Everything on PS5 SSD upgrade
Sony PS5 SSD release
| Type of SSD | M.2 (NVMe) |
|---|---|
| SSD protocol | PCI Express 4.0 |
| Platform | PlayStation 5 (Slim) |
| Heatsink | Yes |
| Storage capacity (expected) | 1TB |
Next-gen performance PS5
The PlayStation 5 (Slim) has a high-quality built-in SSD. With this SSD, you'll have very short loading times when you game. With the maximum read speed of 5500MB/s, you're in the lobby right away, and you can smoothly render the images of your favorite game. White Sony says you can store 825GB of data on this SSD, it appears you can only use 667GB for games. For this reason, Sony announced expansion options for the console.
Including heatsink
It's possible to expand the storage capacity of the PS5 and PS5 Digital with an M.2 NVMe SSD, like the Samsung 980 Pro, WD Black SN850, or the Seagate Firecuda 530. In September 2021, this was finally announced by Sony. These SSDs have a heatsink, or they need a heatsink to keep your SSD cool. This heatsink can be 11mm high at most.
Firmware update
Fans are hoping that the firmware update will also allow the fans of the PS5 to spin faster. During the State of Play 2021, Sony announced that the firmware update will take place this summer. That's shortly after the launch of the PlayStation exclusive Ratchet & Clank: Drift Apart, and before the release of Horizon Forbidden West. This way, you're prepared for the newest games.
Larger and larger game files
The installation size of the newest games start at 10GB. The game files also get bigger and bigger. If you want to play Warzone and Modern Warfare, you're at more than 50GB. The SSD of the PS5 is already full if you store 10 to 15 medium-sized games. You can connect an external drive via USB, but you can only play PS4 games from an external drive. A PS5 games only works from the internal SSD of your PlayStation 5.
Extra SSD slot already available
All PS5 consoles have an extra SSD slot. This M.2 expansion slot is still disabled in the software. For this reason, you can only expand your gaming library with PS4 games which you can store on an external storage device. Do you prefer to play the newest PS5 games? You can only play these from the internal PS5 SSD, because Sony can guarantee the fast loading times you expect from next-gen games this way.
