1. The Quick List
2. Best overall
3. Best budget
4. Best for pure speed
5. Best value
6. Best WD
7. Best integrated heatsink
8. Best separate heatsink
The best PS5 SSDs can make a perfect gift for the PS5 player in your life at this time of year. Modern video games can be upwards of 100GB, and if you or the PS5 owner you know has a membership to PlayStation Plus, the console's original storage space gets eaten up pretty quickly. Luckily, the folks and Sony were smart enough to put an M.2 port in its flagship console, which allows an NVMe drive to slot into the console, giving up to 8TB of additional space.
The best PS5 SSDs on the list below fit into the internal M.2 port you can find by popping off the console's rear face plate. While installation might seem a little daunting if you've never dabbled in PC building, it really isn't as complicated as it seems. The best SSDs for gaming these days literally slide and click into place, you don't have to deal with SATA cables or any faff at all.
One important thing to keep in mind is that if you get an internal PS5 SSD, you'll need to pair it with one of the best PS5 heatsinks. Modern SSDs are extremely fast, but they build up a lot of heat when working hard. If you don't back one up with a heatsink, it can cause damage to the drive. Luckily, a lot of SSDs are designed with PlayStation users in mind and have integrated heatsinks built into their designs.
SSDs have been really affordable for a while now, and although we didn't see the best prices over Black Friday, there's always a chance to pick up a Christmas or New Year deal, so keep your eyes peeled if you're looking for gifts for gamers this December. You can extend your PS5 storage internally or externally, with one of the best PS5 external hard drives. Although, keep in mind that you won't be able to play PS5 games on an external drive. You can now store PS5 games on an external SSD though, you’ll just need to transfer them over to an internal drive to actually play them.
The Quick List
The best PS5 SSD overall
Seagate's FireCuda 530 is a legend of the storage market right now. Its heatsink model designed for PS5 is the best all-rounder you can get.
The best budget PS5 SSD
This might not have much faster read and write speeds than the PS5's stock drive, but it will let you extend your storage space, which is kind of the important bit.
The best PS5 SSD for pure speed
Samsung's 990 Pro is one of the top Gen 4 SSDs money can buy, and in terms of pure speed, might just be the one that takes the cake. If not, it's one of the best all-rounders.
The best value PS5 SSD
The Verbatim Vi700G is a great value SSD when it comes to its 1TB and 2TB capacities. Speeds are decent and prices are reasonable - definitely worth considering.
The best Western Digital PS5 SSD
WD Black is a staple of the gaming storage market, and its SN850X is the best choice out of its Gen 4 SSD product line thanks to its excellent price-to-performance.
The best PS5 SSD with integrated heatsink
There are plenty of PS5 SSDs with integrated heatsinks, but Corsair's MP600 Pro LPX has an incredible build quality that keeps its drive nice and chilled.
The best PS5 SSD with separate heatsink
PNY's XLR8 SSD gaming kit is an excellent choice, packing a decent internal SSD and combining it with a brilliant heatsink that's separate from the drive itself. There's a little extra work to put in here, but the combo works particularly well.
The best PS5 SSD overall
Technically, this was the first SSD confirmed for PS5. The Seagate FireCuda 530 is undoubtedly one of the best PS5 SSDs, and definitely one of the most popular. Touted to have blistering speeds, and confirmed to be a solid performer with or without the heatsink, this is truly a staple of the SSD market just now.
✅You want excellent speeds: This drive is undoubtedly one of the top performers on the market - on par with the likes of the Samsung 990 Pro and the SN850X.
✅You want quicker load times on PS5: If installed in the PS5, you'll notice a bump in load times since it's faster than the console's own drive.
✅You want something affordable: You can find this SSD for unbelievably affordable prices these days, which is an excellent thing to say for the best PS5 SSD overall.
Design and features: The Firecuda 530 has a recognizable black body with some lovely orange branding highlights. Its heatsink is a fairly understated black with one simple orange strike through it. A classy and less bold design than a lot of the fancy heatsinks you'll find on SSDs these days. Oh, there is also a fantastic Star Wars limited edition that makes your drive look like a lightsaber, but it doesn't fit inside the PS5, so there's no point in us getting you excited.
In a more technical world, the 530 comes in sizes of 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB, and you can choose whether or not you want the heatsink attached. On the box, you're quoted to get speeds of up to 7,300MB/s read, and 6,900MB/s write. The drive uses the Phison E18 controller and its cache scales depending on what size you opt for. Crucially it's got the latest in tech inside it as it sports 3D TLC NAND memory and next-gen PCIe 4.0.
