WD_Black is dead but the "best PS5 SSD" on the planet lives on

WD_Black has long reigned as the king of PS5 storage, topping our list of best PS5 SSDs to buy. But all things must come to an end, and the writing has been on the cards since March last year.

That's because it was announced that Western Digital was to withdraw from the SSD business and retire the WD_Black brand. Well now that's finally come to pass – but don't fear, the award-winning products will continue. Indeed, we should get even more options going forward.

Now sitting under the SanDisk brand, the company's gaming products will still be made, albeit with a new name. The entire family of gaming storage solutions will be called SanDisk Optimus, and it will include the new version of the WD_Black SN850X (our pick as the best PS5-compatible M.2 NVMe card).

That particular SSD model will now be known as the SanDisk Optimus GX Pro 850X. There are several other WD_Black stalwarts also getting new names and designs – along with those that previously sat under the WD Blue banner.

For example, the WD Blue SN5100 becomes the SanDisk Optimus 5100. The WD_Black SN8100 will be the GX Pro 8100, and the WD_Black SN7100 will be known as GX 7100 going forward.

What's nice to see is that the chunky design aesthetic the WD_Black range was known for will continue, albeit with a splash of red and a slightly tweaked look.

"The SanDisk Optimus brand redefines what performance means for consumer needs," explained the brand's VP of digital marketing, Heidi Arkinstall.

"Our products span multiple segments and with this change we are making it easier for consumers to find the right solution for their needs."

Announced during CES 2026, the newly branded products will start to hit stores in the first half of the year. WD_Black stock will still be available from some retailers in the meantime.