By: James Yu |

It doesn't matter if you have the 20GB, 60GB, or even the new 80GB PlayStation 3--you can always use more storage space. All that available hard-disk space quickly disappears once you start downloading games, demos, and HD videos. Fortunately, Sony has designed the PS3 to allow console owners to perform their own hard-drive upgrades. You can go out and select your own hard drive instead of being forced to buy an official first-party hard-disk accessory. However, giving console owners that freedom means that aspiring upgraders will need to know how to select the right hard-drive upgrade and the proper installation technique.

The first step to replacing the hard disk is going to the store or visiting an online retailer to pick up a new hard disk. The PS3 is compatible with just about any 2.5-inch SATA notebook hard disk. Both 5400- and 7200-RPM drives should work fine. The physical size of the hard disk is important because it has to fit the PS3's 2.5-inch drive tray. As far as storage capacity goes, it doesn't make sense to go through the trouble of upgrading unless you go big: We're talkin' 120GB, 160GB, or even 250GB.

Hard-disk manufacturer Seagate supplied us with a 160GB Momentus 5400.3 for our upgrade.

Once you have your upgrade drive, the next step is to back up the data on your current PS3 hard drive to an external storage unit. You can skip this step if you aren't attached to your music, videos, and game saves, but most of us will probably want to save all that information. The PS3 has a built-in software backup utility that can copy the PS3's hard-drive contents to an external storage device, such as a USB thumb drive or a memory stick. The removable storage device must use the FAT32 file system in order for the PS3 to recognize it. If you have an external hard drive that's formatted in NTFS, you can use the Disk Management utility in Windows to reformat the drive, but you'll need to create partitions on large external hard drives because Windows can only do FAT32 on drives 32GB or smaller.

Save your data using the PS3's backup utility.

If your storage device isn't large enough to handle a full system backup, you can selectively copy data over through the various music, photo, and game menus in the XMB. Your PlayStation Network login and system settings will remain safe on the system during the entire process. After you have your data safely backed up, you can move on to the actual hard-drive swap.

You will need a Phillips-head screwdriver to complete this part of the installation process. The PS3 owner's manual also includes step-by-step details on how to replace the hard drive, in case you need more instructions.

Turn off and unplug the system. Remove the plastic HD side-panel, and remove the blue screw.

Open the metal latch, move the drive tray to the right, and slide out the drive.

Remove the four screws that hold the hard drive to the tray. Use a screwdriver that fits snugly because the screws are extremely tight and easy to strip.

Swap in the new drive, and replace the screws.

Put the drive tray back into the system and slide it into place. Then replace the blue screw and snap the side panel back onto the system.

Turn on the console and let the system format the new drive. Then load up the PS3 backup utility to restore data from your external storage device back onto the PS3 hard drive.

At this point you should have a newly upgraded PS3 and the leftover hard drive. You could try selling the old drive, but small-capacity used drives might not fetch enough money to be worth the hassle of finding a buyer. If you still want to make the drive useful, you can buy an external drive enclosure to make it into a portable storage device.

Are you ready to upgrade your PlayStation 3 hard drive, or have you already upgraded it? Share your tips or concerns in the comments below!

695 Comments

  • Iz-GOod

    Posted Jul 3, 2009 8:58 am PT

    Man they ain't kidding when they sad the screws are tight, I ruined one of the four screws on the hard drive even though my screwdriver was the perfect size. I eventually got it out using a knife and pliers.

  • Tyrael696

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 7:47 am PT

    this is very useful for people that buy the 40GB or the 60GB Ps3 is better doing this than buying a Ps3 of 160GB and it wont be enough space for music and movies enthusiast, and hard gamers

  • ryan_5000

    Posted Jun 13, 2009 6:09 pm PT

    Does anyone know if you can copy blue ray movies onto your ps3 without using another OS even if its just the digital copys?

  • ryan_5000

    Posted Jun 10, 2009 4:44 pm PT

    not long, most of my games i deleted cuz i beat them and i only had zen pinball and neculeus downloaded with 2 themes so not long, when i tryd restoring the data i kept it wouldnt let me cuz aparently there wasnt any there, i just went to the playstation store and at the top right corner u can check your downloads and get them agan for free. trophies arent affected cuz their on the system, before you do it completely, id test what ur puttin it on with 1 thing to make sure it works 1st. i just felt like starting fresh.

  • formerroadie

    Posted Jun 10, 2009 11:04 am PT

    how long did it take to back up your data?

