http://blog.us.playstation.com/2017/02/03/ps4-system-software-update-4-50-features-detailed/

How has has this not been mentioned?!

"Even if you’re not participating in the beta, we still wanted to give you a quick glance of the key features that will be rolling out with this update. We’re refining the user interface of PS4 even further, and adding highly requested features like external HDD support and custom wallpapers.

External HDD Support

It’s easy to upgrade the HDD that came with your PS4, but if you’re still looking for more storage space on the console, we’ve got you covered. With this update, you have the option to store content to an external HDD. Just plug a USB 3.0 HDD into your PS4, and voilà, you now have more space on the console.

This is compatible with HDDs up to 8TB in size. You can download and install applications directly to your extra storage, and the saved contents are easily manageable through the settings menu.

Also, all the applications saved in the external HDD will appear in the Content Launcher of the Home Screen so it’s easy to keep track of what apps you launched recently.

This is long overdue. It is ridiculous that this didn't happen years ago.

Yes, it easy to upgrade the internal drive. But, that's not the same thing. It's nowhere near as easy as plugging in an external drive, it is not portable, etc.

Finally, Sony has caught up with Microsoft in this aspect.

Interested to see if it will be as elegent as the Xbox One's solution though.
Also keen to see some benchmarks.

I always liked the external hard drive method than the internal drive since I have quite a lot of external hard drives lying around from when I was in uni and I can always reuse them easily for other things. So its really nice that ps4 now gets them!

should have been available since launch..its stupid how long they took to add this simple feature

This is a great thing. Thanks Sony. Now make playing online free again please.

I posted it when the news broke - mod froze it when he said it was too similar to the beast mode thread

Very cool. Boost Mode, now this. Good day. Pretty, pretty, pretty good.

What is particularily elegant about external HDD support on X1? Genuinely asking, I know that data loads faster via USB3.0 Bus than a Sata 2 bus. Do you think that Sony might artificially restrict this somehow?

I like that we will have both options now (: ironically just picked up an external 2tb hard drive, ripped the drive from the enclosure and installed that in my OG. Go figure.

Sorry dude

Yeah, I figured Sony was saving some big announcements as "ammo". Now we wait for legacy games to come (PS1/2)

So PS4 will have both now, upgrading internal HD and external