The best PS5 SSDs are all but necessary these days. With a measly sub-1TB drive, the PS5 can only house a few storage-hungry games out of the box. If you’ve got a growing library, grabbing a 1TB or 2TB SSD will save you the hassle of fiddly file management.
TL;DR – These are the Best PS5 SSDs
Yet size isn’t everything. When expanding your PS5’s storage, you’ll want to grab an SSD that fits the console’s internal M.2 port, rather than a USB drive that can be plugged in externally. PS5 games can’t be played from an external drive, and while installing one of the best SSDs will require taking off the console’s cover plate and fiddling with a couple of screws, you don’t need to be a hardware aficionado by any means.
There are a few other things to look for in a PS5 SSD. The inside of the console can get very hot, and unless you like rolling the dice on bottlenecked performance or damaged components, it’s worth opting for an SSD with a built-in heatsink or buying a standalone heatsink to attach yourself. A higher read speed is also preferable. Outside of that, we’ve already made sure every pick on this list meets Sony’s hardware requirements: a PCIe 4.0 interface, at least a 5,500 MB/s read speed, and correct dimensions to fit inside the PS5’s storage expansion slot.
Best overall PS5 SSD
Pros:
- Excellent value for money
- High read speed
Cons:
- Not the fastest drive around
You can’t do much better for a PS5 SSD than the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX. It’s not the fastest drive out there, but it’s plenty speedy enough. And with the chunky in-built heatsink, plus a price that often drops well below that of other SSDs of similar speeds, it’s the best PS5 SSD for those who want large and reliable expanded storage.
The 1TB version can hit a read speeds of 7,100MB/s and write speeds of 5,800MB/s. For less than a hundred bucks, that’s not too shabby. And if you want to double the storage to 2TB you’ll get a higher 6,800MB/s write speed for $139.99. It’s an impressive cost-to-performance ratio, with the pre-installed heatsink making full use of the slim expansion of the PS5.
The five-year warranty isn’t exactly anything special (almost all the SSDs on this list come with a similar guarantee), but it’s just the cherry on top of an SSD that essentially has everything the average PS5 player will need for a very competitive price.
Best budget PS5 SSD
Pros:
Cons:
- Middling speeds
- No built-in heatsink
Crucial P5 Plus is made for those who need extra storage but aren’t fussed about performance. Rated at a read speed of 6,600 MB/s across all 500GB, 1TB and 2TB models, it’s not exactly on the cutting edge of solid state technology. But it’s affordable and often drops in price around Black Friday and other sales.
The snag, though, is its lack of heatsink. You don’t need one, and unless you’re intensely writing to the SSD, like through capturing video and screenshots or transferring files to it, you can probably get away without one. For most people, write operations will be minimal outside of installing games. But there’s always that chance it will overheat to the point of damage or throttling your speeds.
If you don’t want to roll the dice but still want an affordable SSD, consider buying a separate heatsink to whack onto the Crucial P5 Plus. You can get them for as little as $10, although expect better performance at higher prices. Just make sure you get one that’s under 8mm in height, or it won’t fit in the console.
Best high performance PS5 SSD
Pros:
- Top-of-the-line sequential speeds
- Low write speeds on 500GB model
Cons:
If you value speed in a PS5 SSD above all else, look no further than the Kingston Fury Renegade. It’s one of the fastest drives on the market, with the 1TB version rated at a read speed of 7,300MB/s and write speed of 6,000MB/s, while the 2TB option boosts a 7,000MB/s write speed.
Simply put, it is very fast – possibly even too fast for most people. Those high speeds are only going to come in handy when transferring large files to and from your console – like if you’re moving game data or huge video and screenshot collections between drives – and won’t make a hugely noticeable difference in-game.
Still, it’s impressive, and if you’re tempted don’t be won over by the cheaper non-heatsink model. The absence of thermal distribution will limit the read and write speeds the SSD can sustain. If you’re going to reach for the moon, you may as well as splash the cash to get there.
Best alternative PS5 SSD for high performance
Pros:
- Very fast read and write speeds
- Chunky heatsink
Cons:
Also topping the PS5 SSD speed list is the Seagate FireCuda 530. Its 1TB model matches the read and write speeds of the Kingston above, while its 2TB version is rated at reading 7,300 MB/s and writing a slightly lower 6,900 MB/s. In practice, that’s a rather negligible difference.
When you’re looking to buy, check which of the two drives is cheaper at that moment or if one might be about to go on sale. Then pick whichever is cheaper. And as ever, we’d recommend the version that comes with a heatsink built in. If you’re paying this kind of money for a storage drive, you’ll want as much thermal protection as you can get.
