PS5 SSD Upgrade Guide — What Fits, What Works, and How to Install It
Everything you need to know about PS5 M.2 SSD expansion: exact requirements, recommended drives, heatsink notes, and step-by-step installation.
The PS5's M.2 Slot: What Sony Says and What You Actually Need to Know
The PS5 launched without M.2 expansion enabled, but a firmware update in 2021 opened the slot for use. Since then, it has become one of the most popular SSD upgrades among console players — and one of the most frequent sources of confusion due to Sony's specific requirements.
The good news: if you buy a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD with a heatsink that fits within the physical dimensions, it will almost certainly work.
The Exact Requirements
Form factor: M.2 only. Supported sizes: 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, 22110. The most common and widely available is 2280.
Interface: PCIe Gen 4 NVMe only. This is non-negotiable. PCIe Gen 3 NVMe drives are physically compatible but will not be recognized by the PS5. SATA M.2 drives will not work.
Minimum speed: Sony recommends a sequential read speed of at least 5,500 MB/s. In practice, drives slightly below this (5,000 MB/s+) work fine in testing — but buy PCIe 4.0 and you will exceed this threshold automatically.
Heatsink: Required. The PS5 M.2 bay does not have its own cooling. A heatsink must be attached to the SSD or the drive will overheat and throttle. Many recommended drives come with heatsinks included. If not, a third-party slim heatsink ($5–$15) is sufficient.
Physical clearance: The SSD with heatsink installed must fit within 11.25mm height on the component side and 2.45mm on the non-component side. Most standard heatsinks are within this limit, but excessively thick heatsinks (some come with drives marketed as PC-focused) will not fit. Check the heatsink dimensions before buying.
Recommended Drives
These three drives are the most tested and widely recommended for PS5:
WD Black SN850X — consistently the top performer in PS5 benchmarks. Available with an included heatsink in configurations specifically marketed for PS5. 1TB or 2TB recommended.
Samsung 990 Pro — excellent performance, wide availability, good heatsink options. Samsung's most recent mainstream NVMe line. Available with heatsink.
Seagate FireCuda 530 — one of the original PS5-recommended drives. Still excellent. Available with heatsink.
All three reliably exceed 7,000 MB/s sequential read. For PS5 gaming, the differences between them are imperceptible — buy whichever is on sale.
What to avoid: Any PCIe Gen 3 SSD. Any M.2 SATA SSD. Budget drives that do not specify PCIe Gen 4. Check the product listing carefully — PCIe Gen 4 should be explicitly stated.
How Much Storage Do You Need?
The PS5 ships with an 825GB internal drive. Subtracting the OS and reserved space, you get approximately 667GB of usable storage.
PS5 game sizes vary widely:
- Small indie titles: 1–10GB
- Mid-size games: 20–40GB
- Large AAA games: 60–100GB+
- Modern AAA with patches: 100–150GB
Step-by-Step Installation
What you need: The SSD (with heatsink attached), a small Phillips screwdriver.
Time required: 10–15 minutes.
1. Power off the PS5 completely — hold the power button until you hear two beeps. Do not use Rest Mode — fully power off.
2. Lay the PS5 horizontal with the disc drive (or disc-less front) facing up. Remove the stand if attached.
3. Remove the white side panel — grip the back corner near the PS logo and pull upward firmly, then slide toward you. No screws — it uses clips.
4. Locate the M.2 bay — it is under a small metal cover secured by one Phillips screw. Remove the screw and lift the cover.
5. Remove the expansion screw — there is a small screw with a spacer at the correct length for 2280 drives. Remove it. (If using a 2230 drive, move the spacer to the 30mm hole.)
6. Insert the SSD — slide it into the M.2 slot at a slight angle (approximately 30 degrees). Press it down flat and replace the retaining screw. Do not overtighten.
7. Replace the M.2 bay cover and the white side panel.
8. Power on — the PS5 will detect the new drive and prompt you to format it. Select format and wait. Done.
After Installation
The expanded storage appears in Settings → Storage. Games can be installed directly to the M.2 drive or moved from internal storage. PS5 games run natively from the M.2 slot without speed loss. PS4 games run from the M.2 slot as well.
You can set the M.2 drive as the default installation location in Settings → Storage → Extended Storage.