The perfect SSDs for PS5 in 2025

In case your PlayStation 5 library is beginning to burst on the seams, upgrading with the most effective SSDs on your PlayStation 5 could make an enormous distinction. Fashionable PS5 video games are large, and whereas the console’s inner storage is speedy, it fills up quick — particularly when you’re juggling large titles like Name of Responsibility, Spider-Man 2, or Ultimate Fantasy XVI. A appropriate SSD provides you extra space with out sacrificing load instances or efficiency, so you’ll be able to spend much less time managing your library and extra time gaming.

Many SSDs are straightforward to put in and carry out simply as quick because the PS5’s built-in storage. You’ll need to search for drives that meet Sony’s specs, together with Gen4 speeds and a built-in heatsink (or the flexibility 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 swimsuit each want and finances.

Learn extra: These are the best SSDs in 2025

Greatest SSDs for PS5 in 2025

How we take a look at PS5 SSDs

I’ve examined many of the SSDs advisable on this checklist, both for PS5 or laptop use. I additionally purchased and used our high choose in my very own PS5.

PS5 SSD FAQs

How a lot PS5 storage do I would like?

The PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro can settle for inner drives with between 250GB and 8TB of storage capability. Should you already personal a PS5, chances are high you have got an affordable thought of how a lot storage you want on your sport library. Should you’re shopping for an SSD with a brand new PS5 or PS5 Professional, or shopping for for another person, it’s tougher to inform what you may 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 highly regarded) exceptions. Should 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. Should 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 contemplate your web pace. Should you dwell 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. Conserving video games round on the off-chance you’ll need to play them sooner or later is sensible.

Aaron Souppouris / Engadget

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 a whole lot of area for contemporary video games to dwell on. 500GB drives could be a respectable choice, however after years of declining costs, I feel 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 need to flex, 4TB and 8TB fashions ought to principally be prevented, 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 on account of storage being reserved for the working system and caching. Should you set up a 1TB PS5 SSD, you will have, inside a margin of error, 1TB of storage accessible for video games. Out of the field, the PS5 Professional affords 1.86TB of storage for video games, although you’ll be able to eke out extra when you delete the pre-installed Astro’s Playroom (gasp).

Since neither the PS5 Slim nor PS5 Professional characteristic 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 exhausting drives are likely to price lower than inner SSD counterparts (and there’s a superb probability you may personal one already). 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 barely appropriate for taking part in PlayStation 4 video games, or storing PS5 titles. That’s helpful you probably have something however the very best high-speed web — it’s quicker to maneuver a PS5 sport out of “chilly storage” on an exterior drive than it’s to re-download it — or need 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 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 might 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 extra components to contemplate. The principle necessities Sony has laid out for compatibility come down to hurry, cooling and bodily dimensions.

For pace, Sony says drives ought to have the ability 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 commonly — 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, when you don’t have already got that drive mendacity round, shouldn’t be price taking. Simply because we haven’t discovered points but doesn’t imply there gained’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 nicely cowl all of your bases.

Barely extra difficult than pace is cooling and measurement. Most new SSDs are going to be simply advantageous; 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 huge 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 answer. Talking of, Sony says SSDs require “efficient warmth dissipation with a cooling construction, similar to a heatsink.” The utmost top supported by Sony’s slot is 11.25mm, of which solely 2.45mm may be “beneath” the drive.

This beforehand meant a number 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 printed 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 answer that can 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 facet, 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 choose up principally something that meets the advisable 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 advice is that this $6 copper heatsink, which attaches to the PS5 SSD with sticky thermal interface materials. It really works simply advantageous, and in performing stress exams on a PC, we couldn’t discover something metallic that didn’t maintain temperatures below management. Once you’re looking out, simply be sure that the answer you go for measures not more than 25mm huge 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 last item: 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 benefit from the brand new commonplace, 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.

The best way to set up an SSD into your PS5

Should you want steerage on how to install your new NVMe into your PS5 or PS5 Professional, now we have a separate information detailing all of the steps right here. Set up is fairly simple, however our how-to can assist you when you’re caught. Simply make observe: Earlier than trying so as to add extra storage by way of a PS5 SSD, guarantee that you’ve 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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