Best high-capacity PS5 SSD
Pros:
- Great value at higher capacities
- Officially licensed
Cons:
- Pricey at lower capacities
Essentially a slightly spruced-up version of the WD_Black SN850X with a PlayStation logo slapped on the front, there isn’t much the WD_Black SN850P can do that its slightly cheaper cousin can’t. It’s one saving grace is its size. Alongside the regular 1TB and 2TB models comes the mammoth 4TB option.
It’s the kind of storage drive you can buy knowing you’re unlikely to ever fill it up – or at least, you won’t need to clear it out for at least a couple of years. There are several 4TB options out there, but the WD_Black SN850P works so well because of its 7,300MB/s read speed, its price and its ready-installed heatsink, which many drives at this storage size skimp on.
Coming in at $549.99, it’s the best option for those who want a lot of storage to play with, though it’s very much a luxury. You could buy a second PS5 with the money you’ll spend on buying one of these SSDs, but that’s the price you pay for peace of mind.
Best external PS5 SSD
Pros:
- Ergonomic design
- Nicely portable
Cons:
Connecting an external SSD to your PS5 over USB is an easy way of bumping the console’s storage capacity without using a screwdriver. Although you won’t be able to run PS5 games that are installed on an external SSD, their file data can be stored quite happily, saving you the hassle of having to redownload hundreds of gigabytes of data when you fancy dipping your toe back in. It’s also handy if you play lots of older games, as PS4 titles can be played directly from the USB drive, saving space on your internal drive
There’s a lot of USB SSD drives out there, and the WD_Black P50 is the best of them. Its 2,000MB/s read speed is top of the line, but it really stands out for its design. Slim and sturdy and built of aluminum, it’s nicely flat, so can be snugly tucked away behind the TV.
Best PS5 SSD with standalone heatsink
Pros:
- Effective multi-part heatsink
- Competitive speeds
Cons:
The PNY XLR8 gaming kit is more peculiar than other PS5 SSDs. Included is the PNY XLR8 SSD, which boasts a respectable 7,500 MB/s read speed and 5,650 MB/s write speed. But the real draw is the bespoke heatsink mounted to the underside of a plastic shield that replaces the PS5’s original SSD slot cover.
It’s one of the more compact heatsink designs and has been created to maximize cooling. US manufacturer PNY claims it can improve airflow by up to 40 percent, which is especially useful if you’ve parked your PS5 in a tight spot with little airflow and need to be doubly sure your SSD is keeping cool. Plus, with what is essentially a detachable heatsink, the SSD can double as a back-up or future storage device for your gaming PC. After all, this is the SSD we use in all of our graphics card reviews.
How we picked the best PS5 SSDs
You want a fast SSD but don’t want to pay through the nose. Speed and value-for-money are our main considerations when it comes to picking out a PS5 SSD. Many players won’t need the absolute fastest drive available, and can better spend their money on an SSD that performs brilliantly but is slightly cheaper.
Of course, we’ve also made sure every pick on this list is compatible with the PS5: they have the correct interface, form factor, adequate dimensions to fit inside the console’s slim external storage slot, and a read speed of at least 5,500MB/s. Although not strictly recommended by Sony, we’ve also focused on 1TB and 2TB drives, as these sizes usually offer the best return on your money and enough storage space for the typical player.
FAQ
Is a SSD worth it for PS5?
A good chunk of the PS5’s internal 825GB SSD is taken up by the console’s system files, leaving you with a little over 650GB of usable storage space. If you dedicate yourself to only a few games at a time, that’ll probably be enough. But if you like having several games on the go, or are a fiend for live service games that tend to balloon in size as more updates and content packs are added, you’ll soon find yourself hitting the limits of the PS5’s storage. At that point, get yourself an SSD.
Is the SN850X good for PS5?
It sure is. The WD_SN850X is one of the more popular picks, thanks to its high read and write speeds, as well as the fact its predecessor, the WD_SN850, launched early in the PS5’s lifespan. It’s comparable to the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX, although that drive often drops to a lower price.
What speed SSD should I get for PS5?
You’ll need an SSD that’s rated with a read speed of at least 5,500MB/s. In practice, it’s difficult not to find a PCIE 4.0 drive that ticks that box. The higher the speed the better, but unless you’re looking to regularly transfer lots of files back and forth from your drive, anything 6,500MB/s or above should do you absolutely fine.