  • ryan_5000

    Posted Jun 9, 2009 9:15 am PT

    Western digital has great hard drives, im extremely pleased with mine. saves and loads faster and downloads from the playstation store and installs fast 2, all around their awesome

  • formerroadie

    Posted Jun 9, 2009 9:01 am PT

    just bought a Western Digital Scorpio Black 320GB 2.5" SATA 16 MB Cache 7200 RPM Notebook Internal Hard Drive. I'm pretty stoked. That's more than enough for me. I can't wait to get it.

  • ryan_5000

    Posted Jun 9, 2009 5:31 am PT

    I just put a scorpio blue 500G hard drive in my ps3, i only get 413G out of 465G but its still allot of space, i did full format and everything, the drive is fast and smooth, it keeps the ps3 cool and uses way less power to run, it was $189 cdn at Bestbuy, its worth getting.

  • anik786

    Posted Jun 5, 2009 10:36 am PT

    answer to shani_boy101 question- use HDD.
    You can use SSD's but it's very expensive and only a bit better performance.

  • shani_boy101

    Posted May 26, 2009 2:54 am PT

    what should i put in, HDD or SSD?

  • lostn

    Posted May 25, 2009 7:02 pm PT

    Here's my advice, having just upgraded it today.

    In my first attempt to unscrew the blue screw, I found it extremely tight and impossible to turn, and if I forced it I would have stripped the screws. It was already beginning to strip. I tried a range of screwdrivers and no luck. Then I went and purchased a new screwdriver for the job. I probably already had the correct hardware at home, I just wasn't sure which one it was because they weren't labelled and I didn't want to risk using the wrong one.

    The key is, you have to use the correct screwdriver. It has to fit into the screw 100% perfectly. If you are using the correct screwdriver, it is not difficult to unscrew them at all. You won't even need to apply much force. They are not tight at all. If the screw feels tight to you, then you are not using the correct screwdriver. It took only seconds to remove the blue screws and the four silver ones came off just as easily.

    So what screwdriver do you need? Get a Phillips #1 (ph1) with a sharp tip (to make sure it doesn't slip), preferably magnetic, and with a larger handle for more torque. Those screwdriver sets with thin screwdrivers are probably not strong enough. You will hurt your hand using them. The screwdriver should cost no more than $5. If you are having trouble opening the screws, CEASE IMMEDIATELY. You are using the wrong tool for the job, and if you persist, you will damage the screw making it impossible to remove with a screwdriver. Change to a different screwdriver until you find one that does the job easily and without resistance. If this is your first time trying to get the HDD out, get a Phillips #1 (ph1).

  • nappan

    Posted May 20, 2009 1:26 pm PT

    By the way, if you use a backup drive larger than 32gb, and run Vista, the easiest and ridiculously fast way I formatted my external was just to use Swissknife. It's freeware from CNET's own Download.com, and about as easy as it gets. Formatting 80 gigs took all of 10 seconds. If it's smaller than 32gb you just use the command line instruction "format X:/fs:fat32" without the quotes... and for god's sake, USE THE RIGHT DRIVE LETTER. You get one confirmation and then it's off to the races. If you use that method on a drive larger than 32gb, the process will take a looooong time... and then Vista (64 at least) will realize it can't make the file structure, and say "sorry" and leave it RAW.

  • nappan

    Posted May 20, 2009 1:19 pm PT

    @_Ninja_adam_: Oh yeah, it really is incredibly easy. I just did it, and snagged 320GB WD 7200RPM drive. The only part that was even marginally difficult, was remembering to format my external drive for FAT32 so that the PS3 would recognize it and I could back up some stuff. I mean, you can get half a terabyte @ 5200RPM (totally fine, native) for what... 60 bucks? I think Amazon has a pretty good deal on a Seagate drive too. Frankly, the market for this is so huge, that a quick google of the topic is going to give you more info than the operation will ever require.

    Oh, and it is as sweet as you think it is, to have so much space that you never have to think about it again. If you're thinking about it, do it. Think of it this way... hundreds of Gigs of space... for about the price of a game.

  • SilverChimera

    Posted May 18, 2009 9:27 pm PT

    @ _Ninja_adam_:
    yea, its pretty simple if you can use a screw driver. try this HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145257

    its cheap as hell!

  • _Ninja_adam_

    Posted May 17, 2009 9:38 am PT

    Im thinking of doing this??? is it quite simple?

  • Solidshark21

    Posted Apr 29, 2009 10:22 am PT

    Those screws were really tough to get off and i think i ruined like three screw drivers trying. luckily they were cheap. Still i can't figure out what happened to some of my space. i bought a 500 gig drive in place of my forty gig one. After putting almost everything from the forty gig drive onto it it says that i only have 405 gigs left out of 465.

