When Sony launched the PlayStation 5 in 2020, it wasn’t potential to broaden the console’s storage. Fortunately, that modified with a software program replace that the corporate pushed out lower than a yr later. And with how huge some recreation installs have turn into in recent times, it’s a great factor, too: the PS5’s built-in 667GB of house 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 clear up 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 sophisticated. And if all you wish to know is what the very best PS5 SSDs are, they’re proper on the prime.
Learn extra: These are the very 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 Professional LPX makes it to the highest of our checklist for the very best PS5 SSD for being the entire bundle. It’s quick, providing wonderful efficiency and browse 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 reasonably priced. After launching at $190, you may 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 checklist, however so far as no-fuss choices go, it’s laborious to beat the MP600.
- Constructed-in heatsink
- Reasonably priced
- 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 Essential T500 is a superb 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 checklist 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 checklist, the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus is essentially the most attention-grabbing. It comes with a singular heatsink that you just set up rather than the storage growth slot’s steel cowl. Sabrent claims this design improves cooling efficiency. Count on to pay greater than you’ll 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 beneath, you may’t run PS5 video games from an exterior drive — however you should utilize one to retailer any video games you aren’t taking part in in the meanwhile (and that features older PS4 video games). One in all my favourite moveable drives is the Samsung T7. It will possibly write recordsdata at a speedy 1,000 MB/s. When you plan to make use of the drive solely for at-home use, it can save you cash by shopping for the usual mannequin as a substitute of the Defend variant, which has a rugged exterior for additional safety for many who are at all times 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 most recent mannequin, the Samsung T9, boasts learn/write speeds of as much as 2,000MB/s.
- Reasonably priced
- 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 a lot of the SSDs advisable on this checklist, both for PS5 or pc use. I additionally purchased and used our prime decide in my very own PS5.
How a lot PS5 storage do I want?
The PlayStation 5 will settle for inside drives with between 250GB and 8TB of storage capability. When you already personal a PS5, likelihood is you’ve gotten an inexpensive concept of how a lot storage you want in your recreation library. When you’re shopping for an SSD with a brand new PS5, or shopping for for another person, it’s tougher to inform what you may want for a high-performance expertise.
PS5 video games are somewhat smaller on common than their PS4 equivalents, sometimes taking on between 30GB and 100GB, with some notable (and extremely popular) exceptions. When you’re a fan of the Name of Responsibility collection, putting in Trendy Warfare III and Warzone 2.0 would require about 250GB. In different phrases, a full Name of Responsibility set up will take up greater than one-third of the PS5’s inside storage. When you’re not a CoD fan, although, likelihood is you’ll be good to retailer between six to 10 video games in your PS5 internally earlier than operating into issues.
You additionally want to think about your web velocity. When you dwell in an space with gradual broadband, the “you can just download it again” rationale doesn’t actually work. At my outdated house, a 100GB obtain took me round eight hours, throughout which era it was tough 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 sensible.
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 variety of house for contemporary video games to dwell 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’ve gotten accessible for video games with out breaking the financial institution.
If in case you have the cash, 2TB drives generally supply marginal financial savings per gigabyte, and may usually 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 principally be prevented, as you’ll find yourself paying extra per gigabyte than you’ll with a 1TB or 2TB drive.
Whereas the 825GB PS5 solely supplies 667GB of storage, that’s largely resulting from storage being reserved for the working system and caching. When you set up a 1TB PS5 SSD, you may 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 Professional.
Are you able to play PS5 video games on an exterior SSD?
Exterior laborious drives are likely to value lower than inside SSD counterparts (and there’s a great likelihood you may 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 enjoying PlayStation 4 video games, or storing PS5 titles. That is helpful if in case you have something however the very best high-speed web — it’s sooner to maneuver a PS5 recreation out of “cold storage” on an exterior drive than it’s to re-download it — or wish to maintain your PS4 library available.