Either way, this is a slimline and compact M.2 drive that has some of the best Gen 4 features you'll find on the shelves.
❌You're looking for something on PC that's Gen 5 compatible: The Seagate FireCuda 530 isn't a Gen 5 drive, which is worth bearing in mind if you need something truly next-gen for PC.
❌You don't need the very best there is: If you don't care about your load times and just want something that'll give you extra room there are other options we'd recommend.
❌You want the absolute last word in speed: If you want the fastest of the very fast, you might be able to get better with the 990 Pro.
Performance: In our formal review tests we found that the Seagate Firecuda 530 2TB matched its on-the-box speeds, which is very impressive. Having used this drive for my gaming PC build, I can personally attest to how consistent it is at loading up games quickly. It's a noticeable boost over a lot of the other Gen 4 drives out there. Short of going for either the SN850X or the Samsung 990 Pro, it doesn't get as good as this in the Gen 4 arena.
The best part is, like many great SSDs at the moment, this is extraordinarily affordable for just how good it is. If you can get this for under $70, which is more than likely, you should do it. Your PS5 will thank you for fitting in the best all-round SSD on this list.
Read more: Seagate FireCuda 530 review
The best budget PS5 SSD
Built on Crucial's Micron Advanced 3D NAND tech, the P5 Plus offers - according to Crucial - speeds of up to 6,600MB/S which means it easily clears Sony's target speed. It isn't the fastest on this list, but it has recently seen an integrated heatsink model release which means it's even easier to recommend as a PS5 option. The great news is, whether you go for that newer heatsink model or not, it's super affordable.
✅You don't need the fastest speeds: You won't get them here, but you will get a cheap way to expand your storage.
✅You want a reliable brand: Crucial by Micron is a super reliable and trustworthy brand in the storage market, so you're getting something that won't let you down even though it's cheaper.
✅You already have a heatsink: There is a heatsink model, but the version that comes on its own is even cheaper. If you've got a heatsink to use with it already, you've won a watch.
Design and features: What you see is what you get with the Crucial P5 Plus. You won't find any flashy design choices or edgy heastinks, this is a plain drive in the looks department, and I think that actually suits why this SSD is so worth considering.
Crucial, unlike other storage brands, produces its drives in-house, meaning they don't import controllers or chips in to integrate into their SSDs, they make it all themselves. That means you'll get Micron's triple-level flash memory chips, otherwise known as TLC memory, as well as a 1GB of DDR4 cache memory, and supports both hardware-based AES 256-bit encryption and high-speed SLC cache mode.
If that doesn't make any sense to you, just know that there are plenty of great innovations and bits of tech in this drive to make it really reliable. While it isn't the fastest M.2 drive out there - it rocks speeds of 6,600MB/s / 5,000MB/s, but its available in 500GB, 1TB, or 2TB for super affordable prices.
❌You want a noticeable improvement in load times: The P5 Plus isn't all that much faster than the PS5's internal drive.
❌You can find faster models for a similar price: At the moment, pretty much every M.2 SSD is a budget buy.
❌You want more than 2TB: If you want to make use of that extra headroom in the PS5, the Crucial P5 Plus only goes up to 2TB.
Performance: This is the drive to go for if you don't really care about speeds, and you just want a cheap way of expanding your console's storage. That isn't to say you won't get decent speeds - in our testing, this drive reached 6,800MB/s read speeds and writes of 5,000MB/s - so you're still on par and slightly over the PS5's internal SSD.
Our biggest problem with the P5 Plus was temperature control, but with the addition of a heatsink model, that's negated. You shouldn't run into thermal throttling unless you chuck the device in a PC without a heatsink, but we'd never recommend that with any M.2 drive.
If it's something affordable that'll give you extra space for games, Crucial's P5 Plus is a brilliant little budget buy.
While we haven't been able to test it out for ourselves yet, the Patriot Viper VP4300 is another great budget option in the PS5 SSD arena that could just get you top-drawer speeds for less.
✅You want fast speeds on the cheap: According to those quoted speeds, you're getting some ridiculous power for the money here.
✅You need something affordable: Patriot's Viper drive is readily available most of the time and is priced super competitively.
