PS5 SSD Upgrade: Which Drive to Buy and How to Install It

Two ways to add PS5 storage

The PS5 has two ways to add storage. The first is an internal M.2 SSD in a slot inside the console: PS5 games install to it and play from it just like the built-in drive.

The second is a USB drive plugged into the console. This "extended storage" can hold PS5 games, but you can't play them from it — only PS4 games run from a USB drive. Which one you need depends on what you play.

Which one do you need?

Both add space, but they behave differently, and buying the wrong one is the most common PS5 storage mistake:

• An internal M.2 SSD if you play PS5 games and want more room to install and run them — it's the only way to add playable PS5 storage.
• A USB drive if you mostly play PS4 games, or want somewhere to park PS5 games you're not playing right now. It needs no tools.
• Both, for a big library: an M.2 SSD for the PS5 games you're playing and a USB drive for PS4 games and overflow.

What M.2 SSD fits a PS5

Sony publishes exact requirements for the internal slot. According to its PlayStation support page, the drive must be:

• A PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD with an M key (M.2 SATA drives aren't supported).
• Between 250 GB and 8 TB.
• 5,500 MB/s or faster read speed (recommended).
• One of these lengths: 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, or 22110.
• Fitted with a cooling structure such as a heatsink, at most 25 mm wide and 11.25 mm thick with the cooler attached (up to 8.0 mm above the board and 2.45 mm below).

Sony adds two caveats. DRAM-less drives rely on a feature called Host Memory Buffer, which the PS5 doesn't support, so Sony says those drives "may experience slower-than-expected performance." And Sony can't guarantee every drive that meets the specs will work. A Gen5 drive fits the slot but runs at Gen4 speeds at best, and Sony hasn't said Gen5 drives are supported. The PS5 SSD deals page lists drives whose listings meet these requirements.

The requirements are the same for every PS5 model — original, Slim, and Pro. Only the steps to open the console differ.

How to install an M.2 SSD in a PS5

You need one tool: a #1 Phillips (cross-head) screwdriver. Before you start, update the PS5 to the latest system software, then follow Sony's steps:

• Power the console off completely and unplug it.
• Touch a grounded metal object to discharge static.
• Remove the cover: the triangular cover on a PS5 Slim or Pro, or the side cover on the original PS5 (Sony's page shows each model).
• Remove the M.2 slot cover.
• Move the spacer to match your drive's length.
• Insert the drive at an angle, press it down, and screw it in.
• Replace the covers and turn the console on.

When the PS5 starts, it prompts you to format the drive. After formatting, it runs a read-speed test and shows the result. From then on you can download and play PS5 games straight from the new drive.

Setting up a USB drive

USB extended storage has its own rules, per Sony: SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps or faster, 250 GB to 8 TB, no USB hubs, and only one extended storage drive in use at a time. Connect it to a SuperSpeed 10 Gbps port — a rear USB-A port or the front SuperSpeed USB-C port. The remaining front port is slower and not suitable.

The PS5 formats the drive as extended storage during setup. If you'd rather use a USB drive for videos, music, and backups, format it exFAT or FAT32 instead.

For PS4 games played from USB, an SSD is worth it. Digital Foundry's tests found a SATA SSD over USB loaded PS4 games about as fast as the internal drive, an NVMe drive in a USB enclosure was no faster than SATA, and a 5 TB hard drive was slowest in nearly every test — 36 seconds versus 13 for the SSDs in one Fallout 4 load. For parking PS5 games, a hard drive is fine.

How much storage to add

Built-in space is smaller than the box suggests. Press measurements put the original PS5's 825 GB drive at about 667 GB usable, the PS5 Slim's 1TB at about 842 to 848 GB, and the PS5 Pro's 2TB at about 1.89 TB.

Games use that up fast. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth takes about 150 GB, according to its director, and a recent Call of Duty topped 130 GB with its extra content packs. For most people, a 1TB or 2TB M.2 SSD is the practical starting point.