The best PS5 SSDs

Download even more games to your PlayStation 5 with these storage add-ons

By Alice Jovanée Updated Nov 17, 2023, 8:29am EST

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An illustration containing three M.2 SSDs: the WD_Black SN850X, Samsung’s 980 Pro, and the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX. Behind them is the PS5 console.

Alice Jovanée (she/her) is a commerce writer, and she has been writing about gaming and tech since 2005. Prior to Polygon, she worked at publications such as The Verge.

There are a lot of great games to play on PS5, but the console’s paltry 825 GB of built-in storage will only let you experience a handful at a time, depending on their file sizes. If you’re looking for the best PS5 SSD that allows you to fit as many of the best PS5 games, updates, apps, screenshots, and saves as you want, you’ve come to the right place.

Expanding the storage of your PlayStation 5 isn’t as expensive (or as difficult) as you may fear. And, best of all, many M.2 SSDs are compatible, so you can shop for the one that’s right for your budget. However, there are some requirements. First is speed. Per Sony, the one you choose needs to be a PCIe 4.0 model with a sequential read speed of at least 5,500 MB/s. All of our options below meet that criterion.

Secondly, while the PS5 can handle one M.2 SSD of at least 250 GB and up to 4 TB (8 TB, thanks to a software update) in capacity, the SSD needs its own heatsink to operate properly. Most of our picks come with one pre-installed, a convenience that usually results in a slightly higher price than their heatsink-less counterparts. But if you find a great deal on a heatsink-less model, this low-profile heatsink is just $10.99 at Amazon and can be installed in minutes.

For each SSD, we’ve listed the specs provided by the manufacturer, but it’s important to note that their speed may not directly impact load times or gameplay.

Best-value PS5 SSDs

Corsair MP600 Pro LPX

The Corsair MP600 Pro LPX SSD is a good one to get when the price dips as low as it currently has. The MP600 yields a slightly faster read speed than Samsung’s 980 Pro below. You can find the 1 TB version SSD for $69.99 (normally $184.99). You’re getting about 14 GB per dollar spent, which is among the best value on this page. The 2 TB version costs $109.99 (normally $209.99).

Corsair MP600 Pro LPX SSD with heatsink

$90
$120
26% off

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Sequential Read Speed : 7,100 MB/s

Sequential Write Speed: 5,100 MB/s

Samsung 980 Pro

The Samsung 980 Pro M.2 SSD is likely the most popular option, due to being one of the debut PCIe 4.0 SSDs on the market. It’s also a good value, thanks to its great performance, falling price, and wide availability.

Despite its solid performance, it’s worth noting that there are reports of the 980 Pro, specifically its 2 TB version, failing for some people (via Puget Systems). There were enough affected that Samsung issued new firmware that you should install to it via Samsung’s Magician software for PC. However, you’ll need either a desktop or a laptop with an available M.2 port to do this, or you can try to use this M.2 to PCIe adapter.

It’s possible that you may never experience a problem (some Polygon staffers use this model inside of their PS5s without issue), but you should at least know what you’re getting into. Currently, you can pick up either 1 TB or 2 TB models at Amazon for $79.99 and $119.99, respectively.

Samsung 980 Pro SSD with heatsink

$120
$190
37% off

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Sequential Read Speed: 7,000 MB/s

Sequential Write Speed: 5,100 MB/s

Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade

If you want a nice chunk of speedy storage for under $100, the Adata XPG Gammix S70 SSD offers the best bang for your buck. Amazon is currently discounting the 1 TB version of the S70 to just $59.99 (normally $109.99), and the 2 TB version is on sale for $99.99 (normally $209.99). The S70 offers superior read and write speeds than our next best budget option, the Crucial P5 Plus, but at a slightly higher price point.

Adata XPG S70 Blade with heatsink

$60
$110
46% off

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Sequential Read Speed: 7,400 MB/s

Sequential Write Speed: 6,800 MB/s

Crucial P5 Plus

If you aren’t particular about having the fastest SSD performance but still need some extra storage, check out Crucial’s P5 Plus. At $45.99, you’re getting 20 GB per dollar spent. But don’t forget to snag this M.2 SSD heatsink to fix onto it before you go to install it in your PS5.

Crucial P5 Plus SSD

$46
$130
65% off

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Sequential Read Speed: 6,600 MB/s

Sequential Write Speed: 5,000 MB/s

Fastest PS5 SSDs

WD Black SN850X

WD Black, an offshoot of Western Digital, also makes an M.2 SSD for PlayStation 5 modeled after its SN850X line of SSDs. Right now, you can find the 2 TB SN850X with a heatsink at Amazon for $164.99 (originally $334.99). That’s over 12 GB per dollar spent, which is a good value.

You can also find the 1 TB version at Amazon for $84.99 (originally $179.99).

WD Black SN850X SSD with heatsink

$105
$180
42% off

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Sequential Read Speed : 7,300 MB/s

Sequential Write Speed: 6,600 MB/s

The newer Samsung 990 Pro promises even faster sequential read speeds of up to 7,450 MB/s. However, it’s a bit more expensive than the above WD Black recommendation, and you’ll have to foot the bill for the heatsink. The 1 TB version (sans heatsink) starts at $79.99 (the 2 TB model is also available for around $134.99).

Samsung 990 Pro SSD

$190
$220
14% off

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Sequential Read Speed : 7,450 MB/s

Sequential Write Speed: 6,900 MB/s

4 TB PS5 SSDs

WD Black SN850X

If you’re cool with installing a M.2 heatsink, the heatsink-less version of the SN850X is just as fast as the heatsink-equipped version above, but cheaper. Plus, it’s one of the most affordable (and fastest) 4 TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 drives we’ve seen yet. At $229.99, you’re getting well over 14 GB per dollar spent.