✅You want heatsink options: This drive comes with two different heatsinks, so if you want options at your disposal for fitting this drive into a console or PC, fire in.
❌You want a sure-fire recommendation: We haven't had the chance to test this drive yet, so if you want something we can be more sure of, check out another option on this list.
❌You can find faster models for a similar price: At the moment, pretty much every M.2 SSD is a budget buy.
❌You want less than 500GB or more than 2TB: Had another capacity value in mind for your PS5 SSD? You might want to look elsewhere.
Design and features: The viper's claimed speeds are up to 7,400MB/S read and up to 6,800MB/s write - which are supremely fast. That puts it in the same league as the Samsung 990 Pro, which will set you back a lot more money usually.
It also comes with two heatsinks: one thin graphene layer, and one 'full size' aluminium one which, for what it's worth, looks pretty cool. This means you have options at your disposal if you want a more slimline option, or if you need to use it in a PC at some point.
It only comes in 1TB and 2TB models, and even though these are usually the sizes we recommend anyway, it means you have fewer options if you want a smaller 500GB drive.
Performance: Like I say, we haven't been hands-on with this drive yet, so our recommendation is a bit more tentative. From other reviews, and the user reviews, it seems as though this is an excellent option to go for. If not, there's a solid 5-year warranty.
If we get to test this drive we'll be sure to update you with out thoughts. If those quoted read and write speeds are anything to go by though, you're getting a lot of performance for budget price here.
The best PS5 SSD for pure speed
✅You want the fastest speeds available: This is as good as it gets. Say goodbye to loading screens.
✅You want more than 2TB: The 4TB model is now available.
✅You don't mind paying a bit more: This does tend to be more pricey than other top-dogs, so it's worth considering other drives that are almost as fast.
❌You want something more affordable: While it's becoming more deals-prone, it's still one of the pricier drives on this list.
❌You don't care about speeds: Go for a budget option with slower speeds if you just want more storage space.
❌You have a 980 Pro already: While there is an upgrade to be had here from the 980 Pro, it's not going to be that noticeable in the PS5.
The Samsung 990 Pro is the latest Gen 4 M.2 SSD from the brand and offers some top-contender performance for PS5 and PC. Like the SN850 and SN850X, it stayed off our recommendation lists for some time after launch because although the newer model can give you better sequential speeds, the trade-off on price meant the older 980 Pro was actually better value. That's started to change now though, and what remains is the fastest Gen 4 drive we've come across in terms of raw speeds.
Design and features: The 990 Pro is available with or without a heatsink, now in up to a 4TB capacity. Its heatsink is incredibly stylish and has some lovely red flashes that line its face. In an instant, you can recognize this drive's gaming chops just from its appearance.
On the box, you're told this drive can reach unearthly speeds for a Gen 4 drive - 7,450 / 6,900 MB/s. It has a new controller that hasn't been seen in other models, which is codenamed Pascal. Beyond that, we don't know all that much about the innards of this SSD, but its numbers do speak for themselves.
Performance: This is gen 4 SSDs maxed out - the 2TB model of this drive we tested for review nailed those quoted figures, scoring 7,462MB/s reads and 6,877MB/s writes. In short, this is the fastest Gen 4 drive on the market, and if you don't mind paying a bit more for it, it's an easy recommendation from us for PS5.
The reason this doesn't sit right at the top of our list is because the FireCuda 530 and SN850X are in the same ball park as this in terms of speed, but are often found on offer more frequently. Those three SSDs are much of a muchness, so it's really up to you to choose the best PS5 SSD for you.
The best value PS5 SSD
It might not be as widely available as some of the other big-name brands on this list, but the Verbatim Vi7000G might be one of the best value SSDs available in a 2TB capacity.
✅You want value for money: If you can find this drive, it's usually cheaper than a lot of the competition but still gives you great performance.
✅You don't care about the biggest brand names: Verbatim isn't usually thought of in the modern SSD game, but it's onto a real winner here.
✅You want 2TB for cheaper: 2TB drives can bump the prices up, so if you want that larger headroom for less, go for this.
❌You don't need the be-all, end-all in speed: You won't get the fastest load times on this list, but you will get some excellent performance for what you pay.
❌You don't mind searching for it: It's not the easiest to find and isn't available at a massive range of retailers, so you may need to hunt for it at times.
❌You have a heatsink already: There's no model without the heatsink.
