PS5 SSD upgrade: how it install it
PS5 SSD upgrade step-by-step installation instructions with the heatsink
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The PS5 SSD upgrade guide is easy compared to the hard step of actually finding a PS5 restock that lasts longer than three minutes. But if you’re one of the quarter-million people who I’ve helped get a next-gen console, then the first thing you should do is install a PlayStation 5 SSD to increase your storage capacity.
Upgrading your PS5 SSD with this step-by-step process begins with buying a proper PS5-compatible M.2 drive and ends with formatting it for use.
Things to know before the PS5 SSD upgrade:
😃 825GB: the internal PCIe Gen 4 M.2 NVMe SSD of PS5 Disc and PS5 Digital
😅 But only 667GB of that is user-accessible, meaning you’ll be installing and uninstalling games constantly when you amass even a small library
🙅♂️ External SSDs and hard drives can’t run PS5 games – they aren’t fast enough
🛍️ You can buy a PS5-compatible M.2 SSD, typically at a 1TB or 2TB capacity
😬 Installing a PS5 SSD looks harder than it is
🪛 You’ll need a Phillips-head screwdriver and a PS5 SSD (some options below)
🥶 Use a heatsink – it’s easier to buy a PS5 SSD with a heatsink included, even if it costs a touch more. I’ve seen people try to install a PS5 SSD without a heatsink for a hot minute, but it turns into a very hot minute and will degrade your SSD over time without proper heat dissipation
📜 Installing a PS5 SSD won’t void your warranty (I get this email question a lot)
🤗 It adds storage to the internal PS5 SSD; it does not replace it – you won’t have to delete and reinstall games
Step 1: Buy a PS5 SSD
Picking the right M.2 SSD for the PS5 is hard because there are many options from third-party vendors and the specs vary compared to the sole Seagate SSD sold by Microsoft for the Xbox Series X. You’ll need an SSD with a 5,500MB/s sequential read speed or faster and one that uses the PCI-Express interface, not an M.2 SATA SSDs.
If you’re asking, “Matt, what are you talking about?” just buy one of these PS5 SSDs:
Samsung 980 Pro SSD with Heatsink – 🏆 the one I use in this guide
WD_Black 1TB SN850 SSD with Heatsink
Ethics disclosure: The Shortcut is supported by you. When you purchase through some of the links, I may earn a small affiliate commission.
I recommend a PS5 SSD 2TB or 1TB. There are 250GB and 500GB options out there, but those aren’t worth it, and the lone 4TB PS5 SSD is priced astronomically. You’ll be able to fit all of the monthly PS Plus free games onto a 2TB PS5 SSD just fine.
Step 2: Remove faceplate to access PS5 SSD slot
You’ll need to get inside your PS5 (don’t worry, this won’t void your warranty) and that means removing the console from the stand and taking off the default white faceplate on the rear side (without the PlayStation logo). Put your unplugged PS5 on a flat surface with enough space (so not on top of your narrow media cabinet right next to your flat-screen TV).
Take off the faceplate by gripping the edges of the backside of the PS5 (this is the side without the PS5 logo; on PS5 Disc, this is the side with the disc drive) and lift up and slide downward gently. It’ll require more force if you don’t have the right motion, but it should still pop off with a little work.
Remember, it’s a lift-up-and-slide-down motion.
Step 3: Remove the expansion slot cover plate
There are two screws you need to remove before installing the PS5 SSD in the long, narrow expansion slot bed. The first screw secures the expansion slot cover plate.
💡 Pro tip: Please don’t lose this screw when removing it from this plate with a Philips-head screwdriver. In my first test, I dropped it in the nearby PS5 fan and had to fish it out – that’s unfun, let me tell you.
Lift the PS5 expansion slot cover plate to reveal the second screw.
Step 4: Remove the SSD screw and spacer
The second screw is located inside the bed of this expansion slot and it has a spacer underneath it. Locate the screw at the top of the green area near where it says 110 in white lettering. The green area has five holes for various SSDs of different sizes – maybe something for the future as more PS5-compatible M.2 drives launch.
