The PS5 finally has support for the expandable storage via SSDs, and we’ve put together a list of the best options you can currently pick up. Some things of note, though, are that not all SSDs will be compatible. On top of this some or all of the SSDs that are compatible may still have issues functioning as intended. And according to Sony, a compatible SSD may not run games as fast as the internal storage.
Sony confirmed that expandable SSD support was available in 2021. The main caveat being that you only have access to it if your PS5 is running on the beta software. That’s because the expandable storage support was rolled out as part of the first software beta program wave.
Which Sony sent out to consoles around that same time. To be considered, you had to have registered to participate in the PS5 software beta program. Luckily, Sony rolled this out as a stable feature for all PS5 users some time ago. You can find out more about adding expandable storage to your PS5 by clicking here. You’ll also find the recommended specs list in that post.
Western Digital WD_Black SN850
- Price: From $99.99
- Where To Buy: Best Buy
We’re starting with one of the best picks for a compatible SSD. And that’s the WD_Black SN850 from Western Digital. Not just because it meets Sony’s recommended specs, but also because Western Digital makes some of best SSDs on the market, and now that includes for the PS5.
Some things to keep in mind though about this SSD and all the options on this list. This isn’t a PS5-specific NVMe SSD. However it does check all the boxes for specifications. Which means it should work as expandable storage for your PS5. In fact it was even the one recommended by Mark Cerny.
You can pick up the WD_Black SN850 in as little as 500GB, and up to 2TB. 4TB is the maximum amount of capacity allowed for the expandable storage.
In addition to varying storage capacities, Western Digital also sells the SSD with and without a heatsink. Though you won’t necessarily NEED to have a heatsink attached, Sony did recommend you have it. So it’s probably better to go with a model that has a heatsink already on it.
PNY XLR8 CS3040
- Price: From $74.99
- Where To Buy: Best Buy
Next on the list is the XLR8 from PNY. PNY makes a ton of different storage devices, and this includes NVMe SSDs for PC. Specifically the XLR8 meets all the requirements that Sony put on its list of recommended specs, and this one isn’t too pricey so it’s one of the best SSDs for PS5.
This SSD has a read speed of up to 5,600MB/s, which puts it just 100MB/s above Sony’s recommended 5,500MB/s. It’s also PCIe Gen4, which all the drives will need to be if you want to use them in the console.
PNY sells this SSD in multiple storage sizes, starting with 500GB. It’s also available with a heatsink attached, or you can get one without. The model with the heatsink included does not meet the size requirements though. So if you go with this SSD, you’ll have to get a heatsink separately that does meet the size requirements, and attach it yourself, if you want the heatsink.
Seagate FireCuda 530
- Price: From $80.99
- Where To Buy: Best Buy
Seagate has been a go-to option for console expandable storage since the Xbox One and PS4. Both of which it offers officially licensed options for. With the PS5, Seagate doesn’t have an officially licensed PlayStation storage option like it does with the Xbox Series X drives. But this FireCuda 530 M.2 NVMe SSD does meet Sony’s recommended specs.
Which means it’ll work just fine for additional storage on the PS5. Allowing you to store games, and run them, from this internal SSD. This option also comes with a heatsink.
You can also get it with as little as 500GB of storage and up to 4TB, which is the maximum amount Sony will let you use. This drive has a read speed of 7,000 MB/s, and the mode with the heatsink meets the size requirements without any issues.
GIGABYTE AORUS Gen4 7000s
- Price: From $84.89
- Where To Buy: Amazon
GIGABYTE makes one of the best NVMe SSDs available for the PS5, but there is at least one drawback with this particular NVMe SSD.
You’ll get multiple storage options here. GIGABYTE makes this model in 1TB and 2TB options. If you really don’t want to have to worry about space for a while, the 2TB option should do the trick. That being said, both the 1TB and 2TB are under $200 now by a fair amount so either is a pretty good deal.
This driver also provides read speeds of up to 7000MB/s. So it more than meets the recommendation from Sony.
Samsung 980 Pro
- Price: From $79.99
- Where To Buy: Best Buy
This wouldn’t be a proper list if it didn’t have at least one option from Samsung included. The Samsung 980 Pro is that option.
When it comes to read speeds, you’re looking at up to 7,000MB/s like a few others, with storage options starting at 250GB and going all the way up to 2TB. Having said that, 500GB is the minimum that Sony will let you use inside of the PS5. And you actually may want to bump that to 1TB, given the size of some games these days.
Like all the other SSDs on here it’s an M.2 NVMe drive, and it’s using PCIe Gen4 technology. Samsung also boasts things like smart thermal control, and a PC suite you can download to help easily manage things like driver updates, drive health and more.
Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus
- Price: From $49.99
- Where To Buy: Amazon
Coming up towards the end of the list is this option from Sabrent, which is not only one of the best SSDs for the PS5, but also one that is consistently in stock. This requires a heatsink as well, so keep that in mind. The good news is Sabrent now sells a PS5 heatsink you can attach to the drive for $16.99.
You can also get the drive in 2TB and 4TB options. Although, the 4TB drive is currently listed for $399. So it isn’t cheap and you have to consider whether or not you’ll actually use that much storage.
For read speeds, you’re getting up to 7,000MB/s, and without the heatsink you should have no issues with size requirements. Since you need to buy the heatsink separately on this one, make sure to find one that fits in the slot based on the length, width, and height measurements that Sony listed. If you decide to get a heatsink that is.
Corsair MP600 Pro
- Price: From $74.99
- Where To Buy: Best Buy
Corsair has an option for you that fits in the slot, and it now comes with a heatsink that actually fits in the PS5. Initially the drive would not fit with its included heatsink so you’d have to apply your own aftermarket heatsink. But that’s no longer needed, which makes this an even better option for the PS5 than it used to be.
Everything seems to be up to par here. PCIe Gen4 technology, read speeds up to 7,000MB/s, and it comes from a brand that is well-known. At a starting price under $100, this is also a tempting option for those on a budget.
Patriot Viper VP4300
- Price: From $74.99
- Where To Buy: Amazon
Next up is the Viper VP4300 from Patriot. patriot makes some pretty good RAM, so you can expect a similar experience with the brand’s storage options. It also comes with a 5-year warranty, so if things go wrong with it then you should be covered.
The Viper VP4300 comes with a heatsink installed and it meets the size requirements. Which means you don’t have to buy one separately and attach it yourself. Saving you some time in getting this thing installed should you choose it over the others.
Read speeds on this drive are a tad above the other. Sitting at up to 7,400MB/s. Although this one costs a little more on Amazon, it’s still one of the best SSDs for the PS5.
Samsung 990 Pro
- Price: From $159.99
- Where To Buy: Best Buy
When it comes to drives, this is my personal choice and the one I now have in my PS5. I was using the 1TB model 980 Pro without a heatsink initially, then swapped to the 2TB with a heatsink once it became available. Finally moving to the 990 Pro with a heatsink once it first launched with it still being my current drive.
Comparing this to the older model, this is exactly the same except for the heatsink. Which comes with some flashy new lights, although you’ll never see them. It has excellent read and write speeds making this one of the best SSDs for your PS5.
While these used to be harder to come by, they seem to be in stock more often than not now.