It's taken a few months, but Sony has finally enabled the SSD upgrade in the PlayStation 5 and drive requirements have been confirmed. Here are the best options worth your hard-earned money.
The option to add an M.2 SSD to your PS5 is only available for beta users at the moment , but given the reaction on Twitter, it's a warmly welcomed feature.
Doing my bit for @PlayStation #ps5 #beta - got the SN850 NVMe fitted. Registers as delivering 6.5GB/s, simple install, games copying over now. pic.twitter.com/5ZaZ42xHzK July 30, 2021
Fortunately, said requirements are not as strict as many initially feared. The only one you've got to really work around is the heatsink requirement and maximum combined size of drive and heatsink .
Set at 11.25mm (0.442 inches), that eliminates a lot of SSD choices with built-in heatsinks, but that doesn't limit the list of great choices available to you.
All you have to do is make a choice: an all-in-one purchase with SSD + heatsink, or buying them separately.
PS5 SSD requirements
Sony has published a complete list of requirements for any SSD to be compatible with the PS5. We have picked out the important details below.
| Interface | PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD |
| Capacity | 250 GB – 4 TB |
| Heatsink | Required — built-in or added yourself |
| Sequential read speed | 5500 MB/s or faster is recommended |
| Form factor | 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 or 22110 |
| Total size including heatsink | Smaller than 4.33 in (L) x 0.984 in (W) x 0.442 in (H). |
| Heatsink max. height below SSD | 2.45 mm (0.096 in) |
| Heatsink max. height above SSD | 8 mm (0.314 in) |
Best SSDs for PS5 (heatsink included)
Here are the best drives that meet Sony's requirements. While we have not tested these SSDs in the PS5 ourselves, we are contacting manufacturers, to be 100% sure.
However, for now, these meet the criteria and the recent beta update launch reaction is showing these options work.
Western Digital Black SN850
US WD Black SN850 retailers at a glance: Amazon | Newegg
UK WD Black SN850 retailers at a glance: eBuyer | Overclockers | Scan
As you can read in our WD Black SN850 review , we're big fans of the performance, design and durability of this drive. These are the reasons why this SSD is compatible with the PS5, and stock is quite plentiful of the version with a heatsink too.
Prices start from around $160/£150 for the 500GB SSD, with an extra $20/£10 added on for the heatsink option.
Seagate Firecuda 530
US Seagate Firecuda 530 retailers at a glance: Amazon | Best Buy | Newegg
UK Seagate Firecuda 530 retailers at a glance: eBuyer | Overclockers | Scan
Ahead of its expected launch on August 30, retailers have started adding pre-order pages for Seagate's Firecuda 530 SSD. You can also buy one with an included heatsink, to save yourself the hassle of installing one.
Patriot Viper VP4300
US Patriot Viper VP4300 retailers at a glance: Amazon | Newegg
UK Patriot Viper VP4300 retailers at a glance: Amazon
The Patriot Viper VP4300 with included heatshield offers max sequential read speeds up to 7,400 MBps, a sleek design and dimensions that make it compatible with the PS5.
Best SSDs for PS5 (heatsink not included)
For ease of purchase and installation, we recommend purchasing an SSD with the heatsink included.
However, if you do buy the drive and heatsink separately, you could save yourself some money. Here are the best choices.
- Samsung 980 Pro: $199 (Newegg) / £179 (Amazon UK)
- Corsair MP600 Pro (requires shorter heatsink): $199 (Newegg) / £184 (Amazon UK)
- Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus: $199 (Newegg) / £199 (Amazon UK)
Separate Heatsinks compatible with PS5
If you are going down this route, you need a heatsink that will fit into the dimensions of the PS5's SSD bay. Here are three options.