DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

So you’ve had your Xbox One and/or PlayStation 4 for just over a year now. Whilst their respective game catalogues are not huge by any stretch of the imagination. There’s still enough out there to fill up the rather paltry 500GB hard drives that both Sony and Microsoft decided to ship in their respective consoles.

If you have moderately large gaming budget or, like me, you review a lot of games your console hard drive(s) may be starting to bulge a bit with all those games installed on them.

I can count almost twenty absolutely must-have games between the Xbox One and the PS4 that have come out in the last couple of months.

Even if you’ve only picked up a few games so far, that drive capacity of yours isn’t going cope for long into the New Year. Soon you will start getting warnings like this on your PS4.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

In real terms what does this mean? Well, I’ve got about 22 games installed- some of which are only relatively small PSN games. If I record a few game clips I usually get a warning. The lack of hard drive space also means I can’t update games.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Even my Xbox One with its twelve games is getting close to capacity. With the likes of the Xbox One exclusive Halo: Master Chief Collection, Sunset Overdrive and Forza Horizon 2, that last thirty gigabytes of space isn’t going to stretch far beyond Christmas.

What can you do about this? Well, there is a way to double both your PS4 and Xbox One hard drive capacity to 1TB each for just over AU$100.

And here’s how.

Whilst the Xbox One’s hard drive is locked away from end-user access, the folks at Sony- in a similar way that they did with the PS3, have designed the PlayStation 4 in such a way that the hard drive can be easily replaced.

You may not be able to swap out the hard drive in an Xbox One, with the recent June 2014 firmware update you can now use an external USB 3.0 hard drive for storage.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

In order to efficiently upgrade both machines we are going to replace the PlayStation 4’s 500GB 2.5” HDD with a 1TB drive.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

We are then going to place the old 500GB PS4 drive in a USB 3.0 HDD enclosure and attach it to our Xbox One. The end result will be to double the storage in both machines for just over AU$100.

First we need to prepare the PS4 for the upgrade and gather all the tools to do the job.

Replacing the PS4 hard drive is going result in your PS4 being reset to its factory settings. All your installed and downloaded games will be gone, as will your saved games. Any videos and screenshots that you’ve not uploaded to Twitter or Facebook will also be lost.

Whilst, unfortunately there’s nothing that you can do about your installed games, your game saves can be backed up. Even your videos and screenshots, if you are particularly attached to them, can be backed up as well.

I wasn’t fussed about my saved videos or screenshots and just got rid of them, but if you are they can easily be transferred to a connected USB memory stick or external drive.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

You can locate your stored videos and screens for the PS4 menu by going to [Settings] > [System Storage Management] > [Capture Gallery] then select the game and highlight the video/screen you wish to keep. Press the Select button on the PS4 controller and then [Copy to USB Storage Drive] from the menu on the right. You’ll need to do this for each individual file.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Backing up save games to USB isn’t quite do laborious. First plug your USB stick or drive into the PS4. Then, from the Ps4 menu, go to [Settings] > [Application Data Management] > [Saved Data in System Storage] > [Copy to USB Storage]. You then select your game select [Select All] and [Copy]. Do this for each game.

If you’ve got a PlayStation Plus subscription you will see another option if you go, from the PS4 menu, [Settings] > [Application Data Management]. PS Plus subscribers can have the PS4 copy game saves to the PlayStation cloud storage servers. The option [Upload to Online Storage] allows you to select local saves and back them up in the cloud.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

With a bit of luck, if you have a PlayStation Plus subscription your PS4 has been dutifully uploading copies of your saves to the cloud server automatically. To check if this is the case got to [Settings] > [System] > [Automatic Downloads and Uploads]. If the box next to [Save Data and Upload Files is ticked then the chances are your save files are already backed up for you.

It’s also worth checking [Settings] > [Power Saving Settings] > [Set Functions Available in Standby Mode] to see if [Connect to the Internet] is ticked. Make a note to check all this again when the new HDD has been installed.

Even if you have got a PS Plus subscription, it’s best to be on the safe size and just check that the cloud saves are there. From the menu go to [Settings] > [Application Data Management] > [Saved data in Online Storage].

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Select a few games, one-by-one, and check the files and the dates (chose games you have played recently to check that they are being updated). There’s no need to transfer the file, we are just looking in the cloud storage to check that the saves are there.

Be mindful that when restoring backed up saves you must be signed in with the same PSN account used when you copied the data.

If you are happy that you’ve backed up what you want to keep and/or your save games are safely stored online we can proceed.

With the housekeeping out the way, we are going to need a few things to successfully replace the PS4 hard drive and upgrade the storage in your Xbox One.

The new hard drive is going to be blank when you install it in your PS4, so you are going to need to download the system software from the internet and put it on a USB memory stick.

