When Sony released the PlayStation 5 in 2020, it wasn’t doable to increase the console’s storage. Fortunately, that modified with a software update that the corporate pushed out lower than a yr later. And with how huge some recreation installs have grow to be lately, it’s factor, too: the PS5’s built-in 667GB of area might have been adequate within the system’s first yr, however in 2024, the default drive is completely limiting.
The excellent news is a typical PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD can remedy your entire PS5 storage woes. If that mess of acronyms has you recoiling, don’t fear: you’ll see that it’s not all that difficult. And if all you wish to know is what the most effective PS5 SSDs are, they’re proper on the high.
Learn extra: These are the best SSDs in 2024
Finest PS5 SSDs in 2024
Corsair
Capability: As much as 8TB | Sequential learn efficiency: 7,100MB/s | Sequential write efficiency: 6,800MB/s | Connection: M.2
The Corsair MP600 Pro LPX makes it to the highest of our listing for the most effective PS5 SSD for being the whole package deal. It’s quick, providing wonderful efficiency and skim speeds of as much as 7,100MB/s. It additionally comes with a pre-installed heatsink and a five-year guarantee. Better of all, the MP600 is inexpensive. After launching at $190, you’ll be able to routinely discover the 1TB variant on sale for lower than $100, whereas the 2TB mannequin will set you again between $160 and $210. It’s not the quickest NVMe on this listing, however so far as no-fuss choices go, it’s laborious to beat the MP600.
- Constructed-in heatsink
- Inexpensive
- Not the quickest Gen4 mannequin
Essential
Capability: As much as 4TB | Learn efficiency: 7,300MB/s | Write efficiency: 6,800 MB/s | Connection: M.2
If you wish to save a bit of cash by putting in your personal heatsink, the Crucial T500 is a good possibility. With learn speeds of as much as 7,300MB/s, it greater than meets Sony’s technical necessities, and you may ceaselessly discover the 1TB mannequin for as little as $60 when it’s on sale. Essential additionally affords a model with a heatsink, so it’s price including each the Corsair MP600 and Essential T500 to a value watch listing and shopping for whichever mannequin is cheaper if you’re able to improve your PS5.
- Quick
- Out there with or with out heatsink
SABRENT
Capability: As much as 8TB | Sequential learn efficiency: 7,000MB/s | Sequential write efficiency: 6,600MB/s | Connection: M.2
Of all of the SSDs on this listing, the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus is probably the most fascinating. It comes with a singular heatsink that you just set up instead of the storage enlargement slot’s metallic cowl. Sabrent claims this design improves cooling efficiency. Count on to pay greater than you’d for a mannequin with a extra generic heatsink, with the 1TB variant coming in at $130 and the 2TB mannequin costing between $230 and $280.
- PS5-specific heatsink design
- Not as quick as different choices
- Costly relative to different drives
SAMSUNG
Capability: As much as 4TB | Learn efficiency: 1,050MB/s | Write efficiency: 1,000MB/s | Connection: USB 3.0
As I clarify under, you’ll be able to’t run PS5 video games from an exterior drive — however you should utilize one to retailer any video games you aren’t enjoying in the mean time (and that features older PS4 video games). Certainly one of my favourite transportable drives is the Samsung T7. It could possibly write information at a speedy 1,000 MB/s. If you happen to plan to make use of the drive completely for at-home use, it can save you cash by shopping for the usual mannequin as an alternative of the Defend variant, which has a rugged exterior for further safety for many who are all the time on the go. I’ve been utilizing T7 drives to retailer my images, music and video games for years, and I’ve but to see one fail me. The newest mannequin, the Samsung T9, boasts learn/write speeds of as much as 2,000MB/s.
- Inexpensive
- Dependable
- Rugged variant accessible
- Can’t play PS5 video games from exterior drive
How we check PS5 SSDs
After serving to to keep up this information for the previous two years, I’ve examined many of the SSDs really helpful on this listing, both for PS5 or pc use. I additionally purchased and used our high decide in my very own PS5.
How a lot PS5 storage do I want?
The PlayStation 5 will settle for inner drives with between 250GB and 8TB of storage capability. If you happen to already personal a PS5, chances are high you could have an inexpensive thought of how a lot storage you want in your recreation library. If you happen to’re shopping for an SSD with a brand new PS5, or shopping for for another person, it’s harder to inform what you would possibly want for a high-performance expertise.
PS5 video games are somewhat smaller on common than their PS4 equivalents, usually taking over between 30GB and 100GB, with some notable (and highly regarded) exceptions. If you happen to’re a fan of the Name of Obligation collection, putting in Modern Warfare III and Warzone 2.0 would require about 250GB. In different phrases, a full Name of Obligation set up will take up greater than one-third of the PS5’s inner storage. If you happen to’re not a CoD fan, although, chances are high you’ll be good to retailer between six to 10 video games in your PS5 internally earlier than working into issues.