Design and features: the Verbatim Vi7000G has one of the best-integrated heatsinks I've come across, as it kept the drive noticeably cooler than the WD Black SN850P immediately after our in-house tests. The ridged and cornered design makes it a breeze during installation too because you can easily grip it when it's ready to be pushed into place in the M.2 slot.
It's available in 1TB and 2TB sizes and gets a quoted read speed of up to 7,400MB/s. While the actual speeds we found weren't quite that high, there's serious value for money to be had with Verbatim's drive.
Performance: In terms of its price, it comes in under a lot of the top dogs, and that isn't even a discount price. In terms of speeds, it knocks at the door of those super fast Gen 4 contenders, reaching read/write speeds of 7,124/6,947MB/s in our testing PC. In the PS5, it didn't get quite that close to the on-the-box speeds, but it did get 6,250MB/s, which is respectable enough for 2TB at this price.
Overall, this is a great way to get yourself a solid-performing Gen 4 SSD for the PS5 with two whole terabytes of space without breaking the bank. If you can seek one out, this is definitely up there with the best PS5 SSDs.
The Samsung 980 Pro is still one of the best PS5 SSDs on the market especially considering that the heatsink model is now widely available, and frequently discounted, too. While this drive may no longer be the absolute fastest Gen 4.0 unit that you can slot into your Sony system, the all-star sequential rates of up to 7,000 MB/s read cannot be denied.
✅You want value for money: Now that it's older and the 990 Pro is out, this will likely be cheaper when you find it.
✅You want something with a glowing reputation: The 980 Pro was once the king of the SSD hill, and it's aging just fine.
✅You want great speeds: This drive has excellent speeds that will only be bested by newer drives on the market.
Design and features: While Gen 4 drives running the likes of the Phison E18 controller are going to offer more consistent, and faster overall random performance, the Samsung 980 Pro matches the console's internal storage and is usually available substantially cheaper than newer drives on the market. The addition of a dedicated heatsink custom-made for the system is going to be ideal for anyone preferring the plug-and-play approach as opposed to having to go all DIY, too.
In terms of potential sizes here you get 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB models, and you can elect to get one with or without the heatsink.
❌You'd rather have the latest model: The 990 Pro is here.
❌You need something right away: If it isn't on offer, we'd recommend waiting for a deal to get the most value for money.
❌You can find something newer for cheaper: SSDs are constantly on sale, so if you can get something better for a similar price, you should probably do that.
Performance: Even if the 990 Pro is a bump up in terms of speed, the 980 Pro is still one of the fastest drives going, offering speeds of 6.7GB/s read and 4.9GB/s in our review tests. Since this is likely found discounted these days, the value for money here is pretty outrageous.
If you want faster, the SN850X and 990 Pro will give you that, but certainly, if you're waiting to buy until deals season, the 980 Pro will have you covered.
Read more: Samsung 980 PRO Review
The best Western Digital PS5 SSD
While we held off adding the SN850X to this list for a while, its price has finally leveled out so that the extra performance you gain with this model versus the SN850 isn't a huge trade-off. The SN850 is still a great option, although it may get harder to find as it continues to age.
✅You want the best performance: This is one of the top three Gen 4 drives you can find.
✅You want value for money: The SN850X is the best value option in the SN850 series - including the newer SN850P.
✅You are considering the SN850P: Seriously, the SN850X is better and gives you the exact same performance.
❌You have the SN850: It really isn't that big an upgrade.
❌The 990 Pro or FireCuda 530 are cheaper: If you find the two biggest rival drives on offer, maybe consider them over this.
Design and features: The WD Black SN850X has one of the more stylish heatsink designs on this list, and to be honest, the same can go for any of WD Black's SN850 series. A big problem with the SN850 was that it could run fairly hot when it was working hard. The SN850X does a great job of dealing with that though, because WD implemented a new thermal management profile that reduces performance throttling when it's under pressure.
Performance: Although the 4K performance and random speeds underperformed compared to the older model in our tests, the SN850 X is one of the strongest all-rounders you'll find on the market. It can actually be found cheaper than a lot of the entries on this list for the most part, and it's right up there with the FireCuda 530 and the 990 Pro in terms of speeds.
During our tests, we found it achieved 7,300MB/s reads, while writes leapt up from 5,300MB/s to 6,300MB/s. IOPS were really impressive too. It may not be a massive improvement over its predecessor, but it is an improvement - and one that can be found a darn sight cheaper these days thanks to the introduction of the SN850P.
