Almost 2 years ago I posted about replacing the PS4’s hard drive with a roomier 2TB version. I also mentioned that SSHD drives are available, although these were only available in 1TB capacities and, to be honest, they added little benefit as the PS4 only supports SATA 2.

Now, though, things have changed.

For a start, a 2TB 2.5″ SSHD is now available – the Seagate Firecuda, although it’s pricey at just under £130. This is a mechanical 2TB hard drive combined with an 8GB SSD. Now, in a standard PS4 this should (theoretically) provide a speed boost. However, rumours are that the new PS4 Pro supports SATA 3, which would add a much bigger boost of speed as it supports double the maximum speed. To top it off, the drive gives off just 25 db of noise – much less than those I recommended before.

Of course, with SATA 3 on the table then that also means SSD drives will give the biggest speed benefit (although there’s no news of specific compatibility for SSD on the Pro – they’ll work but won’t necessarily be optimised for use) but prices remain high.

So, if you’re planning on buy a PS4 Pro, and that SATA 3 rumour is true, switching out the drive or a Firecuda is the first thing you should do. If you have a standard PS4 then it’s less straight-forward – I haven’t yet seen any benchmarks for the Firecuda but, if you can afford it and it does add a speed boost then, yes, it may still be worth considering.