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Key Takeaways

Use FAT32 if you need maximum compatibility between devices and won't be moving files larger than 4 gigabytes. Otherwise, use exFAT --- it supports larger drives, larger files, and almost all newer game consoles and operating systems. If you only use Windows PCs you can use NTFS, and if you only use Macs you can use APFS, but neither is widely supported on other devices.

It can be tough transporting your videos and music to every device you use. How do you know your Mac, Xbox, and Windows PC can read your files? Read on to find your perfect USB drive solution.

File systems are the sort of thing that many computer users take for granted. The most common file systems are FAT32, exFAT, and NTFS on Windows, APFS and HFS+ on macOS, and EXT on Linux ---though you may run into others on occasion. But it can be confusing understanding what devices and operating systems support which file systems --- especially when all you want to do is transfer some files or keep your collection readable by all the devices you use. So, let's take a look at the major file systems, and hopefully, you can figure out the best solution for formatting your USB drive.

Understanding File System Problems

Different file systems offer different ways of organizing data on a disk. Since only binary data is actually written to disks, the file systems provide a way to translate the physical recordings on a disk to the format read by an OS. Since these file systems are key to the operating system making sense of the data, an OS cannot read data off of a disk without support for the file system with which the disk is formatted. When you format a disk, the file system you choose essentially governs which devices can read or write to the disk.

Many businesses and households have multiple PCs of different types in their home --- Windows, macOS, and Linux being the most common. And if you carry files to friends' houses or when you travel, you never know what type of system you may want those files on. Because of this variety, you need to format portable disks so that they can move easily between the different operating systems you expect to use.

But to make that decision, you need to understand the two major factors that can affect your file system choice: portability and file size limits. We're going to take a look at these two factors as they relate to the most common file systems:

  • NTFS: The NT File System (NTFS) is the file system that modern Windows versions use by default.
  • HFS+: The Hierarchical File System (HFS+) was the file system older Macs used by default.
  • APFS: The proprietary Apple file system developed as a replacement for HFS+, with a focus on flash drives, SSDs, and encryption. APFS was released with iOS 10.3 and macOS 10.13, and has become the norm in modern versions of the operating systems.
  • FAT32: The File Allocation Table 32 (FAT32) was the standard Windows file system before NTFS.
  • exFAT: The extended File Allocation Table (exFAT) builds on FAT32 and offers a lightweight system without all the overhead of NTFS.
  • ext2, ext3, & ext4: The extended file system (ext) was the first file system created specifically for the Linux kernel.

Related: FAT32 vs. exFAT vs. NTFS: What's the Difference?

Portability

You might think that modern operating systems would natively support each other's file systems, but they largely do not. For example, macOS can read --- but not write to --- disks formatted with NTFS. For the most part, Windows will not even recognize disks formatted with APFS or HFS+.

Many distros of Linux (like Ubuntu) are prepared to deal with this file system problem. Moving files from one file system to another is a routine process for Linux --- many modern distros natively support NTFS and HFS+ or can get support with a quick download of free software packages.

In addition to this, your home consoles (Xbox Series X|S, Playstation 5) only provide limited support for certain filesystems and only provide read access to the USB drives. In order to pick the best file system for your needs, take a look at this helpful chart.

File System

Windows 7/8

Windows 10/11

MacOS (10.6.4 or Later)

Ubuntu

Linux(Generic)

PlayStation 4/5

Xbox One/Series X|S

NTFS

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

FAT32

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

exFAT

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes (20.04+)

Yes (Kernel 5.4+)

Yes(MBR, not GPT)

Yes

HFS+

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

APFS

No

No

Yes

No

No

No

No

EXT 2, 3, 4

No

Yes(With WSL2)

No

Yes

Yes

No

No

Keep in mind that this chart chose the native abilities of each OS to use these file systems. Windows, macOS, and Linux all have third-party drivers and software that can help them read unsupported formats, but we're really focusing on native ability here.

The takeaway from this chart on portability is that FAT32 (having been around for so long) is supported on almost all devices. This makes it a strong candidate for being the file system of choice for most USB drives, so long as you can live with FAT32's file size limits --- which we'll go over next.

File and Volume Size Limits

FAT32 was developed many years ago, and was based on older FAT filesystems meant for DOS computers. The large disk sizes of today were only theoretical in those days, so it probably seemed ridiculous to the engineers that anyone would ever need a file larger than 4 GB. However, with today's large file sizes of uncompressed and high-def video, many users are faced with that very challenge.

Today's more modern file systems have upward limits that seem ridiculous by our modern standards, but one day may seem humdrum and ordinary. When stacked up against the competition, we see very quickly that FAT32 is showing its age in terms of file size limits.

File System

Individual File Size Limit

Single Volume Size Limit

NTFS

Greater than commercially available drives

16 EB

FAT32

Less than 4 GB

Less than 8 TB

exFAT

Greater than commercially available drives

64 ZB

HFS+

Greater than commercially available drives

8 EB

APFS

Greater than commercially available drives

16 EB

EXT 2, 3 

16 GB (or up to 2 TB)

32 TB

EXT 4 

16 TiB

1 EiB

Every newer file system handily whips FAT32 in the file size department, allowing for sometimes ridiculously large files. And when you look at volume size limits, FAT32 still lets you format volumes up to 8 TB, which is more than enough for a USB drive. Other file systems allow volume sizes all the way up into the exabyte and zetabyte range.

Formatting a Drive

The process for formatting a drive is different depending on what operating system you're using.

On Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can open File Explorer, right-click the drive, and select "Format" to format the drive. The Format window will let you pick a file system and other settings, like an allocation unit size. You can also use the

        convert
    

command on the Windows command line.

On a Mac, you can use Disk Utility to format drives. To find it, open the Applications folder in Finder, look in the Utilities folder, and launch the Disk Utility app.

On a Linux PC, you can partition a drive using command-line tools like

        fdisk
    

 or graphical partitioning interfaces like GParted.

Related: How to Erase and Format a Drive in Windows


The conclusion to draw from all this is that while FAT32 has its issues, it's the best file system to use for most portable drives. FAT32 finds support on the most devices, allows volumes up to 8 TB, and file sizes up to 4 GB.

If you need to transport files greater than 4 GB, you'll need to take a closer look at your needs. If you only use Windows devices, NTFS is a good choice. If you only use macOS devices, HFS+ will work for you. And if you only use Linux devices, EXT is fine. And if you need support for more devices and bigger files, exFAT may fit the bill. exFAT is not supported on quite as many different devices as FAT32 is --- support is often lacking on older gadgets --- but it comes close.