How to use your Crucial X8 Portable SSD with your Playstation 4

Now that you have the Crucial® X8, you may want to use this solid state drive (SSD) with your PlayStation® 4 to expand game and app storage. PlayStation® allows only one external drive to be used at a time with a minimum capacity of 250GB and maximum of 8TB. Storing your content has never been easier. It only takes a few easy steps to expand your console's storage.

Step 1. Plug your X8 into your PlayStation 4

To get started, plug your X8 into the console. Plug one end of the USB C cable into the drive. Plug the other end of the USB C cable into the included USB A adapter and then plug into your PlayStation 4.

Note: Make sure the USB A adapter aligns with the marks on the cable, or the drive will not operate.

Step 2. Format your Crucial X8

Power up your console. Once the system is on go into settings. Select “devices,” and then select “USB storage device.” Finally, click “format as extended storage”. Your X8 has now been formatted to your PS4. Now, you will you need to configure your download options.

Step 3. Change your PS4 storage settings

Your X8 won't store anything until you change your PS4 settings to establish the X8 as its data destination. So it is important to set where your information is downloaded to prior to downloading. Go into settings, select “Options”, then select “Application Install Location”, finally click “Extended Storage”. Your downloads will now go to your external SSD.

Step 4. Move applications between your external SSD and your PS4

Now that your drive is formatted and the download location is set to “extended storage,” you can move applications, games, and save files between the external and internal drives. Go into the settings of the PS4 and select “storage.” Select the storage that has the application you want to more (either the system or extended). Select the app that you want to move, press the options button on your controller, and select either “move to extended storage” or “move to system storage.” Once selected, click the “move” button and select either “OK” or “cancel.” Applications, games, and save files on both the extended and system drive will appear in the content.

Step 5. Properly disconnect your portable SSD

When the time comes, you will need to disconnect and remove your external SSD from your PS4. Disconnecting your SSD improperly can cause data corruption or complete fie loss. Never disconnect the drive while the system is in the process of shutting down or in rest mode. Go into the “Quick Menu” and select “Sound/Devices.” Select “Stop using Extended Storage.” Once you select “Ok,” your drive is safe to disconnect from your PS4. If your drive was removed incorrectly, you likely will receive an error message.

Conclusion

As newer console games require more storage, the need for an external storage device such as the Crucial X8 portable SSD has never been higher. Utilizing your Crucial X8 portable SSD is a fast and effective way to expand your PS4 gameplay and system storage capabilities.