700°

A Sneak Peak of How to Swap in an HDD on the PS4

Angie Santiago of SpawnFirst reports: "German tech site Computer Bild has gotten their hands on a PlayStation 4 console and show us all how to open it up to swap out the HDD via a few pictures. It seems like a simple enough process and there is also a fancy, customized PlayStation screw that has the Square, X, Circle, and Triangle symbols we all know and love. The HDD is under the piano black plastic and it seemingly pops right off to allow users access to the internal workings of the PS4."

Read Full Story >>
spawnfirst.com
MultiConsoleGamer3858d ago

This is one of the best features of the PS4.

minimur123858d ago

I've got a 1tb hdd on standby right next to me to switch out. I plan on installing every game on the HDD, plus whatever digital games I buy - along with later in the ps4's lifecycle when PS Plus picks up even more.

But I must say, that is the most ingenious way of 'hiding' the HDD, and that screw is awesome xD

It does look like it would void the warranty however, it seems like it gives you access to alot more that what you'd want if you were to just swap it out. What do you think?

Stsonic3858d ago

Do you manually install games to the hard drive on PS4?

Steven213858d ago

It would not void the warranty. Sony allows it on ps3 and they have said it would not as well. I believe I saw a tweet about it a few months back.

PeaSFor3858d ago

getting a sshd(hybrid) into my ps4.

KwietStorm_BLM3858d ago

It doesn't void anything since that's the only way to access the drive, which Sony even suggests you do. Changing anything else, well that's at your own discretion.

Narutone663858d ago

Have you guys seen the screws used? Nice design touch.

LOL_WUT3858d ago

Good to see Sony offering an internal HDD with ENOUGH space. ;)

harrisk9543858d ago

Swapping out the HDD DOES NOT void the warranty. Where do people come up with this stuff?

0ut1awed3858d ago (Edited 3858d ago )

@minmur 12
@PeaSFor

This will more than likely NOT fit 3.5" desktop HDDs (which seems to be what you are talking about).

Now I'm not trolling, so please read ahead before you go into fanboy mode and immediately disagree with me. It actually has some serious pros because of this.

If it's like the PS3 then it will only take a laptop sized 2.5" hdd. This makes total sense too because if they allowed a standard 3.5" drive it would take up considerably more physical space in the console, therefore making the console much bigger.

One of the images looks to confirm my theory too. Check out how tall the drive is in comparison to his thumb. It's defiantly not a full size 3.5" desktop drive.

http://img.new.livestream.c...

The good thing here is all SSDs are 2.5" sized therefore you can pop a SSD in there and have blazing fast performance.

@ harrisk954

Because it doesn't void the warranty? What else do you want to hear?

You're not hacking open the PS4 (or the PS3 for that matter) and installing aftermarket modded parts.

The console is designed around allowing the user swap out a HDD. You pull off a cover, remove a screw, slide the drive bay out and install the new drive and slide the bay back in.

Why it might not be as straight forward as the 360 drive swap, it's still a function designed for the user to do at ease.

solid_snake36563858d ago

Now we just need to know what kind of an HDD it uses. Hopefully its the kind used for the ps3, Cuz I have a 1tb sitting around.

0ut1awed3858d ago (Edited 3858d ago )

^^^

Really? I don't want to be rude but the answer to that is in full detail directly above your comment.

abzdine3858d ago

HDD voids the warranty? :) nice one!

XB1_PS43858d ago

Wooow, I reeeaaallly like this.

solid_snake36563858d ago

I have a question, the site mentions that it requires a 2.5" "HGST" 5400 rpm. I have my 1tb from my ps3, will that work as well?

minimur123858d ago

What i meant by my commentwas, on the super slim/pphat when switching the hdd all you can see is the HDD space. However on this it shows circuitboardry and it seems you could actually access more of the consple if you unscrew some stuff.

I may be wrong but hey, also regarding the size of the hard drive size, im positivethat it is 2.5 being as 3.5 is bigger and thicker than you think, and judgong by the size of the console, its definitely 2.5.

+ Show (11) more repliesLast reply 3858d ago
Mystogan3858d ago

That is pretty handy. I'm gonna have to buy a 2TB external one for my X1

black0o3858d ago

brick! and ex-hard_drive! ..

the fact that xbone is bigger in size it amaze me, man those engineers took the easy way in designing the box

nunley333858d ago

You may be able to movies from that on x1, too you can't change the hdd in it like ps4.

MasterCornholio3858d ago

What if your internal hardrive breaks after the warranty expires?