If you want one of the very best SSDS out there, the SN850X will be a great purchase.
- Read more: WD Black SN850X review
The best integrated heatsink PS5 SSD
The Corsair MP600 Pro LPX is one of the better-designed PS5 SSDs with a built-in heatsink that we've come across and it's got the performance speeds to match. While our review unit didn't hit the projected 7,100MB/s max sequential read speeds, instead of clocking in at a still-respectable 5,581.505MB/s, you're still getting a more-than-competent drive for everyday use on your PS5.
✅You're worried about temperatures: This SSD has a pretty substantial heatsink, so you won't run the risk o damaging your drive.
✅You don't need the top speeds: Corsair's PS5 SSD does have some pretty great speeds, but they aren't the fastest out there.
✅You want 2TB for cheaper: The 2TB model of this SSD is priced pretty fairly. There's also 4TB if you want more headroom.
❌You want the shortest loading times imaginable: There are faster SSDs, go for one of them if you want quicker.
❌You aren't worried about temperatures: If you aren't concerned about the temperatures of any of the other integrated heatsinks on this list, go for a speedier one.
❌You have a heatsink already: There's no model without the heatsink.
Design and features: Of all the best PS5 SSDs out there, we'd recommend this one if you're at all worried about temperatures and overheating. Sure, most PS5 SSDs have integrated heatsinks these days, but the sturdy build quality of this one give us a lot of confidence in recommending it as something that will stay cool.
You can get it in 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities as well, meaning there's a wide range of sizes to choose from. Quoted speeds go up to 7,100MB/s read and 6,800MB/s write, so you're getting an excellent performer for the money too.
Performance: The file transfer times of the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX were impressive to say to least, especially as far as the bigger titles were concerned. Red Dead Redemption 2, with its massive 116.3GB, was written to the NVMe drive in only 1 minute 13 seconds. You can expect games in the sub-100GB range to take well under a minute, as we found with Demon's Souls (53.65GB) which took 46.11 seconds, and Ghost of Tsushima (59.13GB) which made the leap in 46.67 seconds.
If you've got an extensive back catalog of smaller titles that you want to make room for on your PS5, then this particular drive excels when more modest file sizes are involved. Platformer Astro's Playroom (11.02GB) zipped onto the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX in 11.11 seconds, with Metro Redux (13.57GB) clocking in at just 13.98 seconds. What we're essentially seeing here is 1GB / sec which is certainly commendable for how much you pay.
The price of the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX is respectable for a 2TB model these days, and since it has a truly fantastic heatsink on board, it's well worth considering.
The best PS5 SSD with a separate heatsink
Combining the prowess of the PNY CS3140 with the company's specifically engineered PS5 heatsink, the PNY XLR8 SSD Gaming Kit delivers on its all-in-one promise for fuss-free expansion.
✅You'd like a separate heatsink to use in the future: If you ever upgrade to a new SSD that doesn't have a heatsink, you're all sorted.
✅You don't need the top speeds: This isn't the fastest, but it isn't slow by any means.
✅You just want more storage space: There's a 2TB and 4TB model available.
❌You want the shortest loading times imaginable: There are faster SSDs out there.
❌You want faff-free installation: If you're worried about the DIY involved with the SSD installation, don't be. But if you need it to be as easy as possible, this might make things more complicated.
❌You have a heatsink already: There's no point having an extra heatsink lying around.
Design and features: We've seen PS5 heatsinks that replace the console's M.2 port before, but what makes PNY's model different is the thick aluminium heat spreader that positions itself on top of the drive which is built into the cover. The brand claims that this provides up to 40% better airflow, and judging from the performance we found in our testing, we're inclined to believe it. Most PS5 SSDs tend to top out at around the 5.5 GB/s read mark, but we were able to clock an extra 1 GB/s here, likely due to the heatsink in place.
While it might seem like more faff to have a separated heatsink, think of it as better value for money. If you ever want to upgrade to a newer SSD down the line, and you manage to find a deal on one that doesn't have an integrated heatsink, you're already set. In my eyes, that's a pretty great deal.
If you're after even more storage for your game libraries, there's also the addition of 2TB and 4TB models as well,
Performance: Sony's official post-format numbers from the PS5 gave us 6,547.477 MB/s for this drive and its heatsink. This figure certainly lives up to the quoted sequential read capabilities, but won't give you the last word on SSD speeds. Either way, this is a fantastic option to go for, and one that will more than do anyone looking to simply expand their library.
