Topic: PS4 Harddrive replacement questions

Ok so I have been using the stock PS4 500gb harddrive since launch.  Well with my latest purchase of Strider and getting some money back from taxes it got me thinking that maybe I should upgrade my harddrive now before I get too many games.  So before I do that I have a few questions bear in mind that I am not too tech savvy so these might be dumb questions

1.  Now since I have been using my PS4 since launch is there a way to the I will be able to transfer my saves to a new harddrive or will I have to start over in all of my games.

2.  What about the games that I got for free while a PSN + member will those still be free for me to redownload?

3.  How easy is it to replace the harddrive?

Also any suggestions for harddrives will be great as well. 

1- You can backup the saves to the PS+ cloud assuming you have PS+. Otherwise you can see if there's a way to back up the saves to a flash drive.
2- Games you got for free while being a PS+ member can be redownloaded anytime while you're still a PS+ member (or if you bought a game, you can download it at any time, PS+ member or not)
3- Pretty easy! you'll need a flash drive to store the update/operating system file for when you swap in the new drive. You can google how to upgrade the drive on numerous websites.

@irken004:  AH I do have PS+ after hearing all the deals that PS3 owners were getting for having it I made sure to get one for my PS4 even though I don't play online much.  Just one question though when I save it to the cloud will I be able to transfer it back?

Yep, just have to go into some settings to download the cloud files.
https://support.us.playstation.com/app/ … -game-data

@irken004:  Wow thanks again   I am just not use to the whole cloud save thing.  It still perplexes me how it works lol.

It's super easy and nice on PS4, when you put the system in stand by mode it uploads a copy of your game saves automatically, along with downloading any updates available and auto trophy sync.

Hopefully Sony comes out with an easy way to upgrade the HDD in the near future with some sort of easy transfer kit, similar to the old Xbox 360 HDD transfer kit. Just allow is to transfer everything from the current HDD to a new HDD. No fuss, no muss!

If you have an external HDD you can simply plug it in to the PS4 (just like you could with the PS3) and back up all your games and saves and data files.  Then put your new HDD in, and use the external to restore.

Does adding a new hard drive void the warranty?

Hi I've been thinking of upgrading my PS4 Hard Drive, and i saw this Sony Portable Hard Disk Drive 2TB ( http://store.sony.com/sony-2tb-external-usb-3.0-portable-hard... ), and the spec hardware says the size of disk is 2.5 inch , so anyone can confirm this if i can use it for my ps4.

You should not try and use a HDD thats encased. You have to crack the case to get to the actual HDD inside and that spec sheet doesnt tell you if it has a SATA connector inside. (And they generally cost more than a HDD by itself)

Remember this is a Playstation. You dont need to buy a special Sony branded HDD, just ANY SATA 2.5 HDD (thats generally a laptop size HDD), any brand.

Chances are, this will work, encased HDDs are generally just using USB To SATA adapters, but without knowing for sure, I cant say with any authority.

I too have been looking at upgrading the HDD on my PS4. I only have one question; is it possible to transfer not just the OS but also any game install files via external HDD? My internet connection isn't the best and I would prefer not to have to update / download all of my games again.

You can do a full system backup and restore which should let you do this. It does on the PS3, but I have not tried it on my PS4 yet, since I dont buy digital I have not had any need to upgrade the 500 GB.