You additionally want to think about your web pace. If you happen to stay in an space with sluggish broadband, the “you’ll be able to simply obtain it once more” rationale doesn’t actually work. At my previous dwelling, a 100GB obtain took me round eight hours, throughout which era it was troublesome to concurrently watch Twitch or, say, publish articles about upgrading PS5 SSDs. Maintaining video games round on the off-chance you’ll wish to play them sooner or later is smart.
Off the bat, there’s mainly no level in going for a 250GB PS5 SSD. Economically, 250GB drives aren’t that less expensive than 500GB ones — and virtually, that actually isn’t a number of area for contemporary video games to stay on. 500GB drives, coming in at round $60 to $80, are an honest possibility, however the candy spot for many is to go for a high-capacity 1TB drive, which ought to run you about $100. That may greater than double the PS5 storage you could have accessible for video games with out breaking the financial institution.
If in case you have the cash, 2TB drives typically provide marginal financial savings per gigabyte, and may typically be discovered when different fashions are out of inventory. Except you’re rolling in money and wish to flex, 4TB and 8TB fashions ought to largely be averted, as you’ll find yourself paying extra per gigabyte than you’d with a 1TB or 2TB drive.
Whereas the 825GB PS5 solely gives 667GB of storage, that’s largely as a consequence of storage being reserved for the working system and caching. If you happen to set up a 1TB PS5 SSD, you will have, inside a margin of error, 1TB of storage accessible for video games.
Lastly, all of our suggestions will work with the PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro.
Are you able to play PS5 video games on an exterior SSD?
Exterior laborious drives are likely to value lower than inner SSD counterparts (and there’s probability you would possibly personal one already). However sadly, there are restrictions on what you are able to do with them. An exterior SSD connects to your PS5 by way of USB, and is just appropriate for taking part in PlayStation 4 video games, or storing PS5 titles. That is helpful when you’ve got something however the most effective high-speed web — it’s quicker to maneuver a PS5 recreation out of “chilly storage” on an exterior drive than it’s to re-download it — or wish to preserve your PS4 library available.
Because of the limitations right here, you don’t want the highest-performing mannequin, though you must go for SSDs over HDDs for improved switch speeds and cargo occasions. Any fundamental transportable drive from a good model will do, with the Essential X9 Professional and Samsung T5 being choices we’ve tried and may advocate.
Which SSD playing cards are appropriate with the PS5?
The official answer to this query is an “M.2 Socket 3 (Key M) Gen4 x4 NVME SSD.” However even inside that seemingly particular description, there are nonetheless extra issues to think about. The primary necessities Sony has laid out for compatibility come down to hurry, cooling and bodily dimensions.
For pace, Sony says drives ought to be capable to deal with sequential reads at 5,500MB/s. Early testing confirmed that the PS5 would settle for drives as sluggish as 4,800MB/s, and that video games that faucet into the SSD repeatedly — corresponding to Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart — would trigger no points. Just about the one factor the PS5 will outright reject is one that does not match the Gen4 x4 spec.
In our opinion, although, utilizing a drive slower than the specification is a threat that, in case you don’t have already got that drive mendacity round, is just not price taking. Simply because we haven’t discovered points but doesn’t imply there gained’t be video games that might be problematic sooner or later. The value distinction between these marginally slower Gen4 drives and those that meet Sony’s spec is just not big, and also you would possibly as effectively cowl all of your bases.
Barely extra difficult than pace is cooling and dimension. Most new SSDs are going to be simply positive; the PS5 can match 22mm-wide SSDs of just about any size (30mm, 40mm, 60mm, 80mm or 110mm, to be exact). The overwhelming majority of drives you discover might be 22mm large and 80mm lengthy, so no downside there.
It ought to be famous that the system can match a 25mm-wide drive, however that width should embrace the cooling answer. Talking of, Sony says SSDs require “efficient warmth dissipation with a cooling construction, corresponding to a heatsink.” The utmost top supported by Sony’s slot is 11.25mm, of which solely 2.45mm might be “under” the drive.
This beforehand meant a few of the hottest heatsinked Gen4 SSDs, together with Corsair’s MP600 Professional LP, wouldn’t match throughout the PS5’s storage enlargement slot. Since Engadget first revealed this information in 2021, most NVMe makers, together with Samsung, have come out with PlayStation-specific fashions that meet these necessities. That stated, if you wish to avoid wasting cash, naked drives are sometimes cheaper, and it’s trivial to discover a cooling answer that may work for the PS5.
The one element in an NVMe SSD that actually requires cooling is the controller, which and not using a heatsink will fortunately sear a (very small) steak. Most SSDs have chips on just one aspect, however even on double-sided SSDs, the controller is more likely to be on high, as producers realize it must be positioned there to raised dissipate warmth.
