When Sony first released the PlayStation 5, it wasn’t possible to expand the console’s storage. Thankfully, the company changed that with a software update less than a year later. And given how big some game installs have gotten in recent years, that’s a good thing, too: the PS5’s built-in 667GB of space would have been great in the system’s first year, but now, the default drive is absolutely limiting.
The good news is that a standard PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD can solve all of your PS5 storage problems. If this jumble of abbreviations is confusing to you, don’t worry: you’ll see it’s not that complicated. And if you just want to know which are the best PS5 SSDs, we’ve ranked them at the top.
The Corsair MP600 Pro LPX tops our list of the best PS5 SSDs because it’s a complete package. It’s fast, delivers great performance, and delivers read speeds of up to 7,100MB/s. It comes with a pre-installed heatsink and a five-year warranty.
The best part is that the MP600 is affordable. After launching at $190, you can regularly find the 1TB variant on sale for less than $80, while the 2TB model fluctuates between $110 and $150. The 4TB and 8TB models are less affordable. The MP600 isn’t the fastest NVMe on this list either. However, as far as no-fuss options go, it’s hard to beat.
The best budget SSD for PS5
If you want to save a little money by installing your own heatsink, the Crucial T500 is a great option. With read speeds of up to 7,300MB/s, it exceeds Sony’s technical requirements, and you can often find the 1TB model on sale for less than $60. Crucial also offers a version with a heatsink, so it’s worth adding both the Corsair MP600 and the Crucial T500 to the price list and buying whichever model is cheaper when you’re ready to upgrade to a PS5.
Of all the SSDs on this list, the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus is the most interesting. It comes with a unique heatsink that you install in place of the metal cover of the storage expansion slot. Sabrent claims this design improves cooling performance. As a result, expect to pay more than you would for a model with a normal heatsink, with the 1TB variant costing around $110 and the 2TB model between $220 and $280.
As I explain below, you can’t run PS5 games from an external drive – but you can use it to store games you’re not playing at the moment, including older PS4 games.
One of my favorite portable drives is the Samsung T7. It can write files at speeds of up to 1,000 MB/s. If you plan to use the drive only at home, you can save money by buying the regular model instead of the ruggedized Shield variant. I’ve been using T7 drives for years to store my photos, music, and games, and they haven’t let me down yet. The latest model, the Samsung T9, boasts read/write speeds of up to 2,000MB/s.
How we test PS5 SSDs
I’ve tested most of the SSDs recommended on this list, either for PS5 or computer use. I even bought and used our top pick in my own PS5.
How much PS5 storage do I need
The PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro can accept internal drives between 250GB and 8TB of storage capacity. If you already have a PS5, chances are you have a fair idea of how much storage you need for your game library. If you’re buying an SSD with a new PS5 or PS5 Pro, or buying it for someone else, it’s more difficult to tell what you need for a high-performance experience.