Editor's note:
If you go for another M.2 SSD, that's totally fine, but make sure it's in line with the PS5's internal SSD specifications. We've listed the most important ones below.
- PCIe Gen4 interface (not Gen 5, sadly)
- 250GB - 4TB capacity
- Minimum 5,500MB/s read speed or faster
- 22mm width (do not go for 25mm units)
- a heatsink is required (built-in or DIY)
Best PS5 SSD: Heatsinks
While some SSDs that are specifically designed with the PS5 in mind come with a heatsink built-in, others do not. Either way, you will need to pair your PS5 SSD with one of the best PS5 heatsinks.
On the plus side, you can buy them separately from a wide range of manufacturers. They're very easy to fit and will stop your new SSD from overheating and being damaged as a result. It's usually fairly easy to see if an SSD doesn't have a heatsink already, because it will be very thin, and will most likely have elements of the circuit board on show. Products with a heatsink attached will usually say on the listing page, and will often be a little thicker, with vent-looking elements on one or both sides.
Sometimes built-in heatsinks drive up the cost quite a lot, so buying your own can save you a decent amount of cash. We've listed a few of our favorite options below.
- PNY XLR8 SSD cover | $14.99 at Amazon US
- PNY XLR8 SSD cover | £20.51 at Amazon UK
- Sabrent PS5 heatsink | $19.99 at Amazon US
- Sabrent PS5 heatsink | £16.99 at Amazon UK
- QIVYNSRY heatsink | $8.99 at Amazon US
- QIVYNSRY heatsink | £7.99 at Amazon UK
- Ezdiy-Fab heatsink | $10.99 at Amazon US
- MHQJRH heatsink | $9.99 at Amazon US
- Eluteng heatsink | £7.99 at Amazon UK
- Back to PS5 SSD list
Best external PS5 SSD
You can now transfer PS5 games to one of the best PS5 external hard drives, meaning you don't have to keep redownloading games when you want to make room for other games. You can't play these games on an external PS5 SSD, but transferring from the external to internal PS5 SSD is super quick. While PS5 games can't be played from an external drive, PS4 games can, and loading times are much faster than on a PS4 or PS4 Pro.
The WD_Black P40 SSD is the latest in WD's gaming-focused external hard drives, and it's one of the best performers you'll find. It takes the specs and design of the P50 and carries both over to a compact build that makes use of some beautiful RGB lighting.
Read and write speeds were great in testing. The 2000MB/s speed you see on the box is as good as you'll get in an external hard drive, but in reality, it translates to some great load times and transfer speeds on PS5 and PC. When testing it out, we managed to move a load of game capture footage from PS5 to PC in a heart beat, with 30 clips spanning a total of 22GB, the P40 swallowed it up from the PS5 in about a minute. The same was true of game storage. We transferred three games that added up to 18GB in just shy of a minute with this drive.
Disappointingly, the P40 is one of the pricier options available, particularly because it's a newer release from WD. For your money, you get the drive which comes with WD's Windows dashboard, a USB-C cable and USB-A adapter, a quick install guide, and a 5-year warranty I'd be surprised if you need to use. WD's solid build with forged aluminium means it's a sturdy piece of kit.
Probably the best external SSD drive we've tested in a while, the P50 is the best PS5 SSD right now, because it has it all: a quality, cool design, a robust build, and exquisite speeds often reserved for those drives within the best gaming PCs and on best SSD for gaming lists.
On the outside, the P50 is a military metal-styled, rectangular drive featuring sleek molded metal and the traditional WD_Black aesthetics and markings. Its USB-C port can be used on your devices as either a USB-A or USB-C connection and in our testing, we got the same speeds through either port so it shouldn't matter which you have free or available, or if you change the device it's used with during its lifetime. There's a small but clear LED indicator on one of the short ends which is always a help, but one small downside is that it does get a little warm when in use so it'll pay to keep that in mind when positioning it.
When it comes to speeds, what you're told you're getting and what happens is pretty much bang on. It's incredible performance for an external SSD and the stated speeds of 'up to 2000MB/s' were on the money in our testing. Real-world performance-wise, the P50 gives you everything a high-quality external SSD should do: games were loaded incredibly quickly, files were retrieved in the snap of a finger, and the performance levels were incredibly consistent. It's a surefire SSD that will rapidly improve your gaming experience by far reducing the time looking at loading screens and increasing the time when you're actually playing. A true winner.
