Upgrading from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 4 Pro can be smooth sailing, especially with the Pro coming with a 1TB drive as standard, but it can also be a royal pain in the backside if you’ve swapped out the hard drive in your original console.
Sadly, a PS4 will always reinitialise and reformat a new drive that is installed in it, meaning that you cannot simply take the drive out of one PS4 and put it into another. Three cheers for copy protection and anti-piracy measures!
Below is our guide to swapping the drive on your PS4 Pro, but outside of the hardware differences, the entire process for initialising that drive and transferring data is the same as with any other PS4. Still, it doesn’t hurt to have everything you need to know in one place, so we’ve also covered doing a direct transfer between PS4s and using the Back Up and Restore utilities with an external drive.
Replacing the PS4 Pro HDD
Ever since the original PS3, Sony have kept it nice and easy to get at your hard drive, and it’s no different on the PS4 Pro. A plastic cover, moulded to fit the lower groove of the PS4, needs a little force, but clicks out of position quite easily. Then you can see the drive cage and remove the screw holding it in place – I recommend putting the console upside down to make unscrewing a little easier.
Click play on our unboxing video to see us remove the HDD from the PlayStation 4 Pro. Navigate to 3:50 if it doesn’t start there automatically!
In the cage, you’ll find a 1TB HDD, and all you need to do is unscrew it from the cage and replace it with any standard 2.5″ 9.5mm HDD. The PS4 Pro has a faster SATA 3 connection speed, but the actual drives you can use are exactly the same as before. Any 2.5″ SATA drive that is 9mm thick or less is compatible.
With a standard spinning disc HDD, don’t expect to reap any rewards from SATA 3, they’re not fast enough to stress SATA 2 or USB 3, even. There’s also only 11mm between the bottom of the drive and the metal of the cage, so squeezing in a 12mm thick drive and reaping the storage capacity benefits won’t be possible here. SSDs are another matter, and SATA 3 will get a lot more out of them than the original PS4 could, but they’re also very expensive and the actual effect isn’t yet known.
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- The PS4 Pro’s HDD cover is on the rear of the machine. I recommend placing it upside down on a flat surface.
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- Removing the HDD cover requires a little force, prying it open with a finger until it clicks.
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- Unscrew the PS Symbol branded screw.
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- Pull the drive cage out.
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- Simply unscrew the four screws, screw the new drive into place and follow these steps in reverse!
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- The drive cage only has around 11mm depth.
Once installed, you now need to initialise the drive, grabbing the full system firmware update file from the PlayStation site – it’s the exact same file for all PlayStation 4 models and should be around 900MB in size for new installations, that is an important point. Create a folder on a USB drive named PS4 and within that another folder named UPDATE, into which you put the PS4UPDATE.PUP file you just downloaded.
Plug that into a USB port on the console and then put the PS4 into recovery mode by holding the power button until it beeps a second time, which should take around 7 seconds. Select ‘Initialize PS4’Â and follow the instructions on screen.
Transferring your data
The first and most time consuming option is to simply back up your save files, either to the PS+ cloud or a USB drive, and then reinstall your various games and the necessary save files as you go. Unless you have a very fast internet connection, this won’t be a fun adventure.
The fastest and easiest option is to do a direct transfer via ethernet, but the target PS4 needs to have at more HDD capacity than the amount of data on the source PS4. You can check this under Settings > System Storage Management, where you can also analyse how much space each game is taking up and delete them individually or in bulk, if necessary. You cannot selectively transfer games from one PS4 to another.
This will only potentially be a factor if you have upgraded the HDD in the source PS4 to more than 1TB. The PS4 Pro comes with a 1TB HDD as standard, while PS4s have been sold with either 500GB or 1TB thus far. If you’ve installed a 1.5TB or 2TB drive and wish to do a direct transfer, you maybe need to delete apps and games or upgrade the drive in the PS4 Pro first.
- Both PS4s need to have the same PSN account on them and be connected to the same network. If using WiFi, you also need to directly connect them with an ethernet cable – this will actually likely be the fastest option.
