager GT 3.0
Capacity: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB
Interface: USB 3.0, not support USB 3.1
Transfer speed: 390 MB/s read and 240 MB/s write
Warranty: 5 years
Price: Starting at $26.99 in Amazon and about $111.99 for 512GB
This USB flash drive should be the best choice for most PS4 users for its fast transfer speed and reasonable price, but it doesn’t support USB 3.1 connection. It is fit for PS4 and PS4 Slim. It can also work with PS4 Pro that is equipped with USB 3.1, but just with the speed of USB 3.0.
How to Run A Game from PS4 USB Flash Drive?
Can you run a game from a USB flash drive on PS4? Of course, yes! If you have decided to use a USB drive for PS4, you need to firstly move an existing game or download and install a new game to the PS4 USB drive to play the game from it. Here’s a simple guide.
Move 1. Make Sure the File System Is Supported
You should know that PS4 only supports two file systems – FAT32 and exFAT. So, before you use the prepared USB drive for your PS4, you have to make sure it is formatted to the supported file system. If your PS4 USB drive is of NTFS or other file systems, you can convert it to FAT32/exFAT with a professional third-party program on your computer.
MiniTool Partition Wizard is recommended for you here. You can download it on your computer and follow the given instructions below to have a try.
Step 1: Connect your PS4 drive to your computer and launch MiniTool Partition Wizard.
Step 2: Right-click the USB partition and choose Convert NTFS to FAT, or select the feature from the left action bar after highlighting the partition.
Step 3: Click Apply to execute the pending operations.
By doing this, this USB drive will be converted to FAT32. Alternatively, you can choose to format the USB drive to supported file system with this utility. Just right-click the partition, choose Format from the context menu, choose FAT32 or exFAT from the list of File System, and click Apply button.
Tip: You can also format the flash drive on PS4. Just go to Settings > Devices > USB Storage Devices, choose your PS4 USB drive and hit Format as Extended Storage, and follow the onscreen instruction to complete the process.
Move 2: Transfer or Download Games to PS4 USB Drive
Now, you can use this USB drive to save your games or applications on your PS4. Once the USB works as PS4 extended storage, it will be set as the default download location.
If you want to transfer the existing games, you need to:
- Go to PS4 Settings.
- Navigate to Storage > System Storage > Applications.
- Press Options and choose Move to Extended Storage in the right pane.
- Select the games you want to move and hit Move.
Move 3: Run A Game from PS4 USB Drive
By using a PS4 USB drive, you can play your game on different devices conveniently.
When the USB extended storage is connected to your PS4, the contents in the USB drive will be displayed on the home screen of PS4. You can launch and play them as normal. If the PS4 USB drive is disconnected, the games will still appear in the home screen but you cannot play them.
Additional Tip: How to Upgrade to A Larger PS4 USB Drive
When the PS4 USB drive is running out of space, you might want to upgrade it to a larger one and keep the data saved on the original one. What can you do to achieve this purpose? You can continue using MiniTool Partition Wizard and follow the given tutorial to upgrade your PS4 USB drive.
Note: You should also make sure the file system of the new USB drive is supported by your PS4.
Step 1: Connect both USB drives on your computer and enter the main interface of the program.
Step 2: Right-click the original USB drive and choose Copy. In the pop-up window, select the new one as the target disk and click Next.
Step 3: Configure the changes as your needs and click Next button. Click Finish button to back to the main interface.
Step 4: Click Apply button.
Now, you can connect the new USB drive to your PS4 and enjoy your games!
Bottom Line
This post has given detailed information about PS4 USB drive, and displayed how to run a game from it and how to upgrade to a larger USB drive.
If you have any ideas about this post, please feel free to leave a message in the comment zone below. For any problems in using MiniTool Partition Wizard, you can contact us via [emailprotected].
PS4 USB FAQ
Can I use a USB stick on my PS4?
Yes, you can. You can use a USB stick on your PS4 as extended storage or just a common backup device. But you have to make sure the USB stick is FAT32 or exFAT.
How do I get my PS4 to recognize my USB?
To make a USB drive recognized by your PS4, you should format the USB drive to the supported file system and make sure it is compatible with your PS4. The detailed steps are displayed in the contents above.
Can I use a USB 2.0 on my PS4?
PS4 and PS4 Slim are signed to use USB 3.0 connection and PS4 pro is designed to use USB 3.1 connection. You can use USB 2.0 on your PS4 with USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 connection, but you can only get the speed of USB 2.0.
Can I download PS4 games onto a USB?
You can download PS4 games onto a USB drive only if it works as PS4 extended storage. Once the PS4 USB drive is plugged in, it will be set as the default download location.