The Samsung T7 Shield was recently supplanted by the T9 as Samsung's latest and greatest high-speed external SSD. However, this is still an excellent value drive thanks to its design leaning into durability. The brand claims that the T7 boasts double the performance of the T5, and our testing proves that's very much the case. While the 1,050 MB/s read and 1,000 MB/s write don't exactly rival NVMe counterparts, as far as external drives go, the Samsung T7 Shield is certainly up there in terms of sequential performance. At $159.99 / £134.79 for a 1TB model or $289.99 / £250.99 for 2TB, it's far from the cheapest PS5 external hard drives around, but those speeds, and tank-like shell, may justify the added cost for you.
We found that the claimed figures were largely lived up to with game transfers, as Demon's Souls (53.73 GB) made the leap from the PS5's internal storage to the Samsung T7 Shield in 4 minutes 30 seconds. That's roughly in keeping with the maximum sequential performance, and solid figures from an external drive plugged in via USB 3.2 on the back of the console. There's also an included USB C to USB C cable in the box, too.
Even with speeds of 'only' 540 MB/s compared to the 1000+ you'll see on other PS5 SSDs we think the Crucial X6 is more than worth a look thanks to its excellent performance to price ratio. If you want a faster version of this drive, there's the Crucial X8 to consider too.
When upgrading to this SSD from an older external HDD you'll notice life is so much faster immediately. We've put it through various real-life tests and found that you'll be able to shift a 30GB PS5 game in just 3 minutes 48 seconds compared to 7:16 on an HDD like Seagate's PS4 Game Drive. A 90-second load time for a game like Resident Evil 7 was cut down to just one minute too.
The USB-C cable is very short and left the SSD hanging a bit when using the PS5 vertically. But the drive is so small and lightweight, it never feels at risk of coming loose. We just wish Sony had put one of these slots around the back too. Grabbing an extra terabyte or two of reliable and speedy storage for our PS5 and PS4 games at a reasonable price makes this very bearable though.
The Crucial X10 Pro gives you either 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB of space in a tiny drive you can literally fit in your pocket. While I was a bit too scared to test its durability properly, it's marketed as being resistant to splashes, dust, and drops. For those reasons, we award it with the best external hard drive for portability.
Its speeds aren't too shabby either. Hooked up to the PS5, I managed to move a hefty 439.5GB from the console to the X10 Pro in 34 mins. While that might seem like a small eternity with today's Gen 5 SSD speeds, just imagine the time it'd take to download that much raw data. Transferring 46GB worth of 2018's God of War from the hard drive to console storage, meanwhile, took only 5 minutes and 16 seconds. The speeds on the box here are 2,100MB/s read, and 2,000MB/s write, so it's no slouch despite its tiny form factor.
The problems? It's a tad pricey at the moment, which isn't so far-fetched seeing as it's pretty much a brand new drive. It also has a fairly small cable, which, as you'll see from the images, means hooking it up to your PS5 can look a little awkward. Either way, this is a really speedy external SSD that's super easy to take with you on your travels.
How do you install one of the best PS5 SSDs?
The installation process is a lot easier than it seems, and if you feel you need visual help, there's an official PlayStation tutorial video. Essentially, you'll need a flat surface to work on, a number one Philips screwdriver, and some light.
Start by putting the PS5 on its side, with the faceplate showing the PlayStation logo face-down. After removing the other faceplate, you should be able to see the SSD tray. Unscrew the bespoke PlayStation symbol screw, and remove the lid. You should now see a green slot with a few different measurement holes. With your SSD in hand, find the line that corresponds to your drive's size. Once you've taken a quick mental note of the number, unscrew the small fixing screw and spacer. Then place the spacer in the correct measurement hole for your new SSD.
Once that's done, you can line up one of the best PS5 SSDs for insertion into the console. If the room is well lit, you'll be able to clearly see which way up your drive should be by lining up the small gap in the insertion component with that of the PS5 M.2 port. Starting at a diagonal angle pointing down and into the port, make sure the ends of your SSD fit in without too much resistance. After that, you'll need to let the drive angle down a bit, and then be quite firm to ensure it's inserted all the way. Do not apply too much pressure diagonally down, or the SSD will break. Once it is, attach your heatsink if you need to, ensuring the thermal layer has had its tape removed. Then simply put the tray lid back on if you have the room, and screw into the spacer hole you prepared earlier to secure everything in place.
