So somehow I remembered that forever ago I put a 1TB SSHD into my PS3. Well the PS3 has been sitting collecting dust for quite some time so I figured I might as well take it out and put it to use in my PS4.
Having the extra storage is really nice but what I was really looking forward to was decreased load times.
I didn't do many tests and they definitely were not lab-grade accuracy but here are the results.
From completely off to on.
HDD = 38 seconds
SSHD = 23 seconds
Waking up from rest mode.
HDD = 22 seconds
SSHD = 17 seconds
Launching Dark Souls 3 (Digital version)
HDD = 18 seconds
SSHD = 18 seconds
Dark Souls 3 loading save file (Digital version)
HDD = 27 seconds
SSHD = 27 seconds
Dark Souls 3 travel from Abyss Watchers to Firelink (Digital version)
HDD = 17 seconds
SSHD 16 seconds
Launching GTA V (Physical version)
HDD = 1 minute 40 seconds
SSHD = 1 minute 37 seconds
So the results for game load times weren't as fast as I was hoping BUT the console wake times were pretty significant. Would I suggest an upgrade to an SSHD if faster load times are your goal? Probably not. If you are looking for more storage then your options are to spend around $50 for a standard 1TB disc drive or around $75 for the SSHD. I don't really think the speed difference is worth the extra $25.
When prices drop significantly on SSDs I may swap one into the PS4 but for now the benefit isn't worth the cost. Now an SSD in a desktop PC or laptop is absolutely worth it.