You can download the PS4 system software from here (AUS): http://au.playstation.com/ps4initialise/ or here (NZ): http://nz.playstation.com/ps4initialise/

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

They may be the same file, but just to be on the safe use the software for your country. If you PS4 isn’t an Australian or New Zealand model go onto your country’s PlayStation site and search for “upgrading PS4 hard drive” you should find the corresponding file for your machine.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

After downloading the file you need to create a couple of folders on your USB memory stick.

First create a folder named PS4. Inside that folder, create another folder named UPDATE. Be sure to use capitals otherwise it will not work. Save the downloaded system software, which should have the name “PS4UPDATE.PUP” in the UPDATE folder.

It’s really important to make sure that the system software is in the right, correctly labelled folders otherwise you won’t be able to get your PS4 running again after you put the new drive in.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

As a replacement hard drive I’ve chosen a 2.5 inch Western Digital 1TB SATA drive (WD10JPVX). It cost me eighty-five bucks from MSY in Sydney. There are some considerations to take into account when choosing a replacement hard drive, which I’ll go into later. For now, this hard drive gives us a decent storage capacity increase for a good price.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Once we get the stock 500GB drive out of the PS4 we are going stick it in a USB 3.0 enclosure and plug it into the Xbox One. I’ve picked a nice-looking black aluminium 2.5” HDD enclosure, a NexStar RX, from Vantec. I also picked this up from MSY, for a whopping AU$23.

The only actual tool that you are going to need is a Phillips (cross-head) screwdriver.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

It’s important, before you replace the PlayStation 4 hard disk drive, to ensure that it is completely switched off. When the power indicator is off, the system is completely off. If the power indicator is lit up in orange, the system is in standby mode.

Make sure the PS4 is completely switched off and unplug the AC power cord. Then disconnect the other cables from the system.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

It a good idea to move the unit to a clean flat surface that gives you a bit of room. Don’t try and change the hard drive with the unit balanced on your knee or sitting on the carpet. Whilst the console was designed to have the hard drive swapped out, you’ve still got to be sensible about it.

With the PlayStation 4 disconnected now’s a good time to give it a clean. The vents have likely sucked up a bit of dust. If you are careful, you can vacuum the dust out. If you are a bit mental or suffer from the shakes, please don’t put your vacuum cleaner anywhere near your console. You can also wipe the PS4 down with a damp cloth. And by damp I mean barely wet.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

It’s now time to open the thing up. The PlayStation 4’s hard drive is located under the shiny panel on the left side of the console.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

The panel is easily removed by sliding it to the left. Be firm, but careful and it should come off relatively easily.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

With the cover off, look for the lone screw with the PlayStation triangle, circle, cross and square on it. Unscrew it and put it somewhere safe.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Carefully pull out the metal mounting bracket containing the hard drive.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Four screws hold the drive in the metal drawer. Unscrew them and put them safe.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

When removing the screws feel how tight they were. Remember this to ensure that you don’t over tighten them when you put it back together. Like when you play with the innards of any technology you must never over tighten screws.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Be careful not to remove the rubber inserts from the screw holes.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Place the replacement HDD on the mounting bracket and then attach using the screws.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Push the mounting bracket with the new hard drive attached back into the PS4. Be sure to fully insert the drive into the HDD bay.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Secure the mounting bracket in the PS4 with the screw with the PlayStation symbols on it.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Replace the shiny panel and reconnect the PS4 cables, leaving the power cable until last.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Now that the hard drive has been replaced we need to reinstall the system software. With the PS4 still switched off insert the USB Stick with the software (in the correcting labelled folders) in the console. Also, connect a Dualshock controller to the machine via USB cable.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Press and hold the power button for about seven seconds. Release it after the second beep. It’ll ask you to press the PlayStation button on your controller and then your PS4 should boot to the safe mode menu.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Select the last option on the screen [Initialise PS4 (Reinstall System Software)]. You’ll get a warning telling you that this action will delete everything. Well, there’s nothing on the drive to delete and you backed up everything that you wanted. You did, didn’t you?

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

It’ll take a little while as the PS4 formats the new drive and installs the operating system. If everything goes well your PS4 will boot with factory settings.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

You are going to need to sign in to the PlayStation Network with the same account that you used to backup you data.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

You’ll go through a whole host of initial setup things, like setting the time zone and screen area, that you probably remember from when you first switched on the console.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

If you suffered from that annoying flicker post-update 1.7 you are going to need to change the Deep Colour Output setting from auto to off in the video output settings.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

If you go to [Settings] > [system Storage Management] you’ll see your new hard drive capacity in all its glory. Unfortunately, due to a 1TB drive not actually being 1TB (1TB equals 10x1024MB and not the 10x1000MB that HDD manufacturers use in their marketing) and the PS4 system data taking up a fair amount of space we are only left with around 860GB. Still, it’s much better than it was.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Now it’s time to re-install your stuff. First you are going to need to install your games. You can’t download saves from the cloud for games that you don’t have installed.