That's it! Put the faceplate back on by sliding the opposite way from when you took it off, and plug the PS5 back in. The software on the PS5 should recognise that a new drive is in place, and will ask you to format it.
Best PS5 SSD - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best SSD for PS5?
In our testing, we've found that the Seagate FireCuda 530 is extremely easy to install, and is probably the best all-rounder. WD Black's SN850X and Samsung's 980 and 990 drives are close seconds, with some even beating the FireCuda in terms of pure speed. Kingston, PNY, and Sabrent all have some of the other top options too. The PS5's M.2 port is capable of supporting any NVMe SSD that is Gen 4.0 compatible and features a maximum possible width of 22mm. To save you some DIY faff, we'd argue the best PS5 SSDs are ones that have heatsinks already pre-attached. So aim for a specific models that have been designed with PS5 in mind.
Is it worth putting an SSD in the PS5?
With games continuing to demand larger install sizes, with the average triple-A title on the platform running anywhere from 25 - 60GB, you're going to fill up that usable 667.2GB of storage space pretty quickly with just a few heavy hitters.
Fortunately, that's where the best PS5 SSDs come in handy, as you can give yourself far more breathing room for more games. An additional SSD, at the very least, matches the internal storage of the console, and in some cases can even surpasses it depending on the model and manufacturer. In particular, if you're someone who has a slower internet connection and struggles to download games quickly, an SSD expansion for PS5 can make life a lot easier.
Will Gen 5 SSDs work with PS5?
Unfortunately, the M.2 slot in the PS5 maxes out at Gen 4, meaning the latest and greatest SSDs for gaming won't work inside it. Having said that, the latest System Software Beta looks like support for up to 8TB SSDs will be added soon, so at least there's plenty of Gen 4 futureproofing to be had within the PS5's lifespan.
What is the best size SSD for PS5?
Generally speaking, we think that a 1TB PS5 SSD is going to be ideal for most gamers because it strikes the perfect balance of price-to-performance. A 1TB Gen 4.0 NVMe drive can commonly be found at, or under, the $150 mark and can more-than-double the standard out of the box internal storage on PS5.
Having said that, SSD prices have been coming down throughout 2022 and 2023, so it may be that you find more affordable 2TB options than before. If you want extra futureproofing, a 2TB drive may be more viable. The PS5 M.2 port supports a maximum total of 4TB, so if you want to go all out with tonnes of room to spare, you definitely have options to play with.
What is the maximum size for a PS5 SSD?
The biggest SSD you can put in the PS5 has been limited to 4TB since the M.2 slot was enabled, but the latest firmware beta added support for up to 8TB of space, which, will take some serious downloading to fill up all the way. These 8TB drives can also be pretty pricey, so we'd say for most players, 1 or 2TB PS5 SSDs will futureproof you more than enough.
What SSD speed is good for PS5?
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The minimum requirement for PS5 SSDs is 5,500MB/second. Some of the picks on our list like the Samsung 990 Pro and Seagate Firecuda 530 even surpass that to the tune of 7,000MB/s, so anywhere between those two figures is a solid SSD speed for the best PS5 SSDs.
For anyone keeping score, solid HDDs (like the ones used in the PS4) struggle to break read and write speeds of 200MB/s.
How we test PS5 SSDs
You can find out the specifics of how we test SSDs in our full GamesRadar Hardware Policy, but it's worth going stating here, too. At GamesRadar, we utilize extensive testing methods when reviewing the latest SSDs and hard drives, either for standalone write-ups or in lists just like this one.
For PS5 SSDs, the three biggest tests that we conduct are as follows:
- Sony's official benchmarking speed test (which happens after a device format)
- File transfer speed tests (from the consoles internal storage and back again)
- In-game loading times (time clocked between menus and gameplay, etc.)
Value for money and price-to-performance ratio are paramount when considering what makes a PS5 SSD one of the best on the market. For example, not all Gen 4.0 drives are created equal, and this is due to different NVMe M.2 slot SSDs using different controllers. We also take the quality and durability of the PS5 SSD heatsinks, should one be provided by the manufacturer as well.
Looking to upgrade your PS5 with more than just expanded storage? Check out our lists of the best PS5 headsets and best TVs for PS5 and Xbox Series X. Alternatively, here's everything we know about the DualSense Edge controller.
