Should you install an SSD in your PlayStation 4?

PS4 with SSDs
PS4 with SSDs (Image credit: Android Central)

Best answer: If you are looking for more storage and stability, despite the slightly higher price, an SSD is your best bet. Not only does an SSD provide the same storage capabilities of other drives, but they'll help load your games faster, giving you an even better experience while you play.

SSD drives offer speed, stability, and storage in your PS4

Source: Samuel Tolbert/Android Central (Image credit: Source: Samuel Tolbert/Android Central)

In general, a solid state drive (SSD) is much faster than your normal drives. Mechanical drives, like HDDs, have moving parts whereas an SSD does not. The easiest way to think of it is that an SSD is like a larger memory stick. In recent years, SSD's have become far more affordable than they have been in the pas. Whether it be an external hard drive or a SSD, giving yourself more space for games is always a plus.

But should you put an SSD in your PS4? A few years ago I probably would have said that there were better ways to spend your money. Recently, however, SSD prices have fallen drastically. Because of this, upgrading your PS4 with one of the many available hard drives is almost a no-brainer. While the SATA interface on the PS4 may not be capable of taking advantage of every bit of speed that an SSD has to offer, the fact that the prices are so much more reasonable than they used to be make picking one up well worth the price in my opinion. Better yet, upgrading your PS4's hard drive is a fairly simple affair, and doesn't involve too much hassle at all.

Get an SSD for the reliability

A mechanical drive is certainly still a viable option for some people. They will likely always be cheaper than an SSD when it comes to dollars per unit of storage and if that is all you are concerned about then a mechanical drive may be the right choice for you. However, when it comes to durability the SSD will win out. A mechanical hard drive has moving parts and that can make it susceptible to damage and wear in ways that an SSD is not. While a mechanical drive may win when it comes to price alone, it just doesn't compare when it comes to speed and durability.

Anthony J Nash

Anthony Nash has been writing about games and the gaming industry for nearly a decade. When he’s not writing about games, he’s usually playing them. You can find him on Twitter talking about games or sports at @_anthonynash.