- On the PS4 you wish to transfer to, head to Settings > System > Transfer Data from Another PS4 – note, this WON’T delete data on the source PS4, but will reinitialise the target PS4
- Follow the instructions. During this, you will have to press the power button on the source PS4 until it beeps, be able to choose whether save data, captures and themes are transferred – all applications and settings will be – and decide whether or not to transfer Primary PS4 activation, which is vital if selling the source PS4.
- Turn the TV off and wait.
Transferring 1.33TB of data over gigabit ethernet took around 7 hours. The initial time estimate quickly plummeted from 33 hours, and I left this to run overnight. When I got up in the morning, the PS4 Pro was happily sat there on the main menu with all my games and folders exactly where I’d left them on my original PS4.
The second option is to use an external drive and the Back Up and Restore utility, which is necessary if you are trading you PS4 in ahead of getting a replacement – don’t forget to turn off Primary PS4 activation! – or if you want to re-use that particular HDD. Again, you cannot selectively backup games, it’s all or nothing, so you will need an external drive with capacity for more data than you have installed on the PS4.
- Plug your chosen back up HDD (formatted to exFAT or FAT) into the PS4 and navigate to Settings > System > Back Up and Restore > Back Up PS4.
- Follow the instructions, where you will be able to exclude save data, captures and themes from the back up, but not applications and settings.
- Wait for the back up to complete.
- Make sure to synchronise your trophies, as they’re not included with a back up.
- Optional – Remove the HDD from the source PS4 and install it in the new PS4, reinitialising the HDD in the process as outlined above.
- Plug in the back up drive into the target PS4 and head to Settings > System > Back Up and Restore > Restore PS4.
- Follow the instructions and mentally prepare yourself for a good few more hours of thumb twiddling. This will wipe all data on the target PS4Â as you copy files to it.
- Play some games on the old PS4, if you still have it? Or have you considered a PS Vita? Who am I kidding, I’m sure there’s something on Netflix to watch…
So there you have it, our guide to transferring data from an old (but still very good) PlayStation 4 to a PlayStation 4 Pro. Be sure to check out our early impressions of the system here, while we await more patches and content to flesh out our full review.
Kennykazey
I feel like I should mention that although the Pro uses SATA 3, word on the street is it doesn’t make much use of it. So you won’t get the same gains as on PC.
Basically, don’t buy an expensive SSD until there’s been more reports from people.
camdaz
You would benefit from SATA3 6Gb/s if you installed a SSD but the cost of one around 1TB is a lot more than the console.
Ed the Penguin
I’m sure we can all work it out, but for anyone taking the steps word for word, the folder to be created on the USB drive for the firmware update is “UPDATE”, not “UBDATE”.
Seriously not trying to be a grammar troll – just trying to help!
Stefan L
Yep. I was testing you all and you, Ed… you passed!
Ed the Penguin
Woohoo!
Andrewww
Does it copy really everything..? In the old days with the PS3, it never copied everything over, I remember e.g. Killzone 2, which you couldn’t fully backup & restore.
What about the stuff they’d like to wipe off our hard drives if they could, e.g. P.T., will that all copy..?
Stefan L
Yup, everything. I remember the pain of PS3 backups – it was Uncharted 2 that kept corrupting my backups – but this was smooth as smooth peanut butter.
People have already tried backing up and restoring PT and reported success with that.
freezebug2
My backup data to external USB HDD failed at the last hurdle copying to my new slim 2TB, couldn’t be arsed going for it again as it’s an overnighter so will install any data as and when it’s needed, although all of my game saves are backed up on the plus cloud when required.
tozol
Guys, very simple question I’m surprised I’ve not seen asked yet with the pros about to hit.
So I’m getting mine on Thursday, and I currently have my main PS4 ready to trade, now thing is ,this has a nice 2 TB drive in it already with all my stuff on.
So simple question, can I just remove that drive from the PS4, and simply pop it in the new PSPRO,
The reason I’m able to try this is, I have my old 500gb drive ready to go back into the old PS4before i sell it.
