Buying Guide
Best SSDs for PS5 Expansion
The PS5 M.2 expansion slot accepts PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs (M.2 2280 form factor). Sony recommends a minimum read speed of 5,500 MB/s for optimal PS5 performance. All drives below meet or exceed PS5 requirements and are ranked by value score.
Top picks — ranked by value score
| # | Product | Capacity | Read | Write | TBW | Warranty | Score | $/TB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Samsung | 4TB | 7.5 GB/s | 6.9 GB/s | 2400 TBW | 5 years | 59.5 | $237.25/TB | $949.00 | $949.00 |
| 2 |  Samsung | 2TB | 7.5 GB/s | 6.9 GB/s | 1200 TBW | 5 years | 66.2 | $195.00/TB | $389.99 | $389.99 |
| 3 |  Crucial | 1TB | 7.3 GB/s | 6.8 GB/s | 600 TBW | 5 years | 60.1 | $229.90/TB | $229.90 | $229.90 |
| 4 |  WD Black SN850X 2TB NVMe SSDBest value WD | 2TB | 7.3 GB/s | 6.6 GB/s | 600 TBW | 5 years | 78.5 | $77.50/TB | $154.99 | $154.99 |
| 5 | 1TB | 7.3 GB/s | 6.3 GB/s | 600 TBW | 5 years | 57 | $249.99/TB | $249.99 | $249.99 | |
| 6 | 1TB | 7.3 GB/s | 6.9 GB/s | 1275 TBW | 5 years | 62 | $299.27/TB | $299.27 | $299.27 | |
| 7 | 4TB | 7.3 GB/s | 6.3 GB/s | 2400 TBW | 5 years | 72.8 | $150.00/TB | $599.99 | $599.99 | |
| 8 |  Crucial | 1TB | 5.0 GB/s | 3.6 GB/s | 220 TBW | 5 years | 36.1 | $288.01/TB | $288.01 | $288.01 |
Prices updated daily from Amazon. Value Score combines price/TB, speed, endurance, and warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions
What SSD does the PS5 need?
The PS5 requires an M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD in 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, or 22110 form factor. Sony recommends a sequential read speed of at least 5,500 MB/s. The M.2 slot supports drives up to 4TB. A heatsink is recommended but not required if your PS5 case provides airflow.
How much PS5 storage do I need?
PS5 games range from 30–100GB each. The internal PS5 SSD offers 667GB usable. A 1TB expansion drive effectively triples your storage to about 1.3TB usable, which holds 15–20 modern PS5 titles. 2TB is the premium option for large libraries.
Do I need a heatsink for my PS5 SSD?
A heatsink is recommended by Sony and is required if your SSD doesn't have one built in. Most drives sold for PS5 include a heatsink or sell one separately. Without a heatsink, the drive may throttle under sustained loads. The PS5 bay accommodates heatsinks up to 8mm tall.