tbh i think Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive (STGX2000400) is ur best bet. since ps4 pro bottlenecks, ssds dont give a huge boost. its been reallyyy reliable for my RDR2 setup!!

Saw this earlier and wanted to chime in! TL;DR from this thread: If u want tons of games, get a big HDD. If u want RDR2 to load fast, go SSD. The Pro handles SSDs way better than the base console, even if there's a slight bottleneck at the USB port. So basically the consensus is that it depends on ur priority. Reply #1 mentioned the Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive (STGX2000400) for value, but Reply #2 is right about the speed boost on the Pro. Technically, the PS4 Pro uses SATA III architecture internally, and externally you're using USB 3.1 Gen 1. While that caps out around 500MB/s, an SSD still wins because of near-zero "seek time." It's not just about the raw transfer speed; it's about how fast the drive finds those tiny textures in games like Warzone. It's a huge quality of life upgrade tbh. Since ur budget is $80-$100, you're in the sweet spot. Honestly, I'd recommend the Crucial X8 1TB Portable SSD. It's super reliable, doesn't run too hot, and you'll actually notice the difference in those huge RPGs. If you care more about pure capacity and want to store like 50+ games, look at the Western Digital 5TB WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive. It's built like a tank and I haven't seen the connection drop-outs that some cheaper generic drives have. Personally, I think 1TB of fast storage is better than 5TB of slow storage, but maybe that's just me... I'm impatient lol. Hope that helps you decide!! Good luck with the storage tetris!

@Reply #6 - good point! I totally get the DIY appeal for some, but in my experience, there are a couple of solid pre-built options that wont give you those clicking sounds of death. I have tried many drives over the years and honestly, while some people say HDDs are fine for the Pro, I have to politely disagree. The SSD makes a huge difference in system snappy-ness.

• Crucial X8 1TB Portable SSD : This is my top pick. It is rugged, fast, and stays cool. Even if the Pro bottlenecks the max speed slightly, the lack of moving parts means it will likely outlive the console. It usually sits right in your budget too.
• WD_BLACK 2TB P10 Game Drive : If you really need the extra space for a massive library, this is the only HDD I trust lately. It is built for the heat and constant use that a PS4 Pro puts it through, unlike those cheap slim drives. I would personally go with the SSD tho... the difference in loading times for massive games like RDR2 is just too good to ignore. Feel free to ask if you have more questions about how to move your saves over!

Stumbled upon this today and respectfully, I'd consider another option. Even if I'm still learning the tech side, in my experience the Pro handles SSDs way better than the base console and loading RDR2 is literally night and day! A couple questions tho:
- Do you care more about speed or a huge library?
- Are you planning to get a PS5 soon? HDDs always feel like space heaters to me... gl!

I was literally so nervous about my data forever! I once lost a massive save file because of a cheap drive failing and i literally cried... no joke. So when i looked for my Pro, i went super conservative and careful. I spent forever comparing the Toshiba Canvio Advance 2TB External Hard Drive against more rugged options because i was just too worried about moving parts failing again after my last disaster. I finally went with the Samsung T7 1TB Portable SSD because it felt way safer and wouldnt break if my cat knocks it over!! It has been fantastic and so reliable for my peace of mind. Seriously, the speed compared to my old setup is just amazing.

• Tip: Always use the Stop Using Extended Storage menu option before pulling the plug or youll risk corruption.
• Tip: Keep the drive on a cool surface away from the PS4 exhaust fan because those Pro consoles get super hot.

Gonna try this over the weekend. Will report back if it works!

Saw this earlier but just now responding. Honestly, I've had such bad luck with those plug-and-play drives that come in the fancy boxes. A couple years back I bought one of those slim models everyone loves, and it started clicking and failing within months. It was super disappointing because I lost my entire library and had to redownload everything on a slow connection. I ended up going the DIY route because I wanted to know exactly what was inside my hardware. I spent a lot of time on sites like Eurogamer and the PS4 subreddits looking for better solutions. Here is how I handled it:

• I bought a high-quality Samsung 870 EVO 2TB SATA III Internal SSD separately
• I put it into a sturdy UGREEN 2.5 Inch External Hard Drive Enclosure
• I used a better USB cable to avoid the connection drops people always complain about Unfortunately, most of the pre-made drives use cheaper components that run way too hot. Since I switched to the DIY setup, I havent had a single crash or drive disconnected error. It might seem like more work, but it saves so much frustration in the long run. Definitely check out some teardown guides online before you commit to a retail box.