So, head to your PC element vendor of alternative, and decide up mainly something that meets the really helpful dimensions. A great search time period is “laptop computer NVME heatsink,” as these might be designed to slot in the confines of gaming laptops, that are much more restrictive than a PS5. They’re additionally usually cheaper than those labeled as “PS5 heatsinks.”
One suggestion is that this $6 copper heatsink, which attaches to the PS5 SSD with sticky thermal interface materials. It really works simply positive, and in performing stress checks on a PC, we couldn’t discover something metallic that didn’t preserve temperatures underneath management. Whenever you’re looking, simply be sure the answer you go for measures not more than 25mm large or 8mm tall (together with the thermal interface materials) and has a easy technique of set up that’s not going to trigger any complications.
One very last thing. When purchasing for a PS5 NVMe, there’s no cause to purchase a Gen5 mannequin over a extra inexpensive Gen4 mannequin. As issues stand, Sony’s console can’t reap the benefits of the brand new customary, and although Gen5 drives are backward appropriate, they’re costlier than their Gen4 counterparts. Simply purchase the quickest and highest-capacity Gen4 mannequin you’ll be able to afford.
Tips on how to set up an SSD into your PS5
Earlier than making an attempt so as to add extra storage by way of a PS5 SSD, guarantee that you’ve Sony’s latest software installed. When you’re up-to-date, set up of a PS5 SSD is pretty simple. Sony recommends a #1 Phillips or crosshead screwdriver, however this is not rocket science. Any crossed screwdriver of the same dimension will do positive.
1. Energy every part all the way down to take away the stand
Earlier than making an attempt so as to add extra storage by way of an NVMe, guarantee that you’ve Sony’s latest software installed. When you’re up-to-date, set up of a PS5 SSD is pretty simple. Sony recommends a #1 Phillips or crosshead screwdriver, however this is not rocket science. Any crossed screwdriver of the same dimension will do positive.
Start by powering down your PS5, unplugging every part, eradicating the stand and flipping it over to its underside. If in case you have a launch PS5, that’s the aspect with the disc drive; when you’ve got the launch Digital Version, it’s the aspect with out the PlayStation emblem cutout.
Sony has a video information to popping off the skin cowl right here, however the gist is you gently elevate up the opposing corners and slide the panel towards the flat finish of the console. There’s a knack to this, and it requires little or no effort or power. If you happen to’re not getting it, somewhat than pressure issues, readjust your grip and take a look at once more.
2. Entry the drive bay
When you’ve bought every part open, you’ll see an oblong piece of metallic with a screw holding it in place. Take away that screw and also you’ll be capable to entry the drive bay.
You’ll see 5 holes inside, every numbered comparable to the usual SSD drive lengths I discussed earlier. The one numbered 110 may have a metallic insert and screw inside. That you must unscrew the screw with a screwdriver, after which unscrew the insert together with your fingers and transfer it to the related gap. For many drives, it’s going to be 80.
3. Slot within the SSD
Then take your SSD and slot it in. The slot is on the edge closest to the quantity “30,” and SSDs are keyed to solely slot in a technique, so once more, no pressure is required. If it’s not sliding in, don’t pressure it. You’ll discover the SSD doesn’t sit flat. That’s positive and is as supposed.
4. Screw the drive bay again in
As soon as the SSD is seated, take the screw you faraway from the insert, line it up with the little notch on the finish of your SSD, and push down so it meets the insert. Give the screw just a few turns — it doesn’t should be very tight — and also you’re accomplished.
Change the metallic cowl and screw it down, after which slide the plastic outer shell again on.
Whenever you first activate the PS5, it’ll immediate you to format the drive. Try this! You’ve gotten now efficiently expanded your console’s storage, and may set about downloading and shifting video games to it.
We’ll be updating this information as extra SSDs come to market and onto our check bench, so be happy to bookmark it for if you want it.
Trending Merchandise
Samsung 24” FT45 Series FHD 1080p Computer Monitor, 75Hz, IPS Panel, HDMI, DisplayPort, USB Hub, Ultra Thin Bezels, Ergonomic Design, Height Adjustable Stand, 3 Year Warranty, LF24T454FQNXGO, Black
ASUS RT-AX88U PRO AX6000 Dual Band WiFi 6 Router, WPA3, Parental Control, Adaptive QoS, Port Forwarding, WAN aggregation, lifetime internet security and AiMesh support, Dual 2.5G Port
Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo, MARVO 2.4G Ergonomic Wireless Computer Keyboard with Phone Tablet Holder, Silent Mouse with 6 Button, Compatible with MacBook, Windows (Black)
Acer KB272 EBI 27″ IPS Full HD (1920 x 1080) Zero-Frame Gaming Office Monitor | AMD FreeSync Technology | Up to 100Hz Refresh | 1ms (VRB) | Low Blue Light | Tilt | HDMI & VGA Ports,Black
