4 Fixes for PS5 Not Recognizing External Hard Drive

Quick Tips

• If you’re using your external hard drive with your PS5 for the first time, you’ll need to format it as external storage.
• Make sure your PS5 is configured to supply power to the hard drive in rest mode.
• If you experience problems with all your hard drives, consider rebuilding the PS5 database and installing any pending updates.

Try Basic Fixes

• Make sure the hard drive is compatible: Your PS5 supports nearly all external hard drives ranging from 250GB to 8TB in storage capacity, connected via the SuperSpeed USB interface (USB 3.0 or later). However, it must be formatted in either exFAT or FAT32 and not NTFS. Additionally, while you can connect multiple USB storage drives to the console, you can use only one at a time.
• Use the correct port: The PS5 supports both, hard disk drives (HDD) and solid-state drives (SSD). However, since the console ships with a USB-A 2.0 port on the front, you’ll need to connect the drive to one of the two USB-A ports on the back of the PS5. Additionally, if you’ve connected the hard drive through a USB hub, the PS5 won’t detect it, so connect it directly to one of the console’s USB ports.
• Disconnect and reconnect the hard drive: If your hard drive is already connected to the correct USB port, try disconnecting and reconnecting it. While doing so, inspect the USB 3.0 cable for any damages and replace it if necessary.

Fix 1: Format the Drive as USB Extended Storage

You’ll need to format an external hard drive with your PS5 for the first time as external storage. While the PS5 should prompt you to format a newly connected external hard drive, the notification may occasionally fail to appear, or you might miss it. In such cases, you can follow these steps to format the drive as extended storage.

Step 1: On your PS5 home screen, select the Settings icon at the top right corner.

Step 2: Select Storage from the list.

Step 3: Select USB Extended Storage > Format as USB Extended Storage.

Wait for the process to complete, and you should then be able to use your drive as external storage on your PS5.

Fix 2: Configure the PS5 to Supply Power to USB Ports in Rest Mode

Is your PS5 not recognizing the external hard drive when you wake it up from Rest Mode? Or does the external hard drive stop working when the PS5 is in Rest Mode? This could occur if you’ve configured the console so that it does not supply power to USB ports during Rest Mode. Here’s how to change that setting.

Step 1: On your PS5 home screen, select the Settings icon at the top right corner.

Step 2: Select System from the list.

Step 3: Select Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode.

Step 4: Select Supply Power to USB Ports and choose Always.

Fix 3: Rebuild PS5 Database

If the existing PS5 database is corrupt, you may experience problems using an external hard drive. Here’s what you can do to fix it.

Step 1: Power off your PS5 and connect your DualSense wireless controller to the console via a USB cable.

Step 2: Press and hold the PS5’s Power button until it beeps twice to enter Safe Mode.

Step 3: Press the PS button on the controller.

Step 4: Select the Clear Cache and Rebuild Database option.

Step 5: Select the Rebuild Database option.

Once the process is complete, your PS5 should boot normally. Then, check if it still fails to recognize your external storage drive.

Fix 4: Update the System Software

Your PlayStation 5 regularly receives updates that bring performance improvements and bug fixes. Installing these updates is a good idea if you want to steer clear of any issues.

Step 1: On your PS5, go to Settings > System.

Step 2: Select the System Software tab and select the System Software Update and Settings option.

Step 3: Select Update System Software to continue.

Step 4: Select the Update Using Internet option.