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Best SSD for PS5: expand your PlayStation 5 storage
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Best SSD for PS5: expand your PlayStation 5 storage

The five best PS5 SSD choices are ready to expand your paltry PlayStation 5 storage, but the specs and deals do differ. Here are our recommended SSD picks.

Adam Vjestica
Jun 19
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Best SSD for PS5: expand your PlayStation 5 storage
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Best SSD for PS5 with various solid-state drives included
(Credit: The Shortcut)

The best SSD for PS5 is able to more than double the storage of your PlayStation 5, meet all of Sony’s compatibility requirements, and offer the best price that won’t make you flinch. This PS5 SSD buying guide will help you pick since you can’t just buy any off-the-shelf NVMe SSD for the PS5 – there’s a chance it won’t work.

Good news, all of the recommendations on this PS5 SSD list meet or exceed Sony’s solid-state drive specs and all of them are 100% compatible with either PS5 console edition – PS5 Disc and PS5 Digital – so you don’t have to worry about accidentally picking up the wrong SSD.

If you recently got a PS5 restock, this is something you should purchase in the first six months. With only 667GB of usable storage, the PlayStation 5 internal SSD fills up fast. If you’re tired of having to delete games to make space for new releases, picking up an NVMe SSD is one of the best PS5 accessories you can buy.

You can add 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, or even 4TB of additional storage to your PS5, which is relatively straightforward. Check out our PS5 SSD upgrade guide for step-by-step instructions. 🪛

If you’re wondering what the best SSD for PS5 is, check out our recommendations below.

PS5 SSD 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. Samsung 980 Pro

A close up of the Samsung 980 Pro with heatsink
(Credit: The Shortcut/Samsung)
  • ➕ 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.

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:

Samsung SSD 980 Pro (1TB) at $169:

Samsung: 980 Pro 1TB

Best Buy: 980 Pro 1TB

GameStop: 980 Pro 1TB

Amazon: 980 Pro 1TB

Samsung SSD 980 Pro (2TB) at $289:

Samsung: 980 Pro 2TB

Best Buy: 980 Pro 2TB

Amazon: 980 Pro 2TB

GameStop: 980 Pro 2TB

B&H Photo: 980 Pro 2TB


2. WD Black SN850

A close up of the WD_Black SN850
(Credit: The Shortcut/Western Digital)
  • ➕ Exceeds all of Sony’s speed requirements

  • ➕ Usually discounted

  • ➖ 2TB model is pricey

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

The WD Black SN850 comes in three capacities: 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB. 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.

WD Black SN850 1TB as low as $149:

Best Buy: WD Black SN850 1TB

GameStop: WD Black SN850 1TB

B&H Photo: WD Black SN850 1TB

Amazon: WD Black SN850 1TB

Walmart: WD Black SN850 1TB

WD Black SN850 2TB as low as $259:

Best Buy: WD Black SN850 2TB

GameStop: WD Black SN850 2TB

B&H Photo: WD Black SN850 2TB

Amazon: WD Black SN850 2TB


3. Seagate Firecuda 530

A close up of the Seagate Firecuda 530
(Credit: The Shortcut/Seagate)
  • ➕ 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 $179:

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 $329:

Best Buy: Seagate Firecuda 530 2TB

B&H Photo: Seagate Firecuda 530 2TB

Amazon: Seagate Firecuda 530 2TB


4. Gigabyte AORUS Gen4 7000s

A close up of the Gigabyte AORUS Gen4 7000s
(Credit: The Shortcut/Gigabyte)
  • ➕ 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 $179:

Best Buy: Gigabyte AORUS 1TB

Amazon: Gigabyte AORUS 1TB

2TB as low as $329:

Best Buy: Gigabyte AORUS 2TB

Amazon: Gigabyte AORUS 2TB


5. Corsair MP600 Pro LPX

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 $139:

Amazon: Corsair MP600 Pro 1TB

Best Buy: Corsair MP600 Pro 1TB

2TB as low as $269:

Amazon: Corsair MP600 Pro 2TB

Best Buy: Corsair MP600 Pro 2TB


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

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ievan_parkay
Jun 24Liked by Adam Vjestica

Hey I have been trying to use your link for the Samsung SSD 980 Pro (1TB), but it keeps sending me to the 2TB one. I just would like to use your link to help out as you ask!

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ZettyBrave
Jun 19·edited Jun 19Liked 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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