Usable PS5 storage tops out at 667GB; these NVMe drives expand that

Simon Walsh | Aug 4 2021 - 11:41 am PT

With usable PS5 storage topping out at roughly 667GB, the 10 million lucky owners out there could be running low on space. While Gigabit internet connections and no data caps can pave the way for downloading on demand, arguably the best way to enjoy your library is to have it all stored locally. Thankfully, Sony had the foresight to allow NVMe storage upgrades. Until recently, use of PlayStation 5’s M.2 slot has been restricted by software, but that has started to change with a new beta program now available. Below, you’ll discover which NVMe options should be fast enough to properly expand PS5 storage.

Samsung 980 PRO Solid-State Drive

First things first, one of PlayStation 5’s headlining features is fast onboard storage. This makes loading screens seem non-existent when compared with current-generation console games. For this reason, PS5 lets players expand using NVMe solid-state drives. Sony requires 5,500MB/s read speeds, and Samsung 980 PRO delivers.

It was unveiled back in September and is now available for order. Performance reaches up to 7,000MB/s, handily exceeding PS5 storage add-on requirements. We covered Samsung’s new drive, but if you’d like to skip reading about it and just order, head over to Amazon now to grab yours for as little as $149.99.

WD SN850 NVMe Solid-State Drive

A couple of weeks or so after Samsung unveiled its wicked-fast NVMe solid-state drive, Western Digital took the wraps off its head-to-head competitor. Specifications are quite similar, and the drives are now available at Amazon and other select retailers.

gadgetnewsonline’ Take

Without question, next-generation console gaming is more powerful and immersive than ever before. When going head-to-head with gaming PCs, both of Sony and Microsoft consoles arguably undercut how much it costs to get your foot in the door. This doesn’t come without its caveats, though, and the low amount of usable onboard storage is clearly one of them.

While incredibly-fast loading times and game switching are nice to have, it’s a bit daunting just how much this drives up the cost of additional storage for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. One workaround that many could consider is buying a much more cost-effective external HDD and offloading any unused games there. This way, players can quickly move games to and from internal storage as needed without having to spend a fortune.