Why a PS5 SSD is the first thing you should get for your console

Storage. Storage. Storage.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

If you’re considering buying a PS5 this year, then you need to take the console’s rather limited storage into account, too. You see, while the system claims to ship with 825GB out of the box, you’re really working with 667GB once theoperating systemand other baked-in software are counted up.

That’s where a PS5 SSD comes in. You can slot one of these components into yourPS5’s M.2 port to deliver vastly more storage for some of thebest PS5 games, whether you’re installing them from a disc or downloading them from the PlayStation Store.

There’s never been a better time to pick up one of thebest PS5 SSDson the market and, in our opinion, it should be the first thing you pick up for your PlayStation

Is it worth putting an SSD in my PS5?

We consider a PS5 SSD to be an absolutely essential purchase for the console for anyone wanting to build up a vast game library on the platform. No one wants to waste time constantly deleting and then waiting potential hours just to have games ready to go. An internal SSD is the only way to natively play games off the console, as despitePS5 external drivesletting you store games, you can’t play them from these HDDs and SSDs.

While we can certainly recommend an external PS5 SSD, thanks to the fact you can install and play PS4 games off the plug-and-play drive, allowing you to free up internal storage for your PS5 games. Plus, as transferring game files from these drives is significantly faster than re-downloading them, you can offloadGod of War Ragnarokto the external drive to make room forHorizon Forbidden West, and then transfer it back when you want to pick up your adventure with Atreus.

But you need to go internal to match the console’s in-built storage. The main difference here is the speeds themselves, as many external drives are SATA models, with corresponding speeds of roughly 600 MB/s to 1,050 MB/s on average. In contrast, an internal SSD for the console needs to go at least 5,500 MB/s (roughly 5x as fast).

What PS5 SSDs should I consider?

We’re now at a time where there are more PS5 SSDs than ever meaning more choices as a result. To cut through any potential confusion, we’ve narrowed things down to the two that we can personally vouch for based on their price and performance potential. It’s important to state that not all drives are made equal, asPS5 SSD read and write speeds matter, so our handpicked selection can give you a good starting point.

We should stress thatinstalling a PS5 SSDisn’t too difficult, so please don’t be put off by the thought of having to open your system up to slot one of these NVMe drives inside. That’s because the PS5 is specifically designed with side covers to be easily slid off, which reveals the port itself.

Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.

Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.

WD Black SN850 for PS5

TheWD Black SN850 for PS5is our go-to recommendation as far as storage for the system goes. That’s because it has read speeds of up to 7,000 MB/s, which is right at the top end of what the NVMe generation is capable of. In other words, it’s much faster than it needs to be to function, so there’s no need to worry about stutter or slowdown in your future.

Samsung 980 Pro

Although it’s been out for a little while now, theSamsung 980 Proremains an easy recommendation as a PS5 SSD that you should have on your radar. That’s because this model comes wrapped in a thick aluminum heatsink for effective heat dissipation that’s been forged withSony’s console in mind.

Today’s best PS5 SSD deals

We’ve touched upon some PS5 SSDs above, but if you’re interested in more options then our price comparison tech has your back. It pulls through all the latest savings on some of our favorite models where you are.

Aleksha McLoughlin is an experienced hardware writer. She was previously the Hardware Editor for TechRadar Gaming until September 2023. During this time, she looked after buying guides and wrote hardware reviews, news, and features. She has also contributed hardware content to the likes of PC Gamer, Trusted Reviews, Dexerto, Expert Reviews, and Android Central. When she isn’t working, you’ll often find her in mosh pits at metal gigs and festivals or listening to whatever new black and death metal has debuted that week.

I reviewed the PS5 Pro and recommend these 7 enhanced games to try first

Lords of the Fallen is the latest game to get confirmed PS5 Pro enhancements and support

This new phishing strategy utilizes GitHub comments to distribute malware