If there is one thing we can count on when it comes to Sony, it’s that they love to keep us on the edge of our seats. It took them seven years to release the long-awaited PS5, but avid players soon discovered one limitation to this magnificent machine which quickly requires storage expansion.
With only 667 GB of storage space, picking out which games to keep and uninstall quickly resembles a Tetris match.
The console finally supported external USB hard drives almost six months after the official release. A hop, skip and a jump away, in September of the same year, Sony activated the internal SSD slot, which supports M2 SSDs.
Now you only need to pick out what kind of additional storage suits you, and FinalBoss is here to help with this guide. on the best storage expansion for your PS5.
There are several major factors to remember when deciding on internal vs external storage. The only option that permits you to store AND play PS5 games is the internal SSD. All external storage, even an external SSD, will enable you to directly play all PS4 titles but only store PS5 games.
If this limitation steers you into choosing an internal SSD, here’s Sony’s list of technical specifications needed for optimal performance:
You could use slower Gen4 hard drives. Given that the PlayStation 5 is here to stay, we’d recommend sticking to the official specs. There is no guarantee that future titles which push the PS5 to its limits will run on Gen4s.
At the end of the day, the choice between an external hard drive and an SSD should be all about your priorities and budget.
If you are looking for reduced loading times and dedicated use solely for your PlayStation 5, go for an internal SSD. We’ve included budget-friendly options on the list, so take a look before making your final choice.
The external hard drive has limitations, but it does offer some benefits, such as multipurpose use for other devices. Not to mention, the price per gigabyte is more on the economic side.
To narrow down your search, we have compiled a list of internal and external SSDs and external HDDs to take full advantage of your PS5.
Choosing between an SSD and an HDD boils down to your specific needs and budget. An internal SSD emerges as the quintessential solution for a dedicated, speedy PS5 experience, with a plethora of cost-effective alternatives available. On the flip side, an external hard drive promises versatility, extending multi-device functionality and a wallet-friendly price per gigabyte.
To streamline your decision-making process, we have assembled a list of the finest internal and external SSDs and HDDs to amplify your PS5 gaming adventure.
Given the colossal size of many modern games, you will be happy to use this Samsung 980 PRO M.2.
| Toshiba Canvio Gaming | Samsung T7 | Seagate Horizon | Crucial P5 Plus | XPG GAMMIX S70 | WD Black SN850 | SAMSUNG 980 PRO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.0 Gbits transfer rate | Up to 1050 MB/s | Specifics not provided | Up to 6600 MB/s | Up to 7400 MB/s (PC), 6100 MB/s (PS5) | Up to 7300 MB/s | Up to 7000 MB/s |
| Plug and Play, Scalable Storage | IP65 Rating, Rugged Durability, Dynamic Thermal Guard | Forbidden West Limited Edition, 2TB Storage | MTTF > 2 million hours, Heatsink Compatibility | PS5 Firmware Compatibility, PCIe 4.0 | Officially licensed for PS5, Easy to Install, Heatsink | Smart Thermal Solution, Samsung Magician, AES 256-bit Encryption |
| Three Years limited warranty | Three Years limited warranty | one-year limited warranty | 5-Year Limited or up to 600 TBW | 5-Year Limited | Five Years limited warranty | Five Years limited warranty |
| Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now |
In the rapidly evolving realm of gaming, every minute detail can make a substantial difference. A choice between the Samsung 980 Pro and the WD Black SN850 thus hinges on slight variations in price and technical specs. Both SSDs boast impressive read speeds, surpassing the PS5’s native solution, with the Samsung 980 Pro slightly outpacing with a 2GB DRAM cache compared to WD’s 1GB.
Despite this, in the gaming context, this DRAM advantage doesn’t markedly influence the PS5’s performance, as reading speed remains the paramount factor during gameplay. Hence, the final selection boils down to your budgetary constraints and brand affinity.
Samsung 980 Pro
WD Black SN850
The Samsung 980 Pro and WD Black SN850 have similar read speeds performance. Both display a maximum reads speed of 7,000MB/s.
Their respective performances exceed the native solution of the PlayStation 5.
The available DRAM cache could give an advantage to the Samsung 980 Pro. Samsung offers 2Gb of DRAM against 1Gb for the WD.
Let’s end the suspense. Samsung’s DRAM advantage will have no benefit for the Playstation 5.
DRAM which stands for “dynamic random access memory,” is used for reading, modifying, erasing and writing operations when writing data to the drive and for caching the drive’s lookup tables. Please consider the latter, as the SSD has its internal file system working entirely transparently with the operating system.
So for games, you’re invariably going to be writing game content. When you’re playing, you’re mostly going to be reading data from the drive repeatedly, so the performance gain from that DRAM is tiny, probably imperceptible.
Reading speed is much more important for gaming.
After extensive analysis, our recommendation at FinalBoss.io gravitates towards the Samsung 980 Pro equipped with a 1TB heatsink. This option melds superb performance with a marginally lower price point, standing as the preferred choice for gamers keen on enriching their PS5 gaming experience without straining their finances.
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