Nexus 7 2013

nunley333858d ago

@master its like sending in an out of warranty ps3 now,they'll fix it but it'll cost you a flat $150

MasterCornholio3858d ago

@nunley

150$......

And I only paid 60$ for my 1TB in my PS3........ And its a bloody good drive since it barely makes any noise.

P.S If the HDD breaks in my PS4 I'll just replace it with my 1TB HDD that's in my PS3.

Nexus 7 2013

humbleopinion3858d ago

But they cost around the same, when you buy the external 2TB drive on the X1 it means you don't have to throw away the 500GB internal hard drive.

harrisk9543858d ago

The One Box is the 3, minimum box: External HDD, Power Brick, Cable box.

harrisk9543858d ago

@nunley33

"its like sending in an out of warranty ps3 now,they'll fix it but it'll cost you a flat $150"

Ummm.... has MS announced that? Who knows what MS's customer service plans are if that issue arises. The $150 fix for Sony is for pretty much anything that breaks -- it has nothing to do with the PS3 HDD. For MS to charge $150 (if that is what it ends up being) to replace broken HDD would be almost gouging.

Mystogan3858d ago

@black0o

At least we're not hearing X1 having overheating issues and freezing.

boneso823858d ago

It won't work, external drives are not supported on X1, and you can't change the internal. Sorry I have to lol

+ Show (7) more repliesLast reply 3858d ago
Muerte24943858d ago

Now if only this site will give us an actual walkthrough of the PS4's UI.

Tsar4ever013858d ago

This is one of the best features of the PS3 also. DUH!

warczar3858d ago

Man, I was hoping I could buy an oversized, overpriced piece of proprietary shit.

Oh wait, I must of been having a flashback to when I tried to upgrade my 360's hard drive.

warczar3858d ago

I saw an opportunity and I took it. I didn't mean to offend anyone, except maybe Microsoft executives.

Animal Mutha 763858d ago

Yeah I like that they give you the option and the method of entry looks quite funky as well.

I guess over time owners will be able to stick in massive drives.

Do we know the file system support for this console yet? PS3 was fat32 I think and had limitations for file size and external drive partitions. I liked putting video onto my PS3 but didn't like the 4.3gb restriction.

One feature that I wish xbox had kept. Not sure why they would want to remove a handy feature like that. Now I know that an external USB 3 drive could in some cases be faster than an internal but I prefer to have the choice. 500gb just won't cut it for very long ms and cloud isn't a realistic large storage medium.

SpitFireAce853858d ago

Whats a good 2TB HDD to swap i would like to get
one but just unsure which one.54000rpm 7200Rpm ?

Jazz41083858d ago (Edited 3858d ago )

they both will be fine. XBOX Is requiring all games are installed so I am sure they have a very easy alternative for more storage and I expect the cloud to also alleviate storage on the internal drive. I sure do like that sony has left it up to the user. I do however think that its not fat32 so the old drives most likley will not work anymore.

FamilyGuy3857d ago

you format the drive the second you put a new one in so it wouldn't matter whether it's Fat32 or any other format.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 3857d ago
karamsoul3858d ago

I agree. 3TB drive HERE I COME!

coolasj3858d ago

It won't fit. The platters stack it's too thick. 2.5" only too. Laptop HDDs.

karamsoul3858d ago

watch what happens in one more year. 3TB-2.5-inch-laptop-HDD-that-f its-in-a-PS4 HERE WE COME!!!

nunley333858d ago

There are some 2.5 hdds that won't fit either so gotta check the dimensions and if online,look at the comments.

iamnsuperman3858d ago

It looks a lot easier and more convenient than it was on the PS3 (which was still easy anyway). I really do like this feature. Also that screw head. Weirdly cute.

rainslacker3858d ago

Don't damage that screw. One day when Sony wants to cut costs they'll go to a generic screw and this screw will become a collectors item.:)

I agree though, it's a nice touch, kinda like Sony saying, "hi, yes you can do what you want with me".

prodg523858d ago

Yeah the "blue screw of death". It was easy to strip in the PS3. If anyone is attempting it, I suggest using needle nose pliers from the start.

Cyb3r3858d ago

I hope that they aren't using them screws that they used in the PS3 the heads of those were too easily damaged.

Deagle3858d ago

Yeah, that damn blue screw was a pain in the ass too take out too.

Show all comments (106)
40°

What Will The PlayStation 6 Look Like?

While we haven't even begun to tap into the full potential of the PS5, fans are already beginning to talk about what Sony's next console, the PlayStation 6, will look like and what features it will have.

