External HDD PS3

[Lars]

Hello guys,

 

i have a question, i bought a external storage for my ps3, i read on the internet that it could be formatted and then it would work on the ps3.

But today i read that i can't store games on this hard drive. I can send it back if it doesn't work. But does someone know how this process goes.

Otherwise i have to find another way to extend my ps3 storage, because i have so many games and it is just annoying if i have to download them again and again if i want to play them.

The hard drive i bought is a WD Elements 2TB.

 

Thanks in Advance

[TheMikenetic]

The PS3 does not support external drives as storage devices for your games. If you want to extend your harddrive you need to get a 2.5 inch SATA internal drive. 

[McJacs2]

You can store your games and save data from your current hard drive onto the external one while you are upgrading the internal hard drive, but you can use an external hard drive and play games from it on the PS3.

[DaivRules]

 

13 minutes ago, Lars said:

i read on the internet that it could be formatted and then it would work on the ps3

 

But does someone know how this process goes.

 

Otherwise i have to find another way to extend my ps3 storage

 

Some people have had success removing the hard drive from *inside* of the external hard drives ( @StrickenBiged if I remember correctly) formatting it and replace the hard drive inside the PS3. I'm almost completely certain external storage is not a possibility on the PS3, short of running a long SATA cable to a drive outside of the PS3 and calling it external storage.

[Lars]

3 minutes ago, TheMikenetic said:

The PS3 does not support external drives as storage devices for your games. If you want to extend your harddrive you need to get a 2.5 inch SATA internal drive. 

 

2 minutes ago, DaivRules said:

 

 

Some people have had success removing the hard drive from *inside* of the external hard drives ( @StrickenBiged if I remember correctly) formatting it and replace the hard drive inside the PS3. I'm almost completely certain external storage is not a possibility on the PS3, short of running a long SATA cable to a drive outside of the PS3 and calling it external storage.

Ok, thanks for the feedback, so i can expect it to not work. The internal device though, is it an extra storage, or does it replace the original hard drive?

[soniq]

4 minutes ago, Lars said:

 

Ok, thanks for the feedback, so i can expect it to not work. The internal device though, is it an extra storage, or does it replace the original hard drive?

It would replace the original hard drive that's inside your PS3.

[StrickenBiged]

7 minutes ago, DaivRules said:

@StrickenBiged if I remember correctly

 

Close. It was actually my IT lady at work who figured out how to format an ex-PS4 HDD.  

[TheMikenetic]

If you're getting an internal SATA, then yes, it is to replace your old hdd and not be an additional one. There are plenty of guides (video and picture ones) that can help you change the drives. You will also need a USB thumb drive to copy your old gamesaves and the PS3 system file as far as I can remember. An up to date guide should give you more accurate help.

 

[Lars]

3 minutes ago, TheMikenetic said:

If you're getting an internal SATA, then yes, it is to replace your old hdd and not be an additional one. There are plenty of guides (video and picture ones) that can help you change the drives. You will also need a USB thumb drive to copy your old gamesaves and the PS3 system file as far as I can remember. An up to date guide should give you more accurate help.

 

Ok, do you also know until which amount of GB/TB they are compatible? I looked and i want to have at least a 1tb, but if possible then i maybe want a 2tb if it is compatible

[locutus442]

From what I've read, you can go up to 2tb for a ps3 hard drive.

[TheMikenetic]

15 hours ago, Lars said:

Ok, do you also know until which amount of GB/TB they are compatible? I looked and i want to have at least a 1tb, but if possible then i maybe want a 2tb if it is compatible

The max is 2 TB so you're in luck.

 

I just read that some people can seem to make the external drive work.

 

Check this out and see if that helps, since you currently have an external device you want to use:

 

***edit: link removed/not applicable***

Edited March 22, 2017 by TheMikenetic

[Lars]

6 minutes ago, TheMikenetic said:

The max is 2 TB so you're in luck.

 

I just read that some people can seem to make the external drive work.

 

Check this out and see if that helps, since you currently have an external device you want to use:

 

https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-do-i-run-ps3-games-from-the-external-hard-drive.367861/

You know what the thing is, like you maybe could have seen i'm a very untechnical person, this doesn't look to difficult, but i think i just send it back. And buy a 2tb internal drive, i'll ask someone who knows something about this to help me putting this in, and then i can use it. Otherwise i'll do something wrong and i maybe do something i cant change back or regret later. Thanks a lot for the advice guys

[TheMikenetic]

1 minute ago, Lars said:

You know what the thing is, like you maybe could have seen i'm a very untechnical person, this doesn't look to difficult, but i think i just send it back. And buy a 2tb internal drive, i'll ask someone who knows something about this to help me putting this in, and then i can use it. Otherwise i'll do something wrong and i maybe do something i cant change back or regret later. Thanks a lot for the advice guys

Do whatever you're more comfortable with.

If you want to add the external drive additionally to your internal one, you shouldn't have to change anything on your existing drive so you don't have to worry about breaking your console or losing data/games.

