In case your PlayStation 5 library is beginning to burst on the seams, upgrading with probably the greatest SSDs on your PlayStation 5 could make an enormous distinction. Fashionable PS5 video games are huge, and whereas the console’s inner storage is speedy, it fills up quick — particularly in the event you’re juggling huge titles like Name of Responsibility, Spider-Man 2, or Ultimate Fantasy XVI. A suitable SSD offers you extra space with out sacrificing load instances or efficiency, so you may spend much less time managing your library and extra time gaming.
Many SSDs are simple to put in and carry out simply as quick because the PS5’s built-in storage. You’ll wish to search for drives that meet Sony’s specs, together with Gen4 speeds and a built-in heatsink (or the power so as to add one). Whether or not you’re after tons of storage on your digital assortment or simply desire a efficiency increase for next-gen titles, we’ve rounded up the highest SSD choices to go well with each want and price range.
Learn extra: These are the best SSDs in 2025
Desk of contents
Finest SSDs for PS5 in 2025
How we take a look at PS5 SSDs
I’ve examined many of the SSDs really useful on this listing, both for PS5 or pc use. I additionally purchased and used our high decide in my very own PS5.
PS5 SSD FAQs
How a lot PS5 storage do I want?
The PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro can settle for inner drives with between 250GB and 8TB of storage capability. In the event you already personal a PS5, chances are high you’ve gotten an affordable concept of how a lot storage you want on your recreation library. In the event you’re shopping for an SSD with a brand new PS5 or PS5 Professional, 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 smaller on common than their PS4 equivalents, usually taking on between 30GB and 100GB, with some notable (and extremely popular) exceptions. In the event you’re a fan of the Name of Responsibility collection, putting in Black Ops 6 and Warzone 2.0 can eat as much as 240GB. In different phrases, a full Name of Responsibility set up will take up greater than one-third of the PS5’s inner storage. In the event you’re not a CoD fan, although, chances are high you’ll be good to retailer between six to 10 video games on an everyday PS5 internally earlier than operating into issues.
You additionally want to think about your web pace. In the event you stay in an space with sluggish broadband, the “you may simply obtain it once more” rationale doesn’t actually work. At my outdated 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. Conserving video games round on the off-chance you’ll wish to play them sooner or later is sensible.
Off the bat, there’s principally 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 lots of area for contemporary video games to stay on. 500GB drives generally is a first rate choice, however after years of declining costs, I believe the candy spot for most individuals is to go for a high-capacity 1TB or 2TB drive, which ought to run you at most $200. The latter will greater than double the PS5 Professional’s storage with out breaking the financial institution.
Until you’re rolling in money and wish to flex, 4TB and 8TB fashions ought to principally 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 offers 667GB of storage, that’s largely because of storage being reserved for the working system and caching. In the event you set up a 1TB PS5 SSD, you will have, inside a margin of error, 1TB of storage out there for video games. Out of the field, the PS5 Professional presents 1.86TB of storage for video games, although you may eke out extra in the event you delete the pre-installed Astro’s Playroom (gasp).
Since neither the PS5 Slim nor PS5 Professional function up to date CPU structure, all of our suggestions will work with no matter PS5 mannequin you personal.
Are you able to play PS5 video games on an exterior SSD?
Exterior arduous drives are inclined to price lower than inner SSD counterparts (and there’s a great likelihood you would possibly personal one already). Sadly, there are restrictions on what you are able to do with them. An exterior SSD connects to your PS5 through USB, and is just appropriate for enjoying PlayStation 4 video games, or storing PS5 titles. That’s helpful if in case you have something however the very best 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 hold your PS4 library available.
As a result of limitations right here, you don’t want the highest-performing mannequin, though it’s best to go for SSDs over HDDs for improved switch speeds and cargo instances. Any primary moveable drive from a good model will do, with the Essential X9 Professional and Samsung T7 being choices we’ve tried and may suggest.
Which SSD playing cards are suitable 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 extra components 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 of 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 recurrently — similar 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 danger that, in the event you don’t have already got that drive mendacity round, just isn’t value taking. Simply because we haven’t discovered points but doesn’t imply there received’t be video games that may very well be problematic sooner or later. The value distinction between these marginally slower Gen4 drives and those that meet Sony’s spec isn’t large, and also you would possibly as nicely cowl all of your bases.
Barely extra difficult than pace is cooling and measurement. Most new SSDs are going to be simply effective; the PS5 can match 22mm-wide SSDs of nearly any size (30mm, 40mm, 60mm, 80mm or 110mm, to be exact). The overwhelming majority of drives you discover will likely be 22mm large and 80mm lengthy, so no downside there.
It needs 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 “efficient warmth dissipation with a cooling construction, similar to a heatsink.” The utmost peak supported by Sony’s slot is 11.25mm, of which solely 2.45mm might be “beneath” the drive.
This beforehand meant among the hottest heatsinked Gen4 SSDs, together with Corsair’s MP600 Professional LP, wouldn’t match inside 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 resolution that may work for the PS5.
The one element in an NVMe SSD that actually requires cooling is the controller, which with no heatsink will fortunately sear a (very small) steak. Most SSDs have chips on just one facet, however even on double-sided SSDs, the controller is prone to be on high, as producers comprehend it must be positioned there to higher dissipate warmth.
So, head to your PC element vendor of selection and decide up principally something that meets the really useful dimensions. An excellent search time period is “laptop computer NVME heatsink,” as these will likely 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 effective, and in performing stress checks on a PC, we couldn’t discover something steel that didn’t hold temperatures beneath management. Once 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 methodology of set up that’s not going to trigger any complications.
One final 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 suitable, they’re costlier than their Gen4 counterparts. Simply purchase the quickest and highest-capacity Gen4 mannequin you may afford.
Methods to set up an SSD into your PS5
In the event you want steering on how to install your new NVMe into your PS5 or PS5 Professional, we now have a separate information detailing all of the steps right here. Set up is fairly simple, however our how-to can assist you in the event you’re caught. Simply make word: Earlier than trying so as to add extra storage through a PS5 SSD, guarantee that you’ve got Sony’s latest software installed.
This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ps/best-ssd-for-ps5-130004175.html?src=rss
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