Read Full Story >>
fortressofsolitude.co.za
Jin_Sakai3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

“While we haven't even begun to tap into the full potential of the PS5“

We always here this statement yet we have plenty of games that struggle to run at solid frame rates or decent resolutions.

Skuletor1d 17h ago

The developers should know the limits of these consoles, especially this far into the gen. I'd blame them and possibly the publishers, pushing to make games as visually appealing as possible at the cost of resolution and frame rate, which is nothing new in the industry.

franwex19h ago

I may skip next gen altogether probably. We will see.

150°

Diablo IV is Available on PlayStation Cloud Gaming - Beats Xbox to the Punch

Diablo IV is now available to play via PlayStation Cloud Gaming! Still not available to Play on Xbox Cloud Gaming.

We ran our script again and found 15 other PS5 games (a lot of popular ones!) that got PS5 Cloud Gaming support within the last month as well.

Read Full Story >>
clouddosage.com
Hugodastrevas4d ago

Not for me, I'm 100% physical media all of the time.

jwillj2k44d ago

I hate that I have to keep calling this out, but your physical disks mean nothing if the game code attempts to connect to a server prior to playing.

Hugodastrevas4d ago

And that happens when? I'm playing completely offline here, stellar Blade to be more precise.
I'm sorry but I've never run into that imaginary problem you're talking about, I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it has never happened to me.

jwillj2k44d ago

You not running into the problem yet has no bearing on my argument. You’re acting like the medium is the shield for you being able to always play your games when it effectively is not. The game code itself can try to connect to a server or the console you’re playing on may receive an update that requires that game to connect to a server. Just because you haven’t ran into it doesn’t mean anything lol you don’t own your games no matter how you try.

Hugodastrevas4d ago

So I have never run into the problem you're talking about and your answer is an hypothetical? Look I can play any game of my library offline right now without issue.
That issue is in your mouth and alone.

Crows904d ago

Actually...there's an easy way...don't connect. If it doesn't require a connection and you don't connect...the code can't update...obviously....confused why you don't get what he's saying.

outsider16244d ago

Hold on..lets say i dnt have an online connection, can i atleast play the game offline though. Was thinking of getting this

jwillj2k44d ago

None of you use your brains.

OK, let’s explore this playing offline. not talking about Diablo specifically just gaming in general.

Are you going to buy two PlayStations? One offline one online? If not, moment you want to play something that requires a connection you’re cooked.

Does game experience you love so much stay the same offline?

Is the game even playable offline?

The whole point of my argument is that we don’t hold the keys anymore. The gatekeepers are the developers and console makers regardless of whether it’s digital or physical. You altering your play style for a lesser experience is not a workaround, it doesn’t solve the overall problem.

None of this matters since the move to the cloud is inevitable.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 4d ago
spicelicka4d ago

So you have to buy the game and can only stream to the PS5 devices using PS plus premium? What is the point of that. Much more useful when you can stream to other devices.

MrNinosan4d ago

Works great on my Portal while at work 👍

spicelicka4d ago

That's streaming off your PS5, not from the cloud. This is specifically referring to cloud gaming.

CrimsonWing694d ago

Can’t you, uh, do this on your phone?

Tacoboto4d ago

Sony doesn't yet have a web or app-based solution to stream games off their cloud service, the closest you may be able to get would be Remote Play if they allow cloud streaming during a Remote session.

And yes this applies to the Portal too.

Einhander19723d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Tacoboto

Please stop talking about PlayStation Streaming, you don't know what you're talking about.

I just explained this to you the other day where you were telling people that remote play was their only cloud solution, because apparently you didn't understand how PlayStation Premium works even though PS Now was a thing since shortly after the launch PS4..

You can stream to PC and Mac, and they had mobile clients for it in the past but probably for the same reason Microsoft is fighting Apple and Google PS Now wasn't allowed on App stores. Which is why it's not on iPhone and Android still.

And to be honest, I am glad they are trying to keep it on the console, all their moves away from the console seem like a step in the wrong direction, which isn't working so great for Microsoft...

anast4d ago

Blizzard is shoving this game everywhere. Diablo 4 is going to take an even bigger hit soon. Path of exile 2 is coming out and it looks insane.

Crows904d ago

Well they're about to release the next season...I think that might be way they're pushing the game again.

anast3d ago

I mean I get what you are saying, but D4 isn't doing that well either.

