ps4 PS4 does not support games on external HD

[Tha Bloo Monkee]

Externals are slower anyways and the internal can be upgrade.  Nothing to see here folks, move along.

[Aergan]

There's always the chance of an external drive failing too.

[George P Global Moderator]

With more and more externals using USB3 the case for them as being slower doesn't really hold up anymore, IMO.  Besides, and maybe I'm wrong about this for the PS4 but at least on the PS3, sure you can swap in a new one yourself, that's all well and good, but then it's stuck in there for good.  With an external option I can take it with me anywhere, it's a giant memory card now.  If the XB1, which lets you install to the external drive, then lets you take all those installed games and be able to access them on a different XB1 just by logging into your account how is that not a clear advantage in this case?

 

Oh but you can just download them on a different system, sure, if you want to take the time and do so, maybe that 2nd system is located in a place with a slow internet connection?  Or no internet connection?  I thought shoddy internet was a problem right?  So we can't be too sure we can just access and d/l our games again.  Plus connecting a external to a usb port and powering up the thing is going to be way faster than any redownloading of your games.

[MikeChipshop Member]

Hmmm, XB1 is slowly tipping the scales for me. The more info that comes out about the PS4 the less it's doing it for me.

[HawkMan]

Externals are slower anyways and the internal can be upgrade.  Nothing to see here folks, move along.

 

USB3 is faster than the hard drive.

[Fourjays Veteran]

What a bunch of ridiculous fanboy arguments there are in this thread (made only more ridiculous by the contradictory arguments the same people have made previously). If there is ever a thread to remind me why I should stop bothering with Gamers Hangout again it is this one. What next? Arguing over the percentage of gloss to matt plastic on each console?

 

Both can have more space, for those who will need it (probably relatively few), and without hassle or excess cost. Anyone trying to find negatives in this is quite frankly just being pedantic.

[Arceles]

USB3 is faster than the hard drive.

So you're sayin that USB 3.0 is faster than SATA 2 or 3.... my my. (No, it isn't, specially if you put an SSD)

[HawkMan]

So you're sayin that USB 3.0 is faster than SATA 2 or 3.... my my. (No, it isn't, specially if you put an SSD)

When did I say, that. 

 

most people will buy a regular HDD, SSD's are to expensive for use as storage drives anyway, and the consoles are scaled for regular HDD's. SSD's only provide loading performance anyway. and for regular HDD's USB3 is far faster than the HDD. for SSD, sure SATA3 is faster, of course. but you'll still get a significant performance boost with an external SSD on USB3. 

[Arceles]

When did I say, that. 

 

most people will buy a regular HDD, SSD's are to expensive for use as storage drives anyway, and the consoles are scaled for regular HDD's. SSD's only provide loading performance anyway. and for regular HDD's USB3 is far faster than the HDD. for SSD, sure SATA3 is faster, of course. but you'll still get a significant performance boost with an external SSD on USB3. 

USB3.0 is not faster than sata. no matter how you put it. It has latency compared to something connected to a chipset.

[Thief000]

I'm glad I can install my stuff on external drives with the Xbox One. I once replaced a harddrive from a broken PS3 to a newer PS3 and it didn't recognize the data on it, so I had to reformat.

Allowing me to install my games on an easy to carry external harddrive to my friends is great, therefor I won't need to download or reinstall anything on their console when we go gaming on their console and saves us time.

I do the same now with USB sticks and games on the Xbox 360 for example and it's just very handy.

[psionicinversion]

USB 3 max transfer speed is 5Gbit/s = bout 500MBps, so its waaay faster than a mechanical HD as sustained transfer speeds usually sit at around 90MB/s, sure theres latency but the HD doesnt get accessed all that much after the initial loading of a game so the ability to have your games installed on the X1 and take them to your friends house log into your account with your HD plugged in and then you can play it straight away. As a added measure you could have the game installed on the internal HD AND external so if you take your HD with you to your friends anyone in your house will still be able to play the games. Id assume with an external HD option theres a setting which you can use to have your prefered drive of choice to install to then when external is disconnected it reverts to the internal, sooooo if one drive fails you might still be able to play ya games.  

 

Clear advantage over the PS4 because seeing as so many people were bitching and moaning about the 24 hour check in and stuff and how the cloud support sux cus not everyone may be able to connect to the internet.... now you dont need to connect to it at all really. Also for the armed forces ppl all they need to carry with them now is an external HD and not there games system if there are games systems already on site. MS just trumped sony

[vcfan]

USB3.0 is not faster than sata. no matter how you put it. It has latency compared to something connected to a chipset.

 

a usb 3.0 ssd will rival any 3.5" sata 2/3 hard drive in every metric except for random 4k reads(yes,latency). Since we are using them for consoles,and not loading oses will a bunch of tiny files, we are loading large textures,videos,and big data. The end result is that they can perform much better than any internal hard drive could, and will beat the pants off any sata 2.5" drive(if sony going small again).

[HawkMan]

USB3.0 is not faster than sata. no matter how you put it. It has latency compared to something connected to a chipset.

 

And When TF did I ever say it was, in fact I just specified it wasn't and I didn't say it. are you capable of reading ?

[American Ninja]

Not a big deal since the HDD can be upgraded.

[trooper11]

First of all, let me say that its silly to argue over which option is better.  You guys are so obsessed with the idea that your opinion MUST the universal truth.  Guess what?  Internal VS external is a SUBJECTIVE opinion.  Some like one way, some like the other, get over it.

