One of the best SSDs for PS5 in 2025

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 large, and whereas the console’s inner storage is speedy, it fills up quick — particularly for those who’re juggling massive titles like Name of Responsibility, Spider-Man 2, or Closing Fantasy XVI. A suitable SSD provides you extra space with out sacrificing load occasions or efficiency, so you’ll be able to 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 need 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 enhance 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

Finest SSDs for PS5 in 2025

How we check PS5 SSDs

I’ve examined many of the SSDs really helpful on this checklist, both for PS5 or laptop 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. For those who already personal a PS5, chances are high you’ve an affordable concept of how a lot storage you want on your sport library. For those who’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 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 very talked-about) exceptions. For those who’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. For those who’re not a CoD fan, although, chances are high you’ll be good to retailer between six to 10 video games on a daily PS5 internally earlier than operating into issues.

You additionally want to think about your web pace. For those who reside in an space with gradual broadband, the “you’ll be able to simply obtain it once more” rationale doesn’t actually work. At my outdated house, a 100GB obtain took me round eight hours, throughout which period it was troublesome to concurrently watch Twitch or, say, publish articles about upgrading PS5 SSDs. Preserving 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 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 whole lot of house for contemporary video games to reside on. 500GB drives could be a respectable possibility, 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.

Except 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’ll with a 1TB or 2TB drive.

Whereas the 825GB PS5 solely supplies 667GB of storage, that’s largely as a consequence of storage being reserved for the working system and caching. For those who set up a 1TB PS5 SSD, you may have, inside a margin of error, 1TB of storage accessible for video games. Out of the field, the PS5 Professional provides 1.86TB of storage for video games, although you’ll be able to eke out extra for those who 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 likely to value lower than inner SSD counterparts (and there’s a great probability 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 barely appropriate for enjoying PlayStation 4 video games, or storing PS5 titles. That’s helpful when you have something however the perfect high-speed web — it’s sooner to maneuver a PS5 sport out of “chilly storage” on an exterior drive than it’s to re-download it — or need to hold your PS4 library readily 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 moveable drive from a good model will do, with the Essential X9 Professional and Samsung T7 being choices we’ve tried and might 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 principle 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 gradual as 4,800MB/s, and that video games that faucet into the SSD often — equivalent 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, for those who 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 isn’t enormous, and also you would possibly as effectively cowl all of your bases.

Barely extra sophisticated than pace is cooling and measurement. Most new SSDs are going to be simply superb; 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 huge and 80mm lengthy, so no drawback there.

It needs to be famous that the system can match a 25mm-wide drive, however that width should embody the cooling resolution. Talking of, Sony says SSDs require “efficient warmth dissipation with a cooling construction, equivalent to a heatsink.” The utmost top 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 throughout 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 can work for the PS5.

The one part in an NVMe SSD that actually requires cooling is the controller, which with out 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 understand it must be positioned there to higher dissipate warmth.

So, head to your PC part vendor of selection and decide up mainly something that meets the really helpful 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 superb, and in performing stress assessments on a PC, we couldn’t discover something metallic that didn’t hold temperatures beneath management. While you’re looking out, simply be certain 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 methodology of set up that’s not going to trigger any complications.

One last item: When searching for a PS5 NVMe, there’s no cause 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 suitable, they’re dearer than their Gen4 counterparts. Simply purchase the quickest and highest-capacity Gen4 mannequin you’ll be able to afford.

Easy methods to set up an SSD into your PS5

For those who 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 easy, however our how-to may also help you for those who’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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