Tutorial to Format a Hard Drive for PS4 Entirely at Ease

January 11, 2023Ashley Mae

Every device and hardware can't survive the non-stopping innovation, invention, and upgrades happening in our technology, which is why they have a shelf life. The longer you use the devices, the more you can see that they will encounter problems such as lagging, crashes, and slow performance, unlike when it was fresh from the box. That is where formatting can become handy.

Even with PS4, you will get a performance degradation when you have used this console for a particular duration. Most of us cross our fingers and wishes that the console performs like it was out of a newer box. Instead of purchasing another PS4 console, it should format the hard drive of it so that it will have better performance and reduce the errors that happen. Here we included the best way to format a hard drive for PS4 with a complete tutorial.

Format Hard Drive for PS4

Part 1. Why Do You Need to Format PS4 Hard Drive?

When the performance of a 2.5-inch SATA HDD (the PS4 hard drive) doesn't work the same as before, then formatting PS4 hard drive is needed. If you don't format the hard drive, you will experience repetitive crashes and generate errors every time it is in use. You can also dispose of the hard drive if you don't want to format but ensure to delete all of the files on it and buy another hard drive that will cost you a couple of hundred dollars.

Part 2. How to Format Hard Drive for PS4 Directly [ 2 Popular Methods]

1st Method. How to Format PS4 HDD as Extended Storage

After you format extended storage on the console, you can move applications on your internal storage into the extended storage so that the hard drive will not suffer from processing. Here is the process of how to do it effectively.

Step 1:
Boot your console, insert it on the flash drive on a USB port, ensure that it has an external hard disk that has 250 GB as a minimum and 8 TB as a maximum, and goes to Settings. Remember that the product must be USB 3.0 so that this process will work.
Step 2:
Under Settings, select the Devices option, and open the USB Storage Device.
Step 3:
After that, click Format as Extended Storage and select the drive you want to use. After that, the console will automatically do the rest of the process, and you will only need to wait.

2nd Method. How to Do a Factory Reset on PS4

A factory reset can help your PS4 perform better when you do it. Unlike format, the entire drive will return to zero when the process is done, but resetting it will erase all of the user's data and settings. If you want to know how to do it, here's how.

Step 1:
Go ahead and open Settings.
Step 2:
Find the Initialization and press X on your controller to proceed.
Step 3:
Under it, select Restore Default Settings, and the process will begin.

Part 3. How to Format External HDD/SSD of PS4 on Computer [Mac & Windows]

1. Aiseesoft Mac Cleaner - Effective Data Eraser App for Mac

Aiseesoft Mac Cleaner is used to clean all of the files of the HDD/SDD on Mac; does formatting PS4 hard drive included? Yes, it is. It is a professional cleaner you can download to start cleaning every junk file, large, old files, and many files that are saved on your internal and external drives. Aside from cleaning, you can access the drive's status to see the information about the drive and many more. Less talking and let's move; follow the instruction below to help you solve the problem.

Free DownloadFor macOS

Secure100% Secure. No Ads.

Step 1:
Download the app on your Mac and then install it. After you have done that, connect the drive via SATA cable, and launch the app.
Step 2:
Wait for the app to detect the drive you insert, select Cleaner and choose System Junk.
Open Mac Cleaner
Step 3:
After you have opened the feature, click Scan then there is an interval. Hit the View and press Clean to remove the system Junk on the drive.
Clean Files on PS4

2. Format an External Drive on Windows

This method works on Windows devices even without downloading a third-party application. But after you reformat the drive, you will see that it will not return to its original state or be overwritten by zeros. For example, if the drive you use is 500GB after you have formatted it in Windows, you will get 460 or 465 GB left, not 500 GB. So, if you want a thorough clean, use the Mac app we included, but if you don't have a Mac device, follow the steps below.

Step 1:
Using the SATA cable, connect it to the drive to your computer. After that, hit Windows + X to open Computer Management, then select Device Management.
Computer Management
Step 2:
Under it, look for the unformatted drive, create a New Simple Volume and click Next to proceed.
Step 3:
Next, change the file system into NTFS under the Format Partition, and retype the Volume Label to New Volume. After that, click next to save and proceed. Now you have formatted the drive using your Windows device.

Part 4. FAQs on How to Format Hard Drive for PS4

Does the PS4 play Blu-ray discs?

PS4 can play Blu-ray videos if it downloads extended data like the Blu-ray driver. But it has trouble playing a 4k Blu-ray video disk; instead of playing it on a PS4, it is better to use a video player with an optical disk reader.

Does the PS4 have a built-in screen recorder?

Luckily, PS4 has a built-in screen recorder that you can use to record the action-by-action of every game you play. Here you can record a 30 seconds video for up to 1-hour videos. But some gamers want to record longer and might need more than 60 minutes. If you need to record PS4 gameplay, use an alternative app.

Which is better? Formatting or factory reset for PS4?

Formatting is the best choice for deleting the data on your PS4. However, a factory reset can do the job if you want to restore the original state of the PS4. Understanding the differences between formatting and factory reset is much needed before doing it on your PS4.

Conclusion

Formatting the PS4 hard drive needs to be performed at least once every 2 to 3 years of use so that the performance of it will remain closer to its original state. With the tutorial added here, you wouldn't find a problem doing it. But if you want to erase thoroughly on your PS4 hard drive, use the macOS app, we added here, for it can do the job flawlessly without leaving anything behind.

What do you think of this post?

Excellent

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (based on 152 votes)Follow Us on

Disqus IconLeave your comment and join our discussion
Mac Cleaner box

Mac Cleaner is a professional Mac management tool to remove junk files, clutter, large/old files, delete duplicate files and monitor your Mac performance.

Free DownloadFor macOS

Secure100% Secure. No Ads.

Back to top