If you're unsure what to do, there's most likely a step-by-step video guide on YouTube you can easly follow (both for making the internal and external drive work).

[Lars]

Just now, TheMikenetic said:

Do whatever you're more comfortable with.

If you want to add the external drive additionally to your internal one, you shouldn't have to change anything on your existing drive so you don't have to worry about breaking your console or losing data/games.

If you're unsure what to do, there's most likely a step-by-step video guide on YouTube you can easly follow (both for making the internal and external drive work).

Yeah i know, but if i change something to the external drive and it doesn't work i can't send it back anymore. And they aren't the cheapest articles. This costed me more then €95

[DaivRules]

46 minutes ago, TheMikenetic said:

The max is 2 TB so you're in luck.

 

I just read that some people can seem to make the external drive work.

 

Check this out and see if that helps, since you currently have an external device you want to use:

 

https://gbatemp.net/threads/how-do-i-run-ps3-games-from-the-external-hard-drive.367861/

 

You are reading a forum where people have put custom firmware on their PS3. If you want to delve into that world (I have CFW on a 2nd PS3 to rip my PSP isos and play them on there) you'll have to research that on your own, not going to be allowed here.

 

If you're talking about a regular PS3 with updated official firmware (meaning you can still get on PSN) there is no possibility of running an external hard drive.

[TheMikenetic]

14 hours ago, DaivRules said:

 

You are reading a forum where people have put custom firmware on their PS3. If you want to delve into that world (I have CFW on a 2nd PS3 to rip my PSP isos and play them on there) you'll have to research that on your own, not going to be allowed here.

 

If you're talking about a regular PS3 with updated official firmware (meaning you can still get on PSN) there is no possibility of running an external hard drive.

 

Sorry I didn't read through the link. I just scanned the page and saw it has some instructions on it to use an external drive. 

Apologies

[RobThanatos]

You guys are assuming his external has a 2.5 HDD. Most of mine have 3.5's.
Though these days, external 2TB's are typically 2.5.
If you're opening it up it's pretty hard to mess it up unless you're smashing it open with a rock. It can be cheaper taking a 2.5 out of an external case than buying just the HDD alone.

[DaivRules]

7 hours ago, Nuttro93 said:

You guys are assuming his external has a 2.5 HDD. Most of mine have 3.5's.
Though these days, external 2TB's are typically 2.5.
If you're opening it up it's pretty hard to mess it up unless you're smashing it open with a rock. It can be cheaper taking a 2.5 out of an external case than buying just the HDD alone.

 

You're assuming we are assuming. I pointed out above that a SATA cable can be run from the inside of the PS3 to a drive outside of the console, allowing the use of 2.5 -or- 3.5 inch drives. On top of that, even if a drive is 2.5 inch, the height also matters. They can be 9.5 mm high, 12 mm high and there are some 15 mm or even 19 mm high.  

 

Also, WD named their 3.5 inch drives to WD Elements Desktop XTB years ago and the original post stated they bought a WD Elements 2TB, indicating they purchased the 2.5 inch version.

 

Also, in recent versions of many external drives they moved the controller from the standard hard drive format of being attached to the HDD to an external daughterboard and removed the SATA connection all together, instead having just the USB connection. There are many, many threads about this out there.

 

There is risk involved in saving $20-30 that requires an investment of research to determine ahead of time if someone is obtaining the correct materials to pull this off these days.

 

None of this is cut and dry. I suggest skipping saving a few dollars and purchase the exact drive you need, which will have a warranty and is worth the couple bucks, since opening an external drive negates all warranty from the day you open it.

[Lars]

2 minutes ago, DaivRules said:

 

You're assuming we are assuming. I pointed out above that a SATA cable can be run from the inside of the PS3 to a drive outside of the console, allowing the use of 2.5 -or- 3.5 inch drives. On top of that, even if a drive is 2.5 inch, the height also matters. They can be 9.5 mm high, 12 mm high and there are some 15 mm or even 19 mm high.  

 

Also, WD named their 3.5 inch drives to WD Elements Desktop XTB years ago and the original post stated they bought a WD Elements 2TB, indicating they purchased the 2.5 inch version.

 

Also, in recent versions of many external drives they moved the controller from the standard hard drive format of being attached to the HDD to an external daughterboard and removed the SATA connection all together, instead having just the USB connection. There are many, many threads about this out there.

 

There is risk involved in saving $20-30 that requires an investment of research to determine ahead of time if someone is obtaining the correct materials to pull this off these days.

 

None of this is cut and dry. I suggest skipping saving a few dollars and purchase the exact drive you need, which will have a warranty and is worth the couple bucks, since opening an external drive negates all warranty from the day you open it.

I indeed bought that version, 2,5 inch 2tb WD Elements. 

But i'll return it. Because there is indeed a big risk in opening it, a colleague of mine said that as well.

I'll buy an internal one i think, probably from the German Amazon website, then i have a warranty i think, or maybe i have to buy it from a Dutch website.

I'll look into that further, thanks