As you know, the reason that we are having to swap out our PS4 hard drive is because the machine copies the games from the disk to the hard drive. Whilst it seems to only take a matter of seconds to install and get into the game really, it can take quite a while.

The PS4 actually installs whilst you are playing the game. It does the same thing when downloading digital copies via the store. The console makes sure that the first part of the game is installed and ready to play right away. But in the background the rest of the game is still installing. FIFA 14 gives you a quick match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona to play whilst I completes the install.

For most new games you never notice that this is happening. When you reinstall a game that you are already some way into, you are likely to get a message telling you that the content isn’t ready yet and that part has yet to finish installing.

If you do get a message like that, nothing has gone wrong. It’s perfectly normal. Go away and make a cup of coffee or something. You game will be ready soon.

Reinstalling your games is likely to take longer than anything else in this process. The most efficient way of doing it, that I found, was to take it one game at a time.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Stick the disk in the drive to get the initial few seconds of install done. Don’t start the game. Whilst that’s doing you can download your backed up game save from the PlayStation cloud.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

From the PS4 menu go [Application Data Management] > [Saved data in Online Storage] > [Download to System Storage]. You then select your game select [Select All] and [Download]. Do this for each game. If you backed your game saves to a USB stick select [Saved Data on USB Storage] from the [Application Data Management] page.

If you install your games like this you will avoid duplicate save files and it all getting confusing. Be mindful that most games have had an update or two since release. You are likely to get an update added to your download queue the first time you start as game. Until the update is finished and installed you are not likely to be able to use any online features in the game.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Also, don’t forget to re-download any DLC that you’ve purchased for your games. You can check this by highlighting the game on the PS4 menu, moving down and clicking “Related Items” and then clicking “My Add-Ons” panel to the right.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Don’t forget to reregister your portable devices such as your tablet and/or PlayStation Vita if you want to use them with your PS4.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

And there you have it. All done

Now onto the Xbox One.

As we are not replacing anything inside the Xbox One, increasing the Microsoft’s console’s storage capacity is a lot easier than with the PS4.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

First, unpack your 2.5 inch USB 3.0 HDD enclosure. As I mentioned earlier, I’m using a Vantec NexStar RX. If you are using another brand, the following process may be slightly different.

The NexStart RX consist of 3 pieces: the black aluminium chassis, a front panel with a SATA and power connector and a USB 3.0 cable.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Get your old PS4 hard drive and carefully connect it to the front panel.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

It needs to be pushed right in.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Next, carefully slot the drive and the front panel into enclosure chassis.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

This particular enclosure is held together with two screws that fix the panel to the chassis.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Now plug the USB cable in and that’s it, all done.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Plug the other end of the USB cable into the USB slot at the back of the Xbox One and start the console.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

The Xbox One should recognise the new drive and a message should appear inviting you to format it. This will remove all your old PS4 stuff from the drive. Make sure that you are happy with the way that your PS4 is performing with the new drive before to proceed to reformat the drive for use with the Xbox One.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

Chose a name for the drive. I think that the recommended “External” is as good a name as any and it complements the default name of the console’s built in drive called “Internal”.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

A quick format and with you are done. You’ve doubled your space.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

You have the option of using your external drive space as the default location for all your future storage needs.

So there you go. Both your PlayStation 4 and Xbox One upgraded to one terabyte of storage. Going by the size of the average game install, you should have enough space to store forty games on each.

As hard drive prices continue to fall and their capacity increases, you’ll probably be able to double it again in a couple of years for the same price.

Before I sign off, I just like to point out that I’m doing this on a budget. I’m trying to spend as close to AU$100 on the project as I can, so there’s going to be some compromises.

First off the stock PS4 Samsung HDD is not particularly quick, so don’t expect any amazing performance gains when wiring it up to your Xbox One.

Secondly, the 1TB Western Digital WD10JPVX hard drive is only going to increase storage capacity. Depending on where you look, the drive’s read/write speed is not far off that of the stock drive so, again, there’s not going to be any performance gain.

DIY: Double both your PS4 and Xbox One storage space for just over AU$100

If you want to give your PS4 a little shot in the arm as well as a storage capacity boost you may want to consider a hybrid drive. Don’t bother with an SSD (unless you are minted and/or mental) as there’s just not the benefit for the cost.

I’d consider a Seagate SSHD as good buy. At the moment you can pick up a 1TB Seagate 2.5” SSHD ST1000LM014 for AU$130. The drive is 6.0Gb/s with an 8G SSD cache. You will really see an improvement with loading time using this drive.

Like all upgrades there’s an offset to be made between performance and cost. I think, for most users, swapping out the stock 500GB PS4 drive for a regular 1TB 2.5” drive will do the job. With 1TB in each machine you should be well positioned to enjoy what promises to be an exciting gaming future.