UnbreakableAlex4d ago (Edited 4d ago )

I completed it on gamepass. Thanks God I dint pay it full price. It plays like a lazy mobile game. I am not a pro diablo gamer (Diablo 1 was the only one I completed) but D4 has no atmosphere, no creepy feeling and soundtrack like the first one and its so easy, I managed to not buy any weapon and had 4 Million Credits on level 55. I always used the same 4 attacks from the beginning and died maybe 10-15 times. It's so easy, wtf. I remember D1 to be pretty hard.
WTF happened? Is Diablo 3 also that bad?

jwillj2k44d ago

Diablo 3 was my first Diablo game. I had to use the mailbox cheats to keep it interesting.

Crows904d ago (Edited 4d ago )

Diablo 3 was really hard at launch....then they made it easy.

They love scaling difficulty though.

anast3d ago

D2 is the pinnacle. I still fire it up from time to time.

GrmpyolGamer 4d ago

Considering that the PS cloud steaming is garbage compared to XCloud and is limited to certain devices this isn't something to brag about. Wake me up when Diablo is on PS plus

140°

PlayStation Doesn't Need a Dedicated PC Store Launcher

With all the PlayStation games that are now coming to PC, is it time for Sony to release a dedicated PC launcher?

thorstein20d ago

No, and they already solved any need with the overlay that's coming.

Vits20d ago

Unless they are trying to kill their recently created PC business, I would advise against opening a dedicated PC store. It's an extremely hard endeavor, and people, in general, are very comfortable with Steam. Even Epic, with their billions of dollars invested, is still struggling to find a foothold, and they have Fortnite.

just_looken19d ago (Edited 19d ago )

Money is one thing security is another but again millions have 0 knowledge past 2020.

Epic store for years struggled with a shopping cart/account theft/credit card theft

Rockstar launcher/store to this day over 5 years later still has horrific user interface security flaws lost account's and stolen CC

Then you got that activision need phone number oh we lost it launcher

The crown jewel is the ea launcher/store ea app 3 yrs old still has hundreds of threads were people lost games/accounts/game access or just straight up crashes.

Edit" Oh ubi launcher were you buy a game that may or may not be there again or work and the launcher 5yrs old still has no 4K support if you launch it on a 4k screen there is a high chance it will just crash.

ocelot0720d ago

Can tell who ever put this together is not all that clued up on pc gaming.

It's just a known fact. The PC gaming community prefer Steam and Steam alone. They don't like different launchers. I personally don't mind them. But majority just stick with steam. Hence why EA and Ubisoft went back to on releasing on steam and why Microsoft release games on steam as people hated buying from the windows store.

The only other launchers that I imagine are doing ok is GOG due to being drm free and epic games due to the free games every week. Sony shouldn't release any sort of pc launcher n

Nitrowolf219d ago (Edited 19d ago )

It literally says in the OP that PC gamers don't like multiple launchers lol. It even mentions Steam being the go to for gamers

Tacoboto19d ago

Title: "PlayStation Doesn't Need a Dedicated PC Store Launcher"

N4G: "Can tell who ever put this together is not all that clued up on pc gaming"

When you don't even read the headline...

ocelot0719d ago

I read it and had a brain fart. As read the title then this "With all the PlayStation games that are now coming to PC, is it time for Sony to release a dedicated PC launcher?"

So I hold my hands up on that mistake. Rest of my comment still stands.

Giblet_Head19d ago (Edited 19d ago )

Steam and GOG are highly preferred because of the rich feature set. Ubisoft, Rockstar, EA, Epic etc have all set a precedent over the years for customers to instinctively expect individual publisher launchers to be so extremely half-assed that the majority simply don't want to bother dealing with what is almost an inevitable disappointment by comparison to Steam or GOG. Those publishers and their inaction or general disinterest to improve have effectively ruined any future adoption to be taken seriously.

Einhander197219d ago (Edited 19d ago )

This is just another ridiculous double standard article.

It's like how Microsoft can spend 20 years of making nothing but gaas and live service style games to sell microtransactions, dlc and subscriptions and get praise for doing it, but if Sony wants to make a single game like that every website under the sun is writing articles saying how Sony is anti-consumer or whatever.

derek19d ago

Yep, huge double standard look at the tortured reaction to the ps5pro, websites hyperventilating like Sony is forcing people to buy it.

just_looken19d ago

Wait my xbox from 2004 has avengers gaas on it? wow your so smart

m$ Gaas started with the other companies like sony

Gamepass yes they are deep into that but its still a huge money saver sense you do not own your games then get a service like that.

Now there pc xbox launcher that is trash for years now

Show all comments (15)