Best PS5 SSD 2024: Jump Menu
00. T3's top 3 ↴
01. Best overall: WD_Black SN850X 1TB Heatsink
02. Best for low-priced speeds: Seagate FireCuda 530 1TB Heatsink
03. Best 2TB option: Corsair MP600 Pro LPX 2TB
04. Best without heatsink: Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
05. Best blistering speeds: Addlink Addgame A95
06. Best for bigger storage: Kingston Fury Renegade SSD
07. Best for keeping cool: Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus Heatsink
08. Best budget option with heatsink: Gigabyte Aorus Gen4 7000S
09. Best budget option without heatsink: Lexar Professional NM800 1TB
10. Best for entry-level value: Crucial P5 Plus
11. How to choose
12. How we test
There's no doubt about it, the Sony PlayStation 5 is a formidable console – it can play most of the best games around and is a joy to use. However, it does have one flaw: storage.
Its capacity for storing PS5 games is rather meek in comparison with the Xbox Series X. There's an 825GB SSD inside, but only 667GB of it can be used for games. You could add an external drive, but that will only work with PS4 titles.
That's why Sony allows users to add their own separate SSD card to expand the amount of space to store games on. And, with many of them topping 100GB these days, you'll likely need to.
Here then are the PS5-compatible SSD cards we recommend. They all meet Sony's standards (M.2 NVMe cards with a minimum speeds of 5,500MB/s and a heatsink) and will stop you having to download and reinstall games over and again.
Rik has written about video games for more than 35 years, having edited numerous gaming magazines. He has also starred on games TV shows, such as Channel 4's GamesMaster and Sky's Games World. He has added extra storage to his own personal PlayStation 5, which he uses to review games and generally unwind.
T3's top 3
Here are our top 3 personal picks for PS5 SSD storage. You can also check out all the options below.
Best overall
The best expansion card overall
The WD_Black SN850X is a worthy successor to the excellent SN850 – it's faster too, with up to 7,300MB/s speeds.
Best value for 1TB
A simple card with a friendly price
Seagate's gaming range has always been a favourite and with the prices dropping to very affordable levels, this is a great option. Its quick too, at up to 7,300MB/s.
Best value for 2TB
A great option for more storage
If you're after more storage, the Corsair M600 Pro LPX has up to 7,100MB/s speeds and has been optimised for the PS5.
The PS5 SSDs we recommend in 2024
Why you can trust T3
The best PS5 SSD overall
Western Digital's WD_Black gaming range has been going great guns for years. It offers fast storage for a number of devices, including PlayStation 5, and differentiates itself with metal casings and solid build quality.
We've previously recommended the WD_Black SN850 as our favourite in the past, but the more recent SN850X is faster and therefore even easier to recommend now
that it's available for a decent price.
It boasts read speeds of up to 7,300MB/s – more than fast enough for the PS5 minimum spec – and has an excellent, solid heatsink included.
This is the SSD we currently use in our console, and we've been thrilled with its performance. It's even better, we feel, than the official PlayStation alternative also sold by the brand.
Best PS5 SSD speeds for the price
This is our recommendation for the fastest PS5-compatable SSD for its relatively low price. Like the WD_Black SN850X, it delivers a maximum read speed of 7,300 MB/s, but is a bit cheaper if you shop around.
It also comes in a with heatsink model, too, meaning that if you drop the cash then you get plug-and-play convenience, too. This drive also comes loaded with 3D TLC NAND memory for added awesomeness, too. Capacities start at 500GB and extend right up to monstrous 4TB drives.
We think the heatsink is sleek, with Seagate commissioning EKWB to forge each one from a high-grade aluminium block before adding a finely textured anodised finish to maximise cooling efficiency.
The only reason it's not top of the tree is we prefer the look of the SN850X a bit more.
Best budget 2TB option
If your primary goal is to go big in terms of extra storage capacity on your PS5 then our top pick for your PS5 SSD is the Corsair MP600 PRO LPX 2TB.
It comes from one of the most respected component makers in the world and also has one of the best heatsinks attached. As such, you really do just have to take the drive out of its box and slot it into the PS5 – installation really is that simple.
When we tested this drive it performed as well or slightly better than the PS5 SSD that comes in the system as standard, and while it isn't the out-and-out fastest PS5 SSD you can buy, it's a quality all-round package that offers plug-and-play ease and – most importantly for many gamers no doubt – big capacity at an affordable price.
The 2TB model is definitely the sweet spot in terms of capacity to spend in our eyes at this space level, giving you plenty of extra room for games without breaking the bank. However, if you like the design of this model, but don't need quite as much storage, the range does include 1TB and 500GB models too.
Best PS5 SSD without a heatsink
The Samsung 980 Pro is our top recommendation for a PS5 SSD without a heatsink, as it not only obliterates the required read speed criteria set by Sony, it also does so in terms of data transfer rate.
As you can see in this guide, there are a few drives that deliver a read speed of 7,000 MB/s or more but not all deliver that level in terms of data transfer.
And then when you factor in that this drive's price is towards the more affordable end of 1TB PS5 SSDs, it becomes evident as to why we think it is such a good buy.
You get a premium drive that offers insane speeds for a competitive price point, and as it is made by Samsung, you're getting a drive from a maker with a huge pedigree.
The obvious downside to buying this drive is that it does not come with a heatsink. As such, you will need to buy a heatsink from a third party. It's very simple though.
