Tools needed:
USB external drive (Step 1 & Step 4)
- To backup the PS4
- Must be formatted FAT32 or ExFat
Phillips head screwdriver (Step 2)
- Needed to replace the current hard drive
- Only 5 screws to take off in this process
USB flash drive (Step 3)
- With enough capacity to hold the PS4 OS file
Upgrade Process:
Backup game data
Replace the drive
Install the OS
Restore game data
Backup game data
Note: The USB drive destination needs to be formatted FAT32 or ExFat. Formatting the USB device will erase all data that is on the USB device.
- For Windows user format the drive in ExFat Disk Management
- For Mac users format the drive MS-DOS or ExFat in Disk Utility.
To backup the PS4 use the following steps:
Note: Make sure the USB external drive you are using has enough free space to backup your PS4.
- Go to Settings
- Select System
- Select Backup and Restore
- Select Back Up PS4
- Follow the on screen prompts
- Select Back Up to start the backup process
- The PS4 will restart providing an estimated length of time which will vary depending on the amount of data.
- Once completed select ‘OK’ and the PS4 will restart
- Once the reboot is complete turn the PS4 completely off
Replace the drive
- Remove the top cover and locate the drive
- Remove the ‘PlayStation’ screw
- Remove the tray holding the hard drive
- Remove the four screws on the side
- Replace the current drive in the tray with the Game Drive
- Replace all the screws
Install the OS
- Connect a USB flash drive to a computer with enough to hold the PS4 OS file
- Download the software from the PlayStation website - PS4 Website
- Scroll to ‘Perform a New Installation of the System Software’
- Click ‘Download Now’
- Create a folder on the USB drive call PS4 - Must be all caps
- Create a folder inside that folder call UPDATE - Must be all caps
- Locate the PS4UPDATE.PUP
- Put the PS4UPDATE.PUP inside the UPDATE folder
- Safely eject the drive from the computer
- Turn on the PS4 holding the power button until the PS4 beeps a second time
- The Safe Mode screen should load
- Select Initialize PS4
- Attach the USB flash drive created earlier - Select OK
- It will ask to verify the install - Select Yes
- The install process will then start
- Once installed the PS4 will need to be set up like a new system
Restore game data
- To backup the PS4 use the following steps:
- Connect the USB drive with the PS4 backup
- Go to Settings
- Select System
- Select Backup and Restore
- Select Restore PS4
- Follow on screen prompts
- Select Restore to start the restore process
- The PS4 will restart providing an estimated length of time which will vary depending on the amount of data.
- Once the restore is complete the PS4 should restart with the backed up user and user data fully restored.
