First of all, you’ll need an adjustable screwdriver (Philips bit, but two sizes), two USB flash drives and, of course, an SSD no thicker than 9.5mm. We’d like to say thanks to Crucial for providing us with a 1TB SSD for use in our how-to, which can be picked up from Crucial for £129.59.
Back up your save data
If you’ve been using your PS4 for as long as we have, you’ll have quite a few game saves stored on the console. Of course, removing the HDD will in turn remove all the saves, so what are you to do? You can either upload them to your online storage if you have PS Plus, or you can copy them to a USB. Plug in your USB, head to Settings > Application Saved Data Management > Saved Data in System Storage > Copy to USB and select the saves you’d like to transfer.
Remove top plate
Now your save files are backed up, it’s time to remove the HDD from your PS4. First of all, remove the top plate of the console by sliding it to the left. It should lift off fairly easy, exposing the innards of the PS4 beneath.
Remove Sony-branded screw
Remove the largest screw at the front of the PS4, which keeps the hard drive bay secure. It’s easily identifiable as it’s not only bigger than the screws around it, but it features Sony’s Circle, Cross, Square and Triangle icons featured on the PS4 controller. It’s a Phillips screw, but we found it to be smaller-than-usual so you may need to hunt for a small Phillips screwdriver if you don’t have one handy.
Slide out HDD from PS4
Pull the hard drive towards you and remove it from the console – it should come out with no issue once you’ve removed the aforementioned Sony-branded screw.
Remove HDD from the frame
Once you’ve successfully removed the hard drive from the PS4, you’ll find that it’s securely fastened within a metal frame. To remove the hard drive from the frame, simply unscrew the four black screws located on the sides of the cage – two either side – using a Phillips screwdriver. Once removed, the hard drive should be easily removable.
Attach SSD to frame
Now you’ve removed the old hard drive, it’s time to replace it with your new, fast SSD. Make sure the end with the connectors isn’t covered by the frame, align the case to the holes on the side of the SSD and replace the screws removed in the previous step. If all goes to plan, the SSD should be held securely in place by the four screws, ready to be put back into the PS4.
Insert SSD into PS4 and close case
Once the SSD is secured within the metal frame, simply slot it back into the PS4 the same way it was removed, screw the Sony-branded screw back in and re-attach the top plate to protect the internals of the console. Don’t turn it on just yet though – there’s a few more things left to do.
Put PS4 software on a USB stick
While the SSD may now successfully be inside your PS4, it’s completely empty – you need to install the PS4 software to use the system, but how? Grab your second flash drive, plug it in a PC or Mac, and create a folder on the USB named PS4, with another folder within it named UPDATE. Head to the Sony website, download the latest version of the software (the name should be PS4UPDATE.PUP) and save it in the UPDATE folder you just created.
Plug in USB and boot PS4 in Safe Mode
Now, plug the USB into your PS4 using one of the two forward-facing USB ports and hold the Power button for 7-10 seconds to boot into Safe Mode.
Select Initialise PS4 (Option 7)
Once the PS4 has booted into Safe Mode and you’re at the main Safe Mode menu, select “Initialise PS4 (Reinstall System Software)” – this should be the seventh option on the list.
Follow on-screen instructions
Your PS4 will then scan for the software stored on the flash drive you plugged in, and run through the process of installing the PS4’s operating system. It’s straightforward – just follow the on-screen instructions and press X when prompted. If all goes well, the operating system will be successfully installed and you’ll be prompted to go through the first-time setup, as if it were a new PS4.
Restore game save data
Now you’ve got the SSD properly installed, it’s time to restore your precious game save data. Plug the first flash stick you used into the PS4, head to the Settings menu and select Application Saved Data Management > Saved Data on USB Storage Device > Copy to System Storage. Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
