Download All the PlayStation Games With These Super Fast SSDs for the PS5

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With a huge library of fantastic games and some incredible exclusives, it’s a great time to be a PlayStation 5 gamer. In fact, if you have a PS5, you probably have more great games than you can possibly store on your console. Big blockbusters like Horizon Forbidden West and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor demand more than 100 gigabytes of storage, quickly eating into the PS5's 825GB hard drive, forcing you to juggle downloads, updates, and uninstalls.

If all that maintenance sounds like a hassle, there's an easy solution. You can greatly expand your PS5's storage by installing a lightning-fast M.2 solid-state drive (SSD). Depending on the size, you can double or even triple your console's storage, so you'll only have to delete games every now and then.

But there’s a lot to know before you spring for one, which is why we’ve collected some of the best options out there, plus detailed specs you’ll need to ensure proper compatibility. Read on for our top recommendations.

Looking for more gaming must-haves? Check out our stories on the best gaming chairs, the best cheap gaming mice, and the best VR headsets.

The Best SSDs for PS5

• Best Overall: Corsair MP600 Pro LPX 1TB SSD for PS5

• Best Budget: Seagate Game Drive M.2 1TB SSD for PS5

• Best Premium: Samsung 990 PRO w/ Heatsink M.2 2TB SSD for PS5

• Best High Capacity: Seagate FireCuda 530 M.2 2280 4TB SSD for PS5

• Best Licensed: WD_BLACK SN850 2TB SSD with Heatsink for PS5

What to Consider

Compatibility

The PS5 has fairly specific compatibility requirements for SSDs to ensure that the secondary drive can keep up with console. According to PlayStation support, you need a Gen4x4-compatible M.2 NVMe SSD with a sequential read speed over 5,500 megabytes per second. It should also include a heatsink. (Theoretically you can add a heatsink yourself, but having one built in makes things much easier.)

To fit inside the M.2 slot in your PS5, the drive can be up to 25 millimeters wide, up to 110mm long, and up to 11.25mm thick. Don’t worry, though—those dimensions fit a number of standardized M.2 form factors: 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110.

If all that sounds incredibly technical, we have good news: the only specs you really need to care about are the M.2 drive form factor, the read speed, and making sure it has a heatsink. Second, after more than three years on the market, most hard drive manufacturers label their compatible M.2 drives as PS5 compatible. Of course, all of our picks below meet these requirements as well.

Speed

Many high-end SSDs feature a read speed of around 7,000MB/s, which is more than enough to allow the PS5 to run at peak performance. With lower read speeds, you may experience longer load times. Remember that some cheap SSDs may have a read speed below 5,500, which do not meet Sony's required specifications.

Size

Most of our top recommendations for PS5 SSDs offer 1-2TB of storage, which will more than double your console's capacity. They can support both smaller and larger hard drives, between 250GB and 8TB, but we've found that the 1-2TB range offers the best value, while making storage management substantially easier. The 8TB version of our top pick, the Corsair MP600 Pro, currently costs nearly $900. For that much, you could buy an Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch!

How to Install an SSD in Your PS5

Putting an SSD in your PS5 is easy. All you need is a small Phillips head screwdriver to uncover the external case. Once you’ve opened up the console, connect the drive in the designated slot, and secure the SSD with the attached screw. For more detailed instructions, check out our step-by-step installation guide.

How We Selected

We selected many of these drives based on hundreds of hours of in-house testing. For the products we couldn’t test ourselves, we performed intensive research, reviewing content from expert sources and thousands of consumer reviews. As for the products themselves, we evaluated them on performance, design, build quality, heatsink performance, and price.

MP600 Pro LPX SSD for PS5

For the money, the Corsair MP600 Pro offers a lot of value. Firstly, it features numerous meticulously designed aluminum slats for optimal heatsink capability. They help ensure the drive never runs hot, as heat can hamper the reliability and performance of SSDs over the long term.

It also offers decent performance, running at up to 7,100MB/s read speed and 6,800MB/s write speed. While competitors offer faster options, they often cost quite a bit more. We love both the 1TB and 2TB version, but it also available in sizes from 500GB to an astounding 8TB.

Game Drive M.2 SSD for PS5

This unassuming Seagate Game Drive hides strong performance in an incredibly affordable unit. It’s no slouch, boasting 7,300MB/s read and 6,000MB/s write speeds, which puts it among the fastest in its class. It also uses a dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) system to speed up file copying and updates, so you’ll be trading missiles in Armored Core 6 before you know it.

If you're looking to spend as little as possible, the sub-$100 1TB model is the sweet spot. If you're open to spending a little more, there are 2TB and 4TB versions, as well.

990 Pro w/ Heatsink M.2 SSD for PS5

For the very best in SSD performance, the Samsung 990 Pro is right up there. With blistering read speeds of 7,450 MB/s and write speeds of 6,900 MB/s, you’ll barely have time to blink before you’re thrust into Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

This model’s initial price at launch was a bit high, but the current price makes it a very tempting choice, even if there are cheaper models are available. If nothing but lightning-fast performance will do, the 990 Pro is the one.

FireCuda 530 M.2 2280 SSD for PS5

If you don’t have time to switch between downloads, updates, and uninstalls, consider this massive 4TB SSD, which is big enough to house dozens of triple-A titles. Featuring nearly six times the games capacity of a standard PS5, the 4TB Seagate FireCuda 530 features a lightning-fat read speed of 7,300MB/s.

And when you break down the gigabyte-per-dollar ratio, it’s actually a decent deal for an SSD with superb performance, both in its heatsink and reading and writing speeds. Its aluminum shell also allows it to fit snugly in the PS5’s drive slot, ensuring a secure and rigid fit.

SN850 with Heatsink for PS5

Western Digital has been making storage drives for decades, and its officially-licensed WD_Black SN850 with heatsink has been a longtime top choice for PS5 owners.

We’re big fans of the design of this SSD, which features a futuristic girder-esque look sporting that classy WD_Black labeling. This is an excellent, high-end SSD that’s been around for a while, so it’s easy to find at rock-bottom prices. That said, it isn't the fastest option anymore, as more expensive and more current models offer faster read and write speeds.

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