yo, honestly i get it. basically the PS4 Pro uses USB 3.1 Gen 1, so you only get about 5Gbps max anyway... for 4TB, an SSD is way too pricey and you wont see HUGE gains over USB.

• WD_BLACK 4TB P10 Game Drive WDBA3A0040BBK-WESN
• Seagate 4TB Portable External Hard Drive STGX4000400 Quick tip: Stick with a high-capacity HDD. The loading speed difference on external USB is pretty marginal compared to the extra cost. gl!

So basically the consensus is that SSDs are way too expensive for 4TB and the PS4 Pro wont even hit max speeds anyway. Honestly, just save the money and grab the Toshiba Canvio Basics 4TB Portable External Hard Drive HDTB440XK3CA. I've used one for years and it's super reliable and stayed cool... It's usually under $100 which is a TOTAL steal. It's definitely the one to go with. gl

Regarding what #1 said about "yo, honestly i get it. basically the PS4...", hes totally right about the speeds. Ive spent way too much money trying to make my Pro faster and its mostly a letdown.

• I had a bad run with Seagate drives where two of them died right after the warranty ended. Super frustrating and honestly not worth the headache.
• WD is slightly better but you pay a premium for the "gaming" branding which is just a marketing scam imo.
• Just grab the Western Digital 4TB WD Elements Portable HDD instead of the fancy black version. It does the exact same thing for less money.
• If you really want to save, Silicon Power 2TB Rugged Portable External Hard Drive A60 is usually the cheapest thing on the shelf and actually stays cooler than the big brands. Unfortunately, the hardware is just old. Dont overthink it, just get whatever has the best price per TB and keep your saves backed up to the cloud because these mechanical drives always fail eventually... kinda a bummer but thats the reality.

Quick question - before I give advice, are u mostly playing huge open-world titles like Warzone or Red Dead, or is ur library more of a mix?? Knowing that would help a ton!! > Does the PS4 Pro even take full advantage of SSD speeds over USB? Sooo I've been messing with consoles for years and honestly... I'm not 100% sure if the USB 3.1 really lets an SSD fly at full speed. I think there is a bottleneck somewhere? But iirc, even if the raw transfer speeds arent maxed out, the seek times on an SSD are WAY better than a spinning drive. It basically makes the UI feel less laggy and helps with texture pops in-game!! Comparing the options is kinda tough:

• HDD is basically amazing for bulk storage but feels sooo slow now.
• SSD is fantastic for speed but ur gonna pay way more.
• SSHD is a cool middle ground but idk if they still make good ones for external use lol. Anyway, let me know about those games ur playing so I can help u decide! Cheers!

100% agree