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Best PS5 SSD with heatsink: ranked and reviewed by our testing experts
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Best PS5 SSD with heatsink: ranked and reviewed by our testing experts

We've tested the best SSD for PS5 and these are our top recommendations if you're looking to expand your console storage

Adam Vjestica
and
Matt Swider
Jan 24
15
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Best PS5 SSD with heatsink: ranked and reviewed by our testing experts
www.theshortcut.com
Best PS5 SSDs including the WD Black SN850 and Samsung 980 Pro
(Credit: The Shortcut)

It isn’t the most exciting purchase, but the best PS5 SSD upgrade can make gaming on Sony’s console a more enjoyable experience. Expanding your console’s storage not only lets you download and play more games, but you don’t have to worry about deleting anything to make room for the new PS5 games in 2023.

An SSD should be high on your shopping list, too. The PS5 only comes with 667GB of usable space, which can fill up fast once you’ve downloaded a few of the best PS5 games. When you remember that save files, screenshots, video clips and each month’s PS Plus free games also take up PS5’s internal storage, it’s easy to see how 667GB can be eaten up quickly.

But before you rush out and buy any old off-the-shelf NVMe SSD for your PlayStation 5, it’s important to note you need to find a solid-state drive that matches Sony’s specs and requirements. Not every NVMe SSD will work, so bear that in mind and you’ll avoid the hassle of arranging a return.

To save you the time of pouring over measurements, checking drive speeds, and trying to determine the difference between an HDD and an SSD, we’ve rounded up all the PS5 SSDs that match Sony’s compatibility requirements and offer a price that won’t break the bank.

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We’ve narrowed down what’s available on the market to give you our top five recommendations based on our SSD testing and hope this buying guide will help you make an informed choice.

Again, all of the PS5 SSD recommendations listed below are 100% compatible with both of Sony’s consoles – PS5 Disc vs PS5 Digital – so you don’t have to worry about accidentally picking up the wrong SSD. If you’re worried about installing one of the best PS5 SSDs in your console, check out our PS5 SSD install guide for step-by-step instructions.

Recent PS5 restock seekers will find an SSD is a must-have purchase within the first six months of owning Sony’s console. It can be tiring when you have to delete and redownload games to make space for new releases, especially if you have slow internet speeds or a data cap. That’s why we strongly advise picking up an NVMe SSD today as it’s one of the best PS5 accessories you can buy.

You can expand the PS5’s storage by 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, or even 4TB, and the installation process is relatively straightforward. However, the higher capacity you choose, the more you’ll have to pay. The sweet spot in terms of bang for your buck is 1TB, but 2TB SSDs are becoming more affordable.

PS5 SSD specs and requirements

  • 📝 Format must be a PCIe Gen 4.0 (x4) M.2 NVMe SSD

  • 📖 Read speed must be 5500MB/s or faster

  • 🔥 A heatsink is required

  • ✅ Maximum size: 110 x 25 x 11.25mm with a heatsink installed

  • 🙅‍♂️ External SSDs and hard drives can’t run PS5 games – they aren’t fast enough


1. WD Black SN850

  • Release date: February 2021

  • MSRP: $249 for 1TB

WD Black SN850 in the PS5's SSD bay
(Credit: Adam Vjestica/The Shortcut)

➕ Exceeds all of Sony’s speed requirements

➕ Usually discounted

➖ 2TB model is pricey

The WD Black SN850 is popular among PlayStation 5 owners, which isn’t surprising. Not only does it exceed the PS5 SSD requirements outlined by Sony, but it’s also a favorite of PlayStation 5 lead system architect Mark Cerny. How’s that for a seal of approval?

So far, in 2022, WD Black SN850 comes in three capacities: 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB. There’s no 4TB PS5 SSD from WD just yet. The sweet spot for value is the 1TB model, which should provide plenty of extra room to store the best PS5 games. It’s often on sale, too, so we’d avoid paying MSRP unless you’re in desperate need of space.

With super-fast read/write speeds up to 7000/5300MB/s, PS5 titles will load just as fast as Sony’s official drive, and the built-in heatsink means performance won’t be affected when things get a little hot under the hood.

Word of warning: WD Black has recently released a new WD Black SN850 NVMe SSD for PS5, which is “officially licensed for PlayStation 5 consoles”. However, it isn’t worth the extra $10 markup, so we’d opt for the standard SN850 instead.

WD Black SN850 1TB as low as $129:

Walmart: WD Black SN850 1TB

Best Buy: WD Black SN850 1TB

GameStop: WD Black SN850 1TB

B&H Photo: WD Black SN850 1TB

Amazon: WD Black SN850 1TB

WD Black SN850 2TB as low as $229:

Best Buy: WD Black SN850 2TB

GameStop: WD Black SN850 2TB

B&H Photo: WD Black SN850 2TB

Amazon: WD Black SN850 2TB


2. Samsung 980 Pro

  • Release date: September 2020

  • MSRP: $229 for 1TB

Screwing in a Samsung 980 Pro SSD
(Credit: Matt Swider/The Shortcut)

➕ Incredible performance

➕ Proprietary heatsink

➖ Sometimes more expensive than the WD Black PS5 SSD

Samsung was onto a winner with its 980 Pro SSD, but it required users to install a third-party heatsink as per Sony’s requirements.

That may have been too much of a hassle for many, so Samsung has wisely created a version of the Samsung 980 Pro with a proprietary heatsink installed, making it one of the best PS5 SSDs you can buy.

Samsung’s drive has read/write speeds of 7,000/6400MB/s, meaning it’s quicker at reading data than the excellent WD Black SN850. However, it’s sometimes more expensive than other PS5-compatible SSDs on the market, so price-check it below before you make a purchase:

If you’re after the newer version of the Samsung SSD 980 Pro, check out our Samsung 990 Pro review.