 

Secondly, I don't think this hurts Sony since they can always point to being able to replace the internal drive, which I am happy to take advantage of for the ps3 and will do so for the ps4.  Its a nice option to have.  I am however disappointed that they are not going to build in complete external support like MS has on the XB1.  Again, I like being able to replace the internal drive, but I have also found that its advantageous to have everything on an external in some situations.  To illustrate why some people might like using an external, I'll list my reasons why I want to use one:

 

1.  Taking my entire game collection, etc over to a friend's house

2. Being able to continue using my system in the event of the internal hard drive fails and I am waiting for a replacement to arrive.

3.  Having the option to use a hard drive with much more capacity than is allowed in the 2.5'' form factor that both consoles use.

 

So yeah, I'm disappointed that Sony isn't matching MS here as far as external support.  It would have offered me the option to use both methods.  It doesn't turn me off or make me say no to a ps4, its just one of those features I appreciate.

 

I'm also disappointed that MS did not design the system to allow replacement of the internet drive because, like I said, I would use the feature.  It doesn't turn me off or make me say no to an XB1, but its a feature I appreciate.

 

 

 

Externals are slower anyways and the internal can be upgrade.  Nothing to see here folks, move along.

 

That is incorrect. Look, there are plenty of external usb 3.0 cases that are capable of delivering the full speed of SATA 3, even for an SSD.  I've seen the benchmarks myself, a search would turn up all the evidence you need.

 

Your right about one thing though, this is not a big deal, and yet people go out of their way to bash one option or the other.

 

 

 

So you're sayin that USB 3.0 is faster than SATA 2 or 3.... my my. (No, it isn't, specially if you put an SSD)

 

Again, a search will show you plenty of reviews showing an ssd used in an external case that can hit the speeds of SATA 2/3. 

 

Not all can do this of course, you have to pick an enclosure with a good usb 3.0 chipset, but it is possible.  I know if I use an external on these consoles, its going to be an external capable of those speeds.

[dead.cell]

trooper11 is probably the only level headed guy. Unfortunately, he's also a thread killer since people don't like to listen to logic and reason, as people instead opt to wave flags campaigning for their favorite company.

 

Personally, I was a bit disappointed, but it's not the end of the world really. If I had to pick, I'd take the internal mostly because I have an external HDD for my PC as it stands, but I don't much care for utilizing it unless I need something off of it. (mostly archived stuff) Realistically though, it'll be a good while before I fill that 500GB up.

[compl3x]

I am sure this issue has already been covered several times before.

[Yogurtmaster]

Most core gamers will know how to change out the hard drive.  I would rather have an external.  I have built my own PC before and my case is easy to open.  Will the PS4 allow you to open up the case as easily?

External hard drive is better, I plug it in and that is it and I am up and running.   I don't have to try to find a screwdriver and a flashlight and unplug all the wires just to install the hard drive.

 

Remember guys, the PS4 isn't a laptop or a tablet; you are not going to be mobile with it.  You are going to sit it under your TV in a dark room and forget about it. 

 

Why go through the hassle when you can plugin a small hard drive that matches the rest of your system?  This is pretty disappointing in my opinion.

[HawkMan]

Most core gamers will know how to change out the hard drive. 

 

You'd be surprised at the amount of "core" gamers who have custom built gaming rigs, but don't know how to replace or put in a single part in it. they just get them built. 

[Yogurtmaster]

Sorry, I can't quote....

 

This message is for Hawkman....

 

Hard drives are easier than ever to install.  SATA couldn't be easier. After finding a place to install the hard drive physically in the system.  Make sure you know what version of SATA you are installing, find that port on motherboard, plug in SATA cable for that port.  Find SATA port in back of hard drive, plug cable into that, then insert SATA power cable into back of hard drive.  Stick OS disk in Optical drive, boot and then install/partition/format.  Do OS updates and install anti-virus/security and the programs you want to use.  Done and enjoy....

 

In the case of Sony, you don't have to worry about anything above, find old hard drive and take it out, insert new hard drive in the same place, add cables in for data and power, close case and go.

 

Do you guys remember Master and Slave on IDE, that could be confusing if you didn't set the dip switches on the hard drives, you could for example format the wrong drive.  Now all of that stuff is the past.

 

None of this is as easy as finding an empty USB 3.0 port on the back and plugging it in and then going.  Done.

 

One cable for both data and power for USB 3.0 is all you need.

[JonnyLH]

No biggy really since you can swap the internal HDD and PS Plus has cloud saves. If they didn't have cloud saves, that's where I would of been sad. People really need to calm down on here now.

[Yogurtmaster]

You have to buy PS plus to have cloud saves?  Really?  If that is true then that is really messed up even more.  I went after Microsoft for doing that garbage but if this is true Sony is doing it too.

[Biohead]

 

Has anything been said if the PS4's HDD will be locked to the console like the PS3's is? If for any reason you end up swapping your console (failure, buy a slim model etc) then will that mean you'll have to reformat your HDD and lose everything on it?

[JonnyLH]

You have to buy PS plus to have cloud saves?  Really?  If that is true then that is really messed up even more.  I went after Microsoft for doing that garbage but if this is true Sony is doing it too.

Yeah you need PS Plus to have cloud saves. Just goes to show that the companies aren't really that much different.

[Thief000]

 

 

Has anything been said if the PS4's HDD will be locked to the console like the PS3's is? If for any reason you end up swapping your console (failure, buy a slim model etc) then will that mean you'll have to reformat your HDD and lose everything on it?

 

 

It's very likely, just like on the PS3.