Here Are the Best M.2 SSDs for PS5 If You’re Understandably Confused

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After months of waiting, Sony finally opened up the ability to update the PlayStation 5’s internal memory – and people, understandably, got a little lost.

While it’s great that Sony is finally allowing PS5 users to update their console’s storage, the company’s messages are confusing. Not only is the ability to upgrade storage locked behind the beta firmware (for now), it is also unclear which drives will actually work. Sony’s requirements are very specific and difficult to understand for those with little knowledge of solid state drives.

Sony has published a guide on how to install M.2 SSDs on PS5 , but it doesn’t recommend specific SSDs. Don’t worry, we did it. We’ve put together this guide to explain the benefits of upgrading your PS5’s storage with an M.2 solid state drive, the requirements for using an M.2 solid state drive on your PS5, and a list of all compatible drives currently available.

What are the benefits of internal storage expansion on PS5?

It’s simple: more storage space. The PS5 has only 667.2 GB of free space. This may sound like a lot compared to previous home consoles, but many PS5 games require 100GB and their data volume will only increase as developers can pack more and more content into their games. Expanding PS5 storage with an optional solid state drive can add up to 4TB of additional storage.

Please note that an internal M.2 SSD isn’t the only way to increase your PS5’s internal storage. You can also plug an external USB hard drive into your PS5 and add another terabyte or two this way – and you can do that without a screwdriver and worrying about dragon specs. However, external USB devices can only store PS5 games. However, they can store and play PS4 games, making them more convenient for offloading PS4 games you’re still playing or PS5 games you’re taking a break from.

However, the internal M.2 SSD can store, play and update all PS5 and PS4 games. And in some cases, they can play those games with the same super-fast load times as the fine-tuned internal memory of the PS5 (though you’ve noticed some minor performance differences for resource-intensive games).

So while an external USB drive is handy for offloading old games or data you’re not using , an M.2 SSD allows you to store and play other PS5 games. However, you don’t need to favor one; you can use external USB storage and internal M.2 SSD on PS5 at the same time. The only tricky part is figuring out which SSDs will actually work on the PS5.

PS5 M.2 Solid State Drive Requirements

Before we get to the list of currently available M.2 SSDs compatible with the PS5, let’s take a look at Sony’s requirements. This information will be critical if you decide to buy a disc that is not on our list below.

  • M.2 SSD must be PCIe Gen4 or newer. PCIe Gen3 and later are not supported.
  • Storage capacity should be between 250GB and 4TB.
  • A read speed of at least 5,500 MB / s or faster is recommended.
  • M.2 SATA SSDs are not supported.
  • The PS5 does not support the Host Memory Buffer (HMB) and Sony does not recommend using HMB-enabled M.2 SSDs as they may have lower performance.
  • PS5 supports single-sided and double-sided M.2 solid state drives.
  • Your M.2 SSD must have a heatsink. Some M.2 SSDs come with a pre-attached heatsink, while others will need to add a heatsink manually before installing it in the console. Double-sided SSDs require heatsinks on both sides. However, do not add additional heatsinks to drives that already have them.

Along with the above hardware specs, the PS5 expansion storage slot also has strict size limitations. Here are the size requirements for M.2 SSDs as per PlayStation support website:

Length: The following M.2 SSD lengths are compatible with PS5 consoles: 30mm, 42mm, 60mm, 80mm, 110mm (according to form factor type as above).

Width: Requires 22mm wide M.2 SSD module. Overall design (including optional cooling system) cannot exceed 25 mm (0.984 in.).

Height: The total height of an M.2 solid state drive and its cooling structure (such as a heatsink) – whether integrated or standalone – must not exceed 0.442 inches (11.25 mm). The height must also be in the correct place in relation to the M.2 SSD mounting plate: the size under the board must be less than 2.45 mm (0.096 inches). The overall dimension above the board must be less than 8 mm (0.314 in).

Sony also warns that some games will not run as well on third-party M.2 SSDs as they do on the PS5’s internal SSD, even if the M.2 SSD meets Sony’s recommended specs. According to testing by The Verge , even the slowest PS5-enabled drives seem to work fine for now, but performance issues are more likely to occur as PS5 games get bigger and more complex later in the life of the console.

Currently Supported M.2 Solid State Drives

As you can see in the previous section, there is a lot to keep track of if you plan on buying an M.2 SSD for PS5, but you don’t have to spend hours looking to cross-reference every M.2 drive currently on the market. Many manufacturers have started testing their drives on the PS5, and we’ve rounded up all the M.2 drives that are currently running on the PS5.

Sony has not yet provided any of these solid state drives with official approvals, but all of the SSDs listed below are Sony compliant and have been tested by other publications or by the manufacturers themselves and have been proven to work.

We split the list into two sections, the first covers M.2 SSDs with heatsinks and the second covers M.2 SSDs without heatsinks, which lists the recommended heatsinks that will meet the drive requirements for the PS5 expansion slot. We have also tried to separate the single-sided and double-sided SSDs and heatsinks into separate subsections.

M.2 SSDs with heatsinks

Buying one of these M.2 SSDs is the easiest option as you don’t have to worry about sizing or installing your own heatsinks – you’re ready to go.

At the moment, Western Digital Black SN850 is the best option. Even PS5 architect Mark Cerny chose it for his and his wife’s PS5, which is the highest recommendation you can get.

However, at the time of writing, there are at least three other options:

Please note that some of these drives are available without heatsinks. Make sure you buy the ones that have radiators already attached. They cost a little more if they come with a pre-installed heatsink, but the convenience is well worth it.

M.2 SSDs without heatsinks

These drives meet Sony hardware requirements and are verified by the manufacturers to work, but they don’t come with a heatsink, so you must attach your own before installing it in the console. The exact process will differ depending on which drive you buy, single sided or double sided, and the heat sink you are installing. You may also need additional materials such as thermal paste, although some heatsinks will include the required adhesives and step-by-step instructions.

It’s a lot of extra work to easily expand your PS5’s internal storage, but it might be worth it if you can’t find one of the above devices with a heatsink or prefer the specs of one of them.

M.2 Single-sided Solid State Drives:

Compatible radiators:

M.2 double-sided solid state drives:

Compatible reversible radiators:

This is a complete list of confirmed PS5 compatible drives available right now, but more SSDs will be added to this list in the future. There are also many other M.2 SSDs that meet Sony’s specifications on paper but haven’t been tested yet. However, Sony warns that drives may not work even if they meet these specifications, so it is best to use solid state drives that have been proven to work.

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