The best SSD for PS5 is the perfect way to upgrade your beloved console's storage without having to use a bulky external hard drive. Now that the PS5 console is widely available to purchase and with plenty of excellent titles on offer, getting the most out of your console is vital. With games like God of War Ragnarök, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and The Last of Us Part I taking up over 200GB alone between the three games, it's easy to see how quickly the modest 825GB of internal storage space is eaten up. Therefore the best way to rectify that is by installing the best SSD for PS5!
It may be daunting to some to know you have to open up your PS5 console to install an SSD. Luckily the process is easy and straightforward: simply pop off the faceplate, unscrew the SSD slot and pop the card in. It may not be as simple as plugging in an external hard drive, but it's a lot more inconspicuous as the SSD lives inside the console. If you scroll down to the bottom of this article, you'll find a video tutorial on inserting an SSD into your console as well as a bit more info on the basic requirements of an internal PS5 SSD. There's plenty of sizing options when it comes to the best SSD for PS5 too: from a modest 500GB all the way up to a whopping 4TB.
Not confident in opening up your console? No worries! Check out our guide to the best external hard drive for PS5 for an alternative storage option. We also have guides to the best TV for PS5 and the best PS5 controllers for further inspiration to improve your gaming set up!
The best SSD for PS5 right now
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Seagate has a long history with Sony, having produced the officially licensed external drive for PS4, and it was first out of the gate with an SSD confirmed to work with the PS5. The Seagate FireCuda 530 is our top choice for the best SSD for PS5 based on quality and speed; it packs the latest 3D TLC NAND, and it'll go up to 7,000MB/s, making it almost the fastest drive here and quicker than the PS5's own internal SSD. And if you're feeling flush, this one comes in sizes up to 4TB.
If price is your main decider when you're looking for the best SSD for PS5, look no further than this model from Western Digital. The 1TB model of the WD Black SN850 comes in significantly cheaper than the rest of the SDDs listed here, and you don't pay the price in reduced performance; this will happily reach speeds of up to 7,000MB/s.
Sadly that pricing doesn't scale, so if you're after a 2TB drive you'll save by instead opting for the Seagate above or scrolling down to the Crucial P5 Plus. And as you'll have guessed from the photo, this one comes without a heatsink so you'll have to buy and fit your own.
Fitting a heatsink isn't difficult, but if you're generally unsure about tinkering with expensive tech and you've already arranged for a steady-handed grown-up to help you fit the best SSD for PS5, the Gigabyte Aorus Gen4 7000S is an excellent option.
It's one of the few PS5-compatible SSDs that isn't going to scalp you on having a heatsink pre-fitted, and it's a solid performer with speeds up to 7,000MB/s.
This Samsung's not the fastest, but it's a quality product at a decent price and definitely worth your consideration if you're after the best PS5 SSD. With a top speed of 7,000MB/s it'll still outperform the PS5's own SSD, although you will of course have to get and fit a heatsink when you buy.
However, there is a version of the Samsung 980 Pro with a heatsink on the way, which should be worth checking out when it arrives. As soon as we have the details – not to mention the price – we'll let you know about it.
Crucial's a strong name in memory products, and while you might be a little put off by the speed of Crucial P5 Plus (up to 6,600MB/s while the rest of the SSDs in this roundup can manage 7,000MB/s and faster), realistically you're unlikely to notice much of a difference in everyday use.
And where this SSD stands out is in its larger configuration; the 2TB model is the cheapest one we can find right now. So if you want decent hunk of storage and don't mind fitting your own heatsink, this could well be the best PS5 SSD for you.
If you absolutely have to have the fastest SSD then allow us to introduce you to the Patriot Viper VP4300, which can clock up a staggering 7,400MB/s. In terms of pure speed it's the best SSD for PS5 at the moment. We've seen suggestions that it doesn't actually reach those speeds in the PS5, but it's still an impressive piece of kit.
Even better, it comes with not one but two heatsinks; amusingly if you're planning to install the VP4300 in your PS5 you're advised to fit them on top of one another. And the price is a lot more sensible than other heatsink-equipped SSDs, so be sure to check this one out.
The best SSD for PS5: what you need to know?
If you're set on installing the best SSD for PS5, you're going to need to do a bit of homework first. There are some very strict rules when it comes to the best SSD for PS5, and if you don't meet the requirements your SSD may not be compatible with your console.
So what are the important bits to know? Your SSD has to be a PCIe 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD between 250GB and 4TB with a read speed of 5,500MB/s or faster, it needs to be 22mm in width, and it has to have a heatsink. If you're not familiar with Heatsink technology, this bit of kit ensures your internal SSD doesn't overheat whilst in your console which is a very important detail to make sure everything runs smoothly. Most PS5-specific SSDs come with a pre-installed Heatsink, but make sure to double check in case you have to buy the Heatsink casing separately. Heatsinks are inexpensive and fairly easy to install, and you can definitely save some money by going down the route of buying an SSD without a Heatsink already installed.
How to install a PS5 SSD.
Below is a thorough video directly from Sony showing how to install an internal SSD. You don't need much: a #1 Phillips or cross-head screwdriver, a surface top to work on and a well lit room are all you really need. A small flashlight (or your phone torch) is also a great idea to have at hand to help you see what you're doing better. Either read up on the official installation guidance, or check out the below video for a step-by-step tutorial.
Looking for more gaming goodness? Check out our guide to the best TV for PS5 and the best free PS5 games. Also make sure to check out our updated PS5 review.