Best for blistering speeds
Everything about the Addlink AddGame A95 SSD makes you sit up and take notice, from the smartly designed heatsink and read/write speeds to the price that you're going to have to pay to get hold of it.
Admittedly it's at the pricier end of the spectrum for these SSDs, but we reckon that it's worth the investment if you've got the budget.
The stick offers read and write speeds of 7,300MB/s and 6,000MB/s respectively, which by the way is on a par with the internal storage that Sony has fitted in the PS5 – so you know it's going to be suitable.
You'll certainly have no complaints when it comes to how long games take to transfer or load up, as this SSD offers one of the best specs lists around.
Best PS5 SSD if you want even more storage
The Kingston FURY Renegade is clearly a PS5 SSD put out there for enthusiasts, as it delivers a hyper-premium package of stylish design, rapid read and write speeds, plus a preinstalled, super-thin graphene aluminium heat spreader.
The graphene heat spreader makes this drive rather unique and adds great plug-and-play convenience.
The 2TB and 4TB models is where PS5 gamers should shop in this range, as the 500GB and 1TB models have lower read and write speeds, but to us that makes sense as if you're going to go premium on your PS5 SSD upgrade then you should go all in.
Kingston is one of the very finest names in storage and this drive comes with a 5-year warranty, two facts that make it very easy to recommend the drive. If you can afford a 2TB model then that is what we recommend here at T3.
Best PS5 SSD for keeping cool while looking it too
Not the cheapest option, but the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus Heatsink is different to all other PS5 SSDs in this guide as it comes with a heatsink that also acts as the expansion bay storage cover. As such, with this drive you get to expand your console's storage and make the storage cover look better (even if you won't see it).
The heatsink looks swish, too, so it's a shame to cover it up, but you can't argue with the results of this Sabrent: read and write speeds of 7000MB/s and 6600MB/s delivered respectively. That's more than enough speed for the PS5 and, if you buy it in a 1TB or greater capacity, loads of room for all your games too.
The only downside to this drive really is that its price is beaten by other drives in terms of cheapness, and while it is offered in a 4TB capacity, we're sure only 0.1% of gamers are going to be able to afford it.
Best PS5 SSD budget option with a heatsink
Coming a little out of left field, the Gigabyte AORUS Gen4 7000s SSD is a great heatsink model to choose if you're looking to keep the amount you pay down as low as possible.
Indeed, this drive retails with a heatsink for the same sort of money that others without will cost you at a 1TB capacity, making it a great budget buy.
It delivers lots of notable specs, too, including a rapid 7,000 MB/s read speed and 3D TLC NAND Flash memory. Its data transfer rate isn't quite as fast as other drives in this guide, but it still eclipses Sony's set criteria for the console and delivers where it really matters: read speed.
Best PS5 SSD budget option without a heatsick
Lexar's computing components tend to undercut their rivals and the story hasn't changed here, with the 1TB version of the firm's Lexar Professional NM800 M.2 SSD pricing it at the more affordable end of the spectrum.
Despite the more affordable price point, though, the NM800 delivers a maximum read speed of 7,400MB/s, which makes it 100 percent PS5 compatible. You'll need to buy and fit a third-party heatsink, mind, so you should factor that expense into the price.
Other notable specs include a 5,800MB/s write speed and a specially designed heat dissipation label that keeps the drive cool and operating at maximum efficiency.
Best PS5 for entry-level value storage
The Crucial P5 Plus is definitely worth checking out if you're looking to keep your spend down and don't mind picking it up with a third-party heatsink, as it doesn't come with one out of the box.
The max read speed delivered isn't as insane as drives like the 980 Pro and FireCuda 530, coming in at 6,600MB/s, but that is still much faster than Sony's criteria demands, meaning it will work seamlessly alongside the internal storage.
This drive also utilises Crucial's own Micron Advanced 3D NAND technology and is a PCIe 4.0 NVMe drive that comes with a 5-year warranty and MTTF rating of more than 2 million hours for excellent reliability and longevity. Bang a heatsink on this drive and it's one of the most cost-effective PS5 SSDs on the market today.
How to choose the best PS5 SSD for you
There are two big considerations to bear in mind when choosing a PlayStation 5-compatible SSD card.
To beging with, the card needs to be an M.2 SSD and you can't just buy any model, it has to match certain criteria in terms of speed.
You absolutely cannot just buy one of the best SSDs on the market, for example, and bang it in the console. While that drive may be very good, it may not be fast enough to be PS5 compatible.
In addition, your SSD has to have a heatsink to keep the storage solution cool during persistent operation. And, that heatsink has to be compatible with the size limits of the NVMe SSD expansion bay in the PS5. Fortunately, Sony has supplied a very useful guide that details these criteria, and in our list of the best PS5 SSDs on the market we've included models with and without heatsinks.
If you choose the latter, you'll have to add your own. However, they are reasonable inexpensive and easy to fit.
As a final note, for an SSD to be PS5 compatible it needs to meet the following criteria:
- PCIe Gen4 interface
- 250GB - 8TB capacity
- 5,500MB/s read speed or faster
- 22mm width heatsink required (included or third party)
How we tested the PS5 SSD cards
We have extensive experience of using multiple PlayStation SSD cards ourselves, in both standard and digital edition consoles.
The process to place them into your PS5 and then use them to store games is simple. Sony even has a step-by-step video to follow.
The best way to test how effective installed storage can be is to time a game load time when it's running from the internal drive and then from the added SSD card.
You can even find several of the cards in this list offering faster load times than Sony's own.