  • MasterFreinz

    Posted Apr 24, 2009 7:22 pm PT

    Man, those screws are a pain in the ass.

    Still, It'll all be worth it when I finally put in my 360GB HDD

  • dcisek

    Posted Apr 24, 2009 2:59 pm PT

    I put in a 320 gb drive today. Took ten minutes! Downloading and installing game data takes a bit of time, but overall I'm very happy! Thanks for the great guide!

  • BrideInDream

    Posted Apr 5, 2009 7:57 am PT

    i cant restore my backup dataaaaaa

  • NakedSnake-1993

    Posted Apr 4, 2009 7:47 am PT

    This is the best place to get a new hard drive for your ps3. I just got this one and it works great. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152111

  • Fall2dout

    Posted Mar 27, 2009 8:14 pm PT

    Where is the best place to buy these hard drives? Thanks!

  • James_Sunder

    Posted Mar 25, 2009 2:11 pm PT

    Seagate Momentus 5400.6 SATA 3Gb/s 500-GB Hard Drive (ST9500325AS) was just fine for me. Total success = 465GB guaranteed.

  • Steve10578

    Posted Mar 14, 2009 6:55 am PT

    Blackmist123 - It will be the same PS3 but just larger storage capacity, it's not the hard drive of the machine that determines if it is backwards compatible with PS2 software.

  • blackmist123

    Posted Mar 1, 2009 10:41 am PT

    My ps3 is a 40gb i just want 2 know wat would happen if i upgraded it 2 a 160gb, would i be able to play Ps2 games or is it still the same thing???

    *** Life Is Like A Roller Coaster, Its great till someone barfs on you***

  • evoxdc

    Posted Feb 28, 2009 5:21 pm PT

    Scarecrow, if you have an original 60gb the hard drive size shouldn't affect the systems ability to play older games, remember under the hood is the Emotion Engine.

  • Steve10578

    Posted Feb 25, 2009 5:52 am PT

    Is it possible to just remove the original drive, place it in an external hard drive enclosure then install the new drive and use the original drive to restore onto the newly installed drive?

  • surferandy7

    Posted Feb 18, 2009 10:40 am PT

    does theSeagate Momentus 7200.4 ST9500420AS Mobile Hard Drive - 500GB, 2.5", 7200RPM, 16MB, SATA-300, OEMSeagate Momentus 7200.4 is compatible with the PS3??

    here's the link for the hard drive disk and someone please let me know if is worth the buy or not

    http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4434267&csid=_27

  • scarecrow_br

    Posted Feb 14, 2009 10:56 am PT

    Maybe it is a silly question but I have a 60GB model and I really enjoy playing some of my PS2 games (FF and KH specially)...

    Does the upgrade will make me lose the backward compatibility?

    Thanks in advance

  • OmegaGear

    Posted Feb 2, 2009 5:37 pm PT

    Well, I botched this initially, because one screw decided to mess it all up. Had to get it cut and just put in 3 screws, which in all reality is enough. And as an FYI, you can actually upgrade without the tray, it's just risky, because the HDD will be hanging down a tad, and will not be elevated above the metal plate.

  • dmiller0929

    Posted Feb 2, 2009 6:03 am PT

    If I have more data to back up than will fit on a USB drive, can I backup the data onto the new drive? Will that work?

  • reindertot

    Posted Jan 28, 2009 10:29 pm PT

    I have three questions:

    1) My 80 GB ipod, used as an hard drive, will do the backup work properly?
    2) The Trophies information are really stored in the server? The trophies stays there when you, after installing the new HD, without backuping, put on an old game (because the system will identify the game as a "first timer")
    3) Wich new HD did you recommend? (i have heard a couple of times about the Western Digital Scorpio 320 GB 2.5-inch Bulk/OEM Hard Drive WD3200BEVT)

    Thanks in advance, friends.

  • jz12b

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 4:35 pm PT

    Almost forgot to add...I transferred all of the data with a 4 GB USB Flash drive. I couldn't transfer all of the game data (which I will have to wait through as it loads when I play each of my games for the first time post swap) I transferred all of my game save data. Then I deleted all of the game data, and saved game data ******with the exception of my RockBand and RockBand 2 data******. This data is copywrite protected, and will not save individually. It can only be saved through the back up utility. After deleting all of the game data, I was able to back up on the 4 GB Flash drive. Everything restored perfectly. The initial game loads will be a PITA, but you have to work with what you have!

  • jz12b

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 4:16 pm PT

    Easiest Upgrade Ever! I just replaced my 40 GB hard drive with a monster 320GB Western Digital Scorpio (only $65 on Amazon.com!). You have to be careful and apply quite a bit of downward pressure while using an appropriately sized screwdriver on the screws to avoid stripping thim, but overall VERY easy. I should have done this ages ago!

