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This generation, Sony and Microsoft went completely different ways.
Microsofts Xbox One was intended to be an all-round entertainment centre that provided fun for the family.
Whereas Sonys Playstation 4 was supposed to be for the gamers.
While the PS3 was an amazing console for downloading and streaming movies, the PS4 left that in the past… or did it?
Putting movies on your PS4 is simple, however, you’re not actually able to store them on the console itself. Instead you’ll have to use one of the 2 methods below.
How To Play Movies On Your PS4 From A USB Stick
The best and easiest way to watch movies on your PS4 is using a USB stick.
Of course, to do this you’ll need a flash drive with at least 1GB of memory. If you want to store many movies or series on the drive, 16GB or more is recommended.
Once you’ve got a flash drive ready, and some movies downloaded on your PC, make sure to follow the steps below.
- Insert Your USB Drive & Format it – If you’re starting with a fresh USB, or even one that is full of junk you don’t need, make sure to format it first.
FAT32 is the only format that works with the PS4 console.
Unfortunately, FAT32 has a maximum file size of 4GB, so if you’re downloading blu-ray movies, you may have to split them up into many separate files. - Create A Folder Called PS4 – For whatever reason, the PS4 will only recognise your movies or videos if they’re in a folder named “PS4”.
If you just throw them directly onto the USB stick and plug it in, they will not appear.
It’s a similar case for audio files, but instead of “PS4”, Audio files should be placed in a folder named “Music”. - Install the “Media Player” App On Your Playstation 4 – The PS4 “Media Player” app is free on the PS Store. This app is used to watch all types of media, whether it’s from a Disc, USB or another media format.
As long as your files are in the correct folders (as mentioned in step #2) and are using supported formats your movies should show up under the “videos” tab.
If they don’t they’re either in the wrong place, or are not one of the supported file types. Media Player only supports MKV, AVI, MP4, MPEG-2 TS & AVCHD.
Providing you’ve done everything right and your movies are in the correct format, you should now be able to watch your movies on PS4 using a USB stick.
If not, you’ll need to re-read the steps and try to debug the problem.
PS4 Media Player Doesn’t Show My Movies?
The most common reason for your movies not showing up on PS4 Media Player is because they’re in the wrong media format.
Next time, when you go to download a movie, make sure it’s on the “supported file format” list.
But, don’t stress!
If your movie is in the wrong format, don’t worry there are steps you can take to fix it, though It does require some time and a video converter program.
To convert your files, follow the steps below:
- Download & Install A Video Converter – Any video converter should work, however I’m recommending Freemake Video Converter as it’s completely free and supports over 500+ formats.
- Open The Program And Add The Files – Most video converting software are super easy to use. Freemake Video converter certainly is.
If you’re using Freemake, click on Add Video and choose the file you want to convert. - Convert the file – Now that you can see the file on your screen, simply choose one of the conversion options at the bottom of the screen and convert the file.
- Transfer the converted file – When the file is finished converting, make sure that you have the new one on your flash drive.
Once you’ve confirmed it’s the correct one, safely disconnect your USB drive from your PC and plug it into your PS4.
If you’ve done it properly, the next time you load Media Player, the video should show up.
Buy Or Rent Movies Directly From The PS Store
Another way to get movies on your playstation console is to buy or rent directly from the playstation store.
This is going to cost you a considerable amount of money, and there’s absolutely no chance of reselling the movies.
That said, it guarantees HD quality, fully synced audio and you’re supporting the producers at the same time.
You’ll also be able to download and stream the movies direct to your console, instead of using a USB stick or media server.
Exploring the playstation store movies list will also help you discover films you’d never even know about, had it not been for your digging.
Sometimes you’ll also find that Playstation offers movies cheaper than any other store. If you regularly check the deals and sales pages on the PS Store, you can pick up some recent releases for as little as $5.