You’ll need this screw and spacer in order to secure your PS5 SSD in the slot. It’s just hanging out near the top for this purpose and has no functionality before you install your PS5 SSD. Hang onto this screw to complete step 5.
Step 5: Install the M.2 SSD into your PS5
If this was really a one-step process, Step 4 would be the step: line up your M.2 SSD with the PS5 expansion slot circuit board and you’ve done it.
💡 Pro tip: It’s best to go in diagonally, as shown, before firmly pressing the SSD in. You’ll know when it’s locked in – I had to lift up the SSD before it sank into place due to the fact that there’s a bit of a lip along the bottom. Scrapping the bottom floor of the green area (what I did at first) didn’t work. Lift a little. (Do you even lift, bro?)
Step 6: Screw in the PS5 SSD with the spacer
Once you have the pins aligned, forcefully rest the PS5 SSD flat in the expansion slot bay and put the spacer underneath the SSD screw hole. Tighten the screw through the top part of that same hole.
Your PS5 SSD upgrade is complete. Now it’s time to put the PS5 back together again.
Step 7: Replace the expansion slot cover
I’ve seen people try to skip this step and it’s a major no-no. Reattach the thin metal expansion slot cover over the top of your newly installed M.2 PS5 SSD. Use the first screw that you totally didn’t drop in the PlayStation 5 fan to secure it in place.
Why do people skip this step? Because it seems like the PS5 SSD with the heatsink is big enough for the expansion slot and many people suspect it doesn’t need to be reattached (some people have bought junk third-party heatsinks that they claim won’t fit into the expansion slot, which is why I suggest most people should buy a PS5 SSD with a heatsink included from the start).
Not reattaching the expansion cover slot is wrong, according to Sony. The company has said that the cover allows for negative pressure when the slot is closed off.
Step 8: Replace the PS5 faceplate cover
Reattach the PS5 faceplate cover (it’s easier to reattach the faceplate than take it off). You never have to see that PS5 SSD ever again – until you need to upgrade to 4TB or more when you fill up your 1TB or 2TB M.2 SSD.
💡 Pro tip: I have seen a 4TB PS5 SSD for sale, but it’s not worth buying today. Prices start at $600 without the heatsink and faster M.2 devices could launch later on in the console cycle, or if they stick around at their current speeds, they’ll naturally drop in price. You’ll want to save your money for when the forthcoming PSVR 2 pre-order date rolls around and the new PlayStation Plus Premium launches on June 13.
Step 9: Format your PS5 SSD
Your PS5 is back to normal. Plug it in (you didn’t skip the step in which I said to unplug it, did you?), put it on the stand, and turn it on. The PS5 will boot up and immediately greet you with an on-screen formatting guide.
⚠️ Caution: This formatting step won’t erase files on the internal PS5 SSD, but it will wipe anything on the SSD installed in the expansion slot the first time you use it with a PlayStation 5. This is another reason why it’s important to have a dedicated M.2 SSD for PS5 rather than one you were using previously in a PC.
Step 10: Check your PS5 SSD space
To check how much storage space you now have, go to Settings (gear icon in the top right of the main menu) > Storage > M.2 SSD Storage and you’ll see that there’s now a full extra 2TB of storage (with the recommended 2TB PS5 SSD, of course).
This PS5 upgrade experience is much more pleasant than installing and uninstalling and installing games again and again at the default 667GB – which I suspect is the worst Ps5 “game” so far. You can focus on playing the best PS5 games instead and the 700+ PlayStation Plus Premium games list starting June 13.
Samsung 980 Pro SSD with Heatsink – 🏆 the one I use in this guide
WD_Black 1TB SN850 SSD with Heatsink
I'll also add that if you already have an SSD and need a heatsink, Sabrent makes one of the best ones around.
https://www.sabrent.com/product/SB-PSHS/sabrent-m-2-nvme-ps5-heatsink-sb-pshs/
It's designed to replace the SSD heatsink and compartment cover. It has a massive dissipation area and doesn't require any drilling, wiring, etc. It also gets airflow from the PS5's fans. Available at NewEgg, Amazon, and their own online shop.