  • EvilDecker

    Posted Jan 26, 2009 7:41 am PT

    Your trophies stay on the server. that's why it syncs with the server every time you go to look at your trophies. My friend just switched out his for a 320gb western digital for really cheap, its working great for him, looking for a new hard drive myself. its gonna be sweet!!

  • chris_assassin

    Posted Jan 21, 2009 9:23 am PT

    i'm confused, how do you keep your trophies after the switch?

  • dvros

    Posted Jan 15, 2009 1:06 am PT

    I think this couldn't hurt the warranty. PS3 FTW hard... Again!

    Here's your speed comparison 7200 vs 5400, both Seagate, both 120 GB.

    http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/138288/7200rpm-vs-5400rpm-does-ps3-hard-drive-speed-matter/

  • sasori445

    Posted Jan 14, 2009 6:31 pm PT

    I need help so I'm going to ask one question Does this Hard Drive will work? Here is the link copy and paste (sorry):
    http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Western-Digital-Caviar-SE16-SATA-320GB-Hard-Drive-WD3200KSRTL/sem/rpsm/oid/202863/catOid/-12976/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

  • piperben

    Posted Jan 14, 2009 1:43 pm PT

    With regard to trophies, sync your trophies with the server before upgrading the hard drive, after the upgrade you will have no trophies even if you sync with the server, to get them back start playing each game you had trophies for, this will create a brand new set of trophies for each game (which wont actually have any trophies) you can then sync with the server and your previous trophies will be downloaded.

  • dman2815

    Posted Jan 11, 2009 4:47 pm PT

    Rybread13. there is no patch that lets you play ps2 games the 80GB version that came out BEFOR OCT 2008 had a PS2 emulater chip built into the PS3 its self and now all of the PS3's from after OCT 2008 cant play PS2 games it doesnt matter witch model they stoped putting the PS2 emulater Chips in them to save money.

  • rybread13

    Posted Jan 5, 2009 8:29 pm PT

    Only one question for me is....if i upgrade my hard drive to more than 80G ( i have the 40G ps3) can i download the ps2 patch so i can play my ps2 games ( because its for the 80G or more) or is it only for the 80G + models. if it dont matter then ....my god im upgrading

  • horishma

    Posted Jan 5, 2009 3:55 pm PT

    For those asking about losing your Trophies, just go to your Trophies and Sync it with the server, that way you don't lose any Trophies.

    Regarding Formating your HD for FAT32 above 32GB you need to get a third party app. For example Partition Magic formats FAT32 above 32GB.

  • Turgon_the_Wise

    Posted Jan 5, 2009 7:06 am PT

    How do I format my new external hard-drive (for the back-up) to FAT32? It's less than 32GB.

  • takahirosama

    Posted Jan 4, 2009 10:38 am PT

    i'm going to try it now...

  • knnbccbtmd

    Posted Jan 4, 2009 12:59 am PT

    Yeah, just got a 320gb seagate momentus 5200rpm to replace the 40gb one i had. Already have around 100gb filled from all the demos i downloaded to try out, rockband dlcs and games i have installed.
    Its really very simple.

  • SPYDER0416

    Posted Jan 2, 2009 4:24 am PT

    wow this seems kinda tough, and expensive. they have ps3 memory cards at least (but there is barely any space).

  • Riftling

    Posted Dec 27, 2008 8:42 am PT

    Switched over without a problem using this. I had about 53gigs of material to backup, so I downloaded a little Fat32 program (freeware easily found via google or yahoo) that allows you to format in Fat32 with partitions greater than 32 gigs (you will need to do this if you have more than 32 gigs to backup). This worked just fine for my 320 gig portable hard drive and the backup went without a hitch.

    I switched out my ps3 60gig hard drive for a 320gig 7200rpm hitachi drive. No problems. My screws came out with no problem. I think the key was a screwdriver head that fit well and applying alot of pressure when twisting.

    The restore utility restored everything but my trophies. So yes, you will lose your trophies doing this as the only downside.

    My new drive works just fine, so no issues with 7200rpm. Good luck!

  • Animal-Mother

    Posted Dec 24, 2008 2:49 pm PT

    Do your trophies go away

  • knnbccbtmd

    Posted Dec 19, 2008 3:49 am PT

    So in essence, any 2.5inch sata laptop hard disk will work fine... even with 7200rpm and 500gb?... thinking of upgrading my ps3 hard drive from the dismal 40gb version i have currently

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How to upgrade your PlayStation 3 hard drive

Find out how to upgrade the hard drive on your PlayStation 3.

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