Wondering if you should buy an SSD for your PS4 or PS4 Pro? Then you have landed on the right page. SSD storage is fantastic, and over the years has become a familiar quantity for most gamers – these fast drives are almost always used in gaming PCs and are being implemented in next-gen consoles.
The PS4 and PS4 Pro weren't so lucky, Sony's older consoles rely on hard drives instead of SSDs. These older drives are a perfect illustration of the difference between HDDs and SSDs, these older drives use slower 5400 RPM spins, while SSDs use faster, more reliable flash memory.
Fortunately, you can upgrade your PS4 or PS4 Pro with an internal SSD., giving your old console a huge power boost, along with other benefits. However, as with any technological change, there are also downsides to consider, and they should be evaluated before deciding to upgrade.
Advantages
Should I buy an SSD for my PS4 or PS4 Pro? (Image credit: George Dolgikh / Shutterstock.com)
Speed
A huge increase in performance is the biggest advantage of SSDs over conventional hard drives. SSDs use flash memory chips to store data, while hard drives rely on disks. Flash memory is fast because data is read and written in the time it takes for electrical signals to be sent around the chips, whereas hard drives have to wait for the platters to spin up, which is much slower. The numbers don't lie.
PS4 and PS4 Pro hard drives offer read and write speeds that run best around 100MB/sWhile
many affordable SSDs SATA-based that can be used inside consoles
They offer maximum speeds in excess of 550 MB/s. The PS4 and PS4 Pro have theoretical maximum bandwidth values of 300 MB/s and 600 MB/s respectively, so there's clearly room to work when it comes to storage space.
An SSD will improve system boot and game load times, and console menus will be more fluid. You'll get gameplay improvements, with fewer pop-ups and faster texture loading, and you may even see frame rate improvements as games don't freeze due to slow loading.
Capacity
Previously, SSDs were fast but small; Fortunately, times have changed. Years ago, you had to pay a lot just to get a 256GB SSD, but now it's easy to find SSDs with capacities of 1TB and 2TB or higher. These capacities correspond to most 2,5-inch hard drive options available today. With games getting bigger and bigger, having more space is important and the larger capacities compare well with the default storage on the PS4 and PS4 Pro. The original console came with a 500GB drive and the Pro has a 1TB hard drive. ; its 2TB variant was a special edition only. Realistically, most consoles will still use a 500GB or 1TB hard drive, so installing a decent SSD will offer a speed boost and capacity upgrade for most machines.
Even if you choose an SSD that's the same size as your console's hard drive, you'll still get a solid speed boost.
Reliability
Because SSDs use flash storage, they have no moving parts, so there are fewer problems than hard drives., which have rotating plates and moving arms. An SSD or hard drive is unlikely to fail, but an SSD will have higher reliability over a longer period of time. And, as an added bonus, SSDs are quiet, while HDDs make occasional clicking and spinning noises.
Proof of the future
The PS4 and PS4 Pro use SATA II and SATA III storage connections, which aren't particularly modern, but using an SSD will give you more options in the future than old console hard drives. Once you remove your PS4, your SSD will be fast enough to use inside a desktop or laptop PC, or you can buy a cheap cart and use it as external storage with your computer or your PS5. An SSD can be expensive initially, but there is more room for future use.
The drawbacks
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Price
SSDs have improved in price and capacity, and the old PS4 and PS4 Pro storage infrastructure means you don't have to buy a newer, more expensive drive to give your console a boost,
but there is no doubt that they can still be expensive.
A consumer grade 1TB SATA SSD costs between €100 and €140, and doubling the capacity bumps those prices up to €200 and €300. If you want a giant 4TB or 8TB drive, you'll pay at least €500.
These prices do not compare favorably with traditional 2,5-inch hard drivesNote: If you want a 1TB or 2TB drive, expect to pay less than €50 and €100. A 4TB hard drive costs only around €120. T
Both HDDs and SSDs have room to handle a solid library of games, but HDDs offer better value in terms of size.
If you have a replacement SSD lying around, it's obviously a huge money saver, but that won't apply to most people.
The consoles themselves
Both the PS4 and PS4 Pro will get an SSD upgrade, but internal differences mean the PS4 Pro has more to gain.
The PS4 Pro has a better processor and a newer, faster SATA III storage interface that has a theoretical maximum bandwidth of 600MB/s. The original PS4 has a slower processor and its SATA II connection tops out at 300MB/s. The PS4 Pro's top speed matches the pace offered by the best 2,5-inch SSDs, so they're a good match, while plugging in the original PS4 will brick most SSDs you can buy these days. Make no mistake, you'll get a decent performance boost with an SSD on both the PS4 and PS4 Pro. It's just that the difference will be more obvious on the PS4 Pro, and only this console will properly use the speed provided by a new SSD.
Be realistic
Inserting an SSD into your PS4 or PS4 Pro will improve performance, but it's worth tempering your expectations. While adding an SSD will greatly improve your console, it won't make your PS4 a top-of-the-line PS5 or gaming PC in terms of responsiveness or load times. It is an evolution, not a revolution.
The future
The PS5 and Xbox Series X are coming soon, and both will include SSDs. With new consoles on the horizon, upgrading the PS4 seems like a more complicated proposition, possibly better to save money for a new console. In fact, it's only worth spending the money to upgrade your PS4 or PS4 Pro if you have a huge library of games you'll always play, and if you're not going to buy a new console close to launch.
Can be scary
Gaming on electronic devices can be intimidating, especially if you haven't already, though Sony officially supports upgrading your console's storage. And aside from that, it can be time-consuming as you need to back up your data, remove the old drive, install the new product, and restore your operating system and data. It's totally understandable if you don't want to dive into your precious PS4, and Sony consoles also support USB-based external storage, which is a much easier method of adding capacity to your device.
Verdict
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Upgrading your PS4 or PS4 Pro with an SSD is a surefire way to give your console a performance boost.- Will boot faster, load games faster, and eliminate texture loading issues in many games.
SSDs are more reliable than hard drives, are more future-proof and come with higher capacities and lower prices than ever before. However, there are downsides, such as that they are still expensive compared to hard drives, new consoles are coming, and the performance improvements provided are sometimes modest.
If you have a large library of games and still plan to play your PS4 for a long time, this is a relatively easy way to make your console more responsive. If you decide to take the plunge, good luck and enjoy a faster machine.