Samsung SSD 980 Pro (1TB) at $119.99:

Samsung: 980 Pro 1TB

Best Buy: 980 Pro 1TB

GameStop: 980 Pro 1TB

Amazon: 980 Pro 1TB

Samsung SSD 980 Pro (2TB) at $189:

Samsung: 980 Pro 2TB

Best Buy: 980 Pro 2TB

Amazon: 980 Pro 2TB

GameStop: 980 Pro 2TB

B&H Photo: 980 Pro 2TB


3. Seagate Firecuda 530

  • Release date: September 2021

  • MSRP: $259 for 1TB

A close up of the Seagate Firecuda 530
(Credit: The Shortcut)

➕ The fastest SSD on this list

➕ 4TB capacity available

➖ Always in high demand

Seagate has been in the data storage game since the 70s, so it’s fair to say it’s a brand you can trust.

The Seagate Firecuda 530 is yet another quality product from the storage specialists and is one of the few drives with a 4TB option available. That’ll set you back up to $750, but it’s there if you never want to worry about storage for the rest of the console generation.

  • Our PS5 games 2022 list suggests you might need more storage space soon 👀

The Seagate Firecuda 530 also has a blazing-fast read speed of 7300MB/s, making it the fastest drive on this list, and a custom heatsink that ensures the SSD stays cool when under heavy load.

Seagate Firecuda 530 1TB as low as $139:

Best Buy: Seagate Firecuda 530 1TB

B&H Photo: Seagate Firecuda 530 1TB

Amazon: Seagate Firecuda 530 1TB

Seagate Firecuda 530 2TB as low as $249:

Best Buy: Seagate Firecuda 530 2TB

B&H Photo: Seagate Firecuda 530 2TB

Amazon: Seagate Firecuda 530 2TB


4. Gigabyte AORUS Gen4 7000s

  • Release date: February 2021

  • MSRP: $209 for 1TB

Gigabyte AORUS Gen4 7000s in the PS5's SSD bay
(Credit: Adam Vjestica/The Shortcut)

➕ Uses the latest SSD tech

➕ Blazing fast speeds

➖ No 500GB option

The Gigabyte AORUS Gen4 7000s combines excellent performance with a great price point, which is why it’s often out of stock. It meets all of Sony’s requirements, so it’ll slot easily into the PlayStation 5’s open SSD bay.

I’ve personally tested the Aorus NVMe Gen 4 7000s and can confirm it works flawlessly. The PS5 shows a read speed of 6559MB/s when installed, which exceeds Sony’s recommended minimum read speed of 5500MB/s.

1TB as low as $139:

Amazon: Gigabyte AORUS 1TB

2TB as low as $249:

Amazon: Gigabyte AORUS 2TB


5. Corsair MP600 Pro LPX

  • Release date: February 2021

  • MSRP: $209 for 1TB

A close up of the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX
(Credit: The Shortcut/Corsair)

➕ Competitively priced

➕ Super-fast read speeds

➖ Not as aesthetically pleasing as other SSDs

Another PS5 SSD that’s easy to recommend is the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX. Its robust build quality and excellent heatsink mean your speeds will never throttle when the SSD heats up.

It’s also a perfect fit for the PS5, and with impressive read and write speeds of 7100/6800MB/s, your games will load incredibly fast. Thankfully it’s priced competitively, making it a great buy if your preferred drive isn’t available.

1TB as low as $109.99:

Amazon: Corsair MP600 Pro 1TB

Best Buy: Corsair MP600 Pro 1TB

2TB as low as $219:

Amazon: Corsair MP600 Pro 2TB

Best Buy: Corsair MP600 Pro 2TB


We’ll keep this page updated, as the best PS5 SSD deals change over time. You’ll need that extra money for other things in the PS5 pipeline, too. Sony’s new virtual reality headset, PSVR 2, is the next big PS5 accessory on the horizon and releases on February 22, 2023. Check out our PSVR 2 pre-order page and all the PSVR 2 games confirmed so far.

Sony also released a new pro controller aimed at competitive PS5 gamers called the DualSense Edge. Our comprehensive PS5 DualSense Edge Controller review tells you everything you need to know, and whether it’s worth the money.

Updated: January 24, 2023

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12 Comments
ZettyBrave
Jun 19, 2022·edited Jun 19, 2022Liked by Adam Vjestica

I got the Corsair 1TB a few weeks ago. It is so unbelievably fast, so I moved all my load-heavy games to it. It's hilarious how quickly Horizon: Forbidden West loads. I used to hate waiting for Zero Dawn on my PS4 Slim. But it's a night and day difference on the PS5 with the Corsair. Within, like, 15 seconds of selecting the icon from the PS5's home menu, I'm Aloy.

Oh, and it was an easy installation. We should credit Sony for creating an awesome console that is a joy to work with. I love the plastic base and the way you can hide the screw so as not to lose it. I have to put my ps5 away every time, but I dont mind the process--the only issue is the weight and size; everything else, even how quickly it turns off, is lightyears ahead of my experience with the PS4

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Jason Nagal Estioko
Nov 16, 2022Liked by Adam Vjestica

Hi Matt and Adam! Great Article comparing the best NVME SSD's currently out in the Market. Whenever you two get a chance, can you both please review Samsung's latest ssd that came out recently the Samsung 990 Pro. I want to know if it's worth upgrading to this as I hear the speeds are faster than the one's you guys reviewed and is it worth the upgrade for my PS5. I currently own the 2TB 980 Pro. I also am hearing around a 4TB version of that is coming out in the future if I am not mistaken. Thanks ^;^

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