Can You Increase the Size of the Hard Drive Space on a 80GB Sony PS3?

by Alexander Poirier
PS3 reads and writes data on SATA internal and FAT32 external drives.

PS3 reads and writes data on SATA internal and FAT32 external drives.

Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images News/Getty Images

The PlayStation 3's hard drive stores much more than the user's video game saves; it also stores the user's music, movie and picture files, as well as full digital copies of games. With so many file types being stored on the system, it is easy to fill up the stock hard drive space. PS3 users can upgrade the size of the hard drive space on their system in a number of different ways.

Determining Amount of Free Space

To determine the amount of free space left on your hard drive before you remove it or the amount of free space on your newly installed hard drive, turn on the PS3 system and scroll over to the "Settings" section of the XrossMediaBar. Scroll down to the "System Settings" option and press the "X" button. Scroll down to the "System Information" option and press the "X" button. The system's free hard drive space will be displayed next to the "Free Space" heading.

Types of Supported Memory

If your system's hard drive is nearing its maximum capacity, you have two options. The first option is to upgrade your system's internal hard drive. The PS3 is compatible with any 2.5-inch SATA hard drive. The second option is to connect a USB storage device to your system. The PS3 is compatible with most flash drives and external hard drives that are formatted to the FAT32 file system.

Upgrading Internal Hard Drive

To upgrade the internal hard drive on an 80GB PS3, turn off the system and switch the main power switch on the back to the "Off" position. Disconnect any and all cables and pry the hard drive compartment cover off. Unscrew the blue screw that secures the hard drive in place and lift and remove the hard drive using the small metal handle on the hard drive frame. Unscrew the four screws securing the hard drive to its frame and remove the hard drive. Insert the new hard drive into the frame, secure it in place with the four screws, reinsert the frame into the system and secure the frame in place with the blue screw. Replace the hard drive compartment cover, turn on the PS3 and follow the on-screen instructions to set up the new hard drive.

Using a USB Storage Device

To use an external USB storage device, such as a flash drive or external hard drive, turn on the PS3 and connect the USB storage device to one of its USB ports. Once the PS3 detects the USB storage device, the device will appear under the "Photo," "Video," "Music" and "Game" sections of its XrossMediaBar. To save items to the USB storage device, highlight the item on the PS3's XrossMediaBar, press the "Triangle" button, choose the "Copy" option and select the USB storage device as the destination. Once you copy the file to the USB storage device, you can delete it off the PS3's internal hard drive.

About the Author

Alexander Poirier began writing professionally in 2005. He worked as the editor-in-chief of the literary magazine "Calliope," garnering the magazine two APEX Awards for excellence in publication. Poirer graduated from the University of the Pacific with a Bachelor of Arts in English.

Photo Credits

  • Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images News/Getty Images