As a result of limitations right here, you don’t want the highest-performing mannequin, though it is best to go for SSDs over HDDs for improved switch speeds and cargo occasions. Any fundamental moveable drive from a good model will do, with the Essential X9 Professional and Samsung T5 being choices we’ve tried and may suggest.
Which SSD playing cards are appropriate with the PS5?
The official reply 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 velocity, 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 gradual as 4,800MB/s, and that video games that faucet into the SSD recurrently — comparable to Ratchet & Clank: Rift Aside — 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 danger that, if you happen to don’t have already got that drive mendacity round, isn’t price taking. Simply because we haven’t discovered points but doesn’t imply there received’t be video games that could possibly be problematic sooner or later. The value distinction between these marginally slower Gen4 drives and those that meet Sony’s spec isn’t big, and also you may as effectively cowl all of your bases.
Barely extra sophisticated than velocity is cooling and dimension. Most new SSDs are going to be simply high quality; 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 can be 22mm broad 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 resolution. Talking of, Sony says SSDs require “effective heat dissipation with a cooling structure, such as a heatsink.” The utmost top supported by Sony’s slot is 11.25mm, of which solely 2.45mm might be “below” the drive.
This beforehand meant a number of the hottest heatsinked Gen4 SSDs, together with Corsair’s MP600 Professional LP, wouldn’t match inside the PS5’s storage growth 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 mentioned, if you wish to avoid wasting cash, naked drives are sometimes cheaper, and it’s trivial to discover a cooling resolution 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 prone to be on prime, as producers understand it must be positioned there to higher dissipate warmth.
So, head to your PC element vendor of selection, and decide up mainly something that meets the advisable dimensions. A superb search time period is “laptop NVME heatsink,” as these can be designed to slot in the confines of gaming laptops, that are much more restrictive than a PS5. They’re additionally sometimes 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 high quality, and in performing stress checks on a PC, we couldn’t discover something steel that didn’t maintain temperatures beneath management. While you’re looking out, simply be sure that the answer you go for measures not more than 25mm broad or 8mm tall (together with the thermal interface materials) and has a easy methodology of set up that’s not going to trigger any complications.
One final thing. When searching for a PS5 NVMe, there’s no purpose to purchase a Gen5 mannequin over a extra reasonably priced Gen4 mannequin. As issues stand, Sony’s console can’t benefit from the brand new commonplace, and although Gen5 drives are backward appropriate, they’re dearer than their Gen4 counterparts. Simply purchase the quickest and highest-capacity Gen4 mannequin you may 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 got Sony’s newest software program put in. When you’re up-to-date, set up of a PS5 SSD is pretty easy. Sony recommends a #1 Phillips or crosshead screwdriver, however this is not rocket science. Any crossed screwdriver of an analogous dimension will do high quality.
1. Energy every thing right 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 got Sony’s newest software program put in. When you’re up-to-date, set up of a PS5 SSD is pretty easy. Sony recommends a #1 Phillips or crosshead screwdriver, however this is not rocket science. Any crossed screwdriver of an analogous dimension will do high quality.
Start by powering down your PS5, unplugging every thing, 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; if in case you have the launch Digital Version, it’s the aspect with out the PlayStation brand cutout.
Sony has a video information to popping off the skin cowl right here, however the gist is you gently carry 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 energy. When you’re not getting it, reasonably than drive issues, readjust your grip and check out once more.
2. Entry the drive bay
When you’ve bought every thing open, you’ll see an oblong piece of steel 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 steel insert and screw inside. It is advisable 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 method, so once more, no drive is required. If it’s not sliding in, don’t drive it. You’ll discover the SSD doesn’t sit flat. That’s high quality and is as meant.
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 a couple of turns — it doesn’t should be very tight — and also you’re performed.
Exchange the steel cowl and screw it down, after which slide the plastic outer shell again on.
While you first activate the PS5, it’ll immediate you to format the drive. Try this! You have got 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.
