Sony has announced a new update recently for PlayStation 5, which includes external storage support and more. The update is rolling out globally with new and improved features PS5 and support PS4 someway as well. The features will also allow PS5 and PS4 users to share gameplay.
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PlayStation 5 external storage features:
With this new external storage support on PlayStation 5 (PS5), user can transfer the games to the external drive. That’s the superb feature to utilise your internal storage by off-loading the games that you are not playing often. And you can copy it back to the internal storage when you want it to play again. Of course, it’s easier than re-downloading the game, especially when you have a slow internet connection.
The drawback of this new feature is, you cannot play the game from external storage. Also, it’s not possible to download games title directly to the external storage. Because PS5 designed for performance which is only achievable from internal high-speed SSD storage at this stage. However, games will automatically update once you copy them back to the internal storage.
Indeed, you can play games directly from external storage on your PS 4 as per PlayStation support notes.
PlayStation 5 external storage requirements:
Sony mentioned the requirements for PS5 extended USB storage. As per their standard requirements, extended storage should support SuperSpeed (SS) USB with a data transfer rate of up to 5Gbps. Also, external drive capacity shouldn’t exceed 8TB capacity with a minimum storage capacity of 250GB.
The extended storage feature of PS5 has some limitation, like it can’t connect through a USB hub. Also, you can connect multiple USB drives to PS5 but use only one at a time. And, there is no guarantee of all device type will work with PlayStation 5.
Some of the SuperSpeed (SS) USB types listed below that will work with the PS5.
- SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps (USB 3.0/USB 3.1 Gen1/USB 3.2 Gen1)
- SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps (USB 3.1 Gen2/USB 3.2 Gen2/USB 3.2 Gen1x2)
- SuperSpeed USB 20 Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen2x2)
Image Source: PlayStation.com
How to transfer games between PlayStation 5 internal storage and external USB storage?
Transferring games between PS5 console internal SSD and external USB storage is pretty simple. You can follow the steps below to move the games from and to PlayStation 5.
- Go to the Game Library.
- Select the game to transfer.
- Press the options button and select Move to USB Extended Storage to transfer the game to external media.
- Similarly, press the options button and select Move to Console Storage/Copy to transfer the game back to the console’s internal storage.
As announced earlier, Sony’s PlayStation 5 console will support the M.2 extended storage in future. But you can use other SuperSpeed USB SSD drives available in the market for now to expand your PS5 storage.
PS4 and PS5 Cross-Generation Share Play Social Features:
Another great feature rolled out with this update is cross-generation share play between PS4 and PS5. You can share play with your friends while chatting in parties. Also, PS5 users can allow to view and play a game from the PS4 console to their friends and vice versa. The option can share screen and controllers virtually with friends to play multiplayer games. Isn’t it making gaming fun with friends?
PlayStation 5 adding another feature called “Request to Join”. This feature will make it easier to invite friends for the game session on PS4 and PS5. However, you can choose a privacy setting for those who can interact with you through messages, parties and games.
The rollout also brings an improved Game Base Menu for quick access to important content and features. User can now switch between friend and parties easily and can turn on or off notifications for parties. That’s the great social feature of the PS5 console to interact with friends and have control too when you want to be silent in parties.
PlayStation 5 other features update:
Sony is rolling out some other great features for PS5. The new feature of disable the game chats or adjusts the player volume is very useful. You can disable in-game chat to turn off the audio of other players. Additionally, you can control your friend’s volume individually for comfortable gameplay.
One more feature is, games title will update automatically if set for “automatic updates” as developer mode. This feature will update with the latest version of the game automatically for you.
Now, you can also personalise your game library and easily find the content. This feature lets you hide your games if you want to from your younger brother or sister.
PlayStation 5 users can choose to capture only the moment of earning higher-grade trophies. So you don’t have to record all the achievements to have a clear view of trophy level and status at a glance.
New PlayStation App Features:
Currently, PlayStation App has many cool features like getting notification for online friends and change console online status. But PlayStation brings new features soon to the app, such as join a multiplayer session on PS5. The new app feature will support managing PS5 console storage, products filter and comparing trophy collections with friends.
Final Thoughts:
There is no doubt that PlayStation 5 has great hardware specs and designed for high-performance gaming. It has many other great features, but the new extended storage feature will improve console usability. Of course, high-end games consume lots of space, and 825GB of storage won’t be enough if you owe a few game titles. So it will be convenient if you can store your games on external storage when not playing and copy them back when you need them.
Social share play features make it more playable with your friends while they have an old PlayStation console. It’s fun to chat, message and play a multiplayer game on PS5 from PlayStation 4 console. The virtual controller access allows you to play multiplayer game with your best mates.
Overall, an extended storage feature was much needed for such a high-end gaming console. The new update will make it easy to store and play games virtually from anywhere in the world.