Surely there’s nothing to stop me just swapping the actual drives over.?is there?
Cheers
Toz
Pixel_nme
if you try to put the hard drive in your new console it will want to format it to use it,so you would lose all your stuff so unless you have a spare external hdd I think you may end up downloading/installing everything again :(,make sure to back up your saves to the cloud or USB stick first and also have the Update file ready.
tozol
But it’s formatted already ,and has my entire PS4 on it , surely it would just switch on as normal wouldn’t it.?
Stefan L
We do mention it in the guide. The HDD in the PS4 is encrypted to the particular console it is in during the initialisation process. As Pixel says, you can’t move the HDD to a different console without that console then demanding to reinitialise it and wiping all the existing data from it.
The only ways to preserve your data are to perform a direct transfer or a back up and restore.
Silicon Surfer
When you upgrade the PS Pro hdd and download the full system file from Sony, is there a speciifc PS Pro system file that you need to download or is it the standard PS4 system file that’s used. I can’t find a specific Pro version and I’m sure Sony would have put one up by now but you never can tell with Sony so I’m just checking before I get going.
Many thanks
Stefan L
The firmware used is the same for all versions of the PlayStation 4, so it’s the exact same PS4UPDATE.PUP file to download. I’ve made that point clearer in the article above.
KelticWarrior
You state that the hard drive can be replaced with any 2.5″ 9mm hdd and then state that any 2.5″ SATA drive that is 9mm thick or less is compatible. Don’t you mean up to 9.5mm 2.5″hdd just incase some people get confused about this? in this blog it states clearly that up to a 9.5mm hdd 2.5″ can be used, not 9mm
http://blog.us.playstation.com/2016/09/08/ps4-pro-the-ultimate-faq/
Q: Can I install a new hard drive in my PS4 Pro?
Yes. As with both models of the standard PS4, you can replace PS4 Pro’s stock 1TB, 5400RPM hard drive relatively quickly and easily using just a Phillips head screwdriver. You will need to select a 2.5’’ (laptop PC sized) hard drive that is no more than 9.5mm thick.
Stefan L
Sorry for the confusion, it is 9.5mm as you and the PS Blog say. 2.5″ drives only come in a few set thicknesses, and the most important point was that 12mm drives won’t work, so the same upper limit of physical space and storage remain.
KelticWarrior
Thanks for clarifying that Stefan :) I was buying a 2TB 2.5″ today for my PS4 Pro that arrives in 15 or so hours so thought I better make sure. I am now going to buy a Seagate Momentus 2TB 2.5″ 9.5mm Internal Hard Drive today which is SATA3 to install in the PS4 Pro tomorrow.
talldrink67
Ok so I need some help. I read the above article but one part of it I’m confused with.
I have a 2TB drive in my old PS4. I am going to do a backup to an external drive, then replace the 1tb drive in the pro with my 2TB drive and use the backup data. The “Primary PS4 activation” option, where will I see that and do I want it on or off?
Thanks
freezebug2
Hah! been there done it.
Pretty simple really mate, sticking with your current PS4 go into Settings/PlayStation Network – Account settings/Activate as your primary PS4/ select Deactivate.
Then, when the new PS4 Pro is up and running after the HDD backup data has restored 3 days later, go into the same settings menu as before and select Activate.
Simples ;)
Stefan L
Yup. It can be automated in the direct transfer, but you have to dig into settings for backup and restore. Freeze nailed it.
talldrink67
I take it I deactivate after the backup of the original PS4 is complete?
Stefan L
Anywhere in the process, if you want the Pro to be your primary console, yes.
KAdamsy1
not being funny but how the hell do you remove the hdd panel on the pro cos mine it budging for shit
Stefan L
You just need to apply a bit of force, get your finger in at the side and there’s a little bit of a ridge or texture that you can get leverage on. Hopefully you can see what I mean in the unboxing video.
KAdamsy1
yeah i saw that but it still was budging : But lightly tapping the panel seemed to loosen it enough so that i could get the panel off :)