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If you’ve been waiting over two years to get your hands on Sony’s popular next-gen console, then you’d be glad to know that it’s finally getting easier to find the PlayStation 5 in stock (currently available at Amazon, Best Buy and Sony). With so many great games to choose from, that 1TB SSD can fill up quick. Which is why you’ll probably want to give your new console a storage boost with an aftermarket SSD. Below, we’ve rounded up the best M.2 SSDs for PS5 on the market right now so you can find the best one for your storage needs and budget.
Sony unlocked the PS5’s extra internal storage drive slot in 2021. This option wasn’t available when the PS5 launched in fall 2020, but now you can access that extra space to beef up your console’s current storage capacity. Just grab yourself some extra storage space with the best M.2 SSD speed for your gaming needs. Whether you want to install games or keep a handful of useful saves, there are plenty of M.2 SSD PS5 storage options to give you that extra storage boost.
It can be hard to find a superfast M.2 drive, especially one with an integrated heatsink. That’s an essential feature for your operating environment, if you want to prevent overheating. So if your solid-state drive doesn’t have one, you’ll have to add it manually. We’ve made some suggestions below to help with that process.
If you’re ready to expand your game library, keep reading. We’ve tested several drives, including the 4TB Seagate FireCuda 530, which we installed in this how-to feature, and you can find those transfer time results below.
The Samsung 990 Pro with Heatsink showcases cutting-edge advancements in exclusive NAND memory (which reduces erase and write times and requires less chip area per cell), controller and software tech. The SSD is tailored for PC and console gamers and creators searching for storage solutions with exceptional performance, power efficiency and thermal management.
The price listed is for the 2TB drive. It also offers a 1TB for $90.
Samsung 980 Pro with Heatsink M.2 SSD
Samsung’s high-end M.2 drive was a logical first choice for a lot of PS5 modders… but the original version didn’t include a built-in heatsink, which is required for operation. Sure, you could buy a separate one and attach it, but that’s a few extra steps.
Conveniently, this excellent Samsung 980 Pro SSD is now available with a heatsink, which makes it an all-in-one package. There are two current configurations, a 1TB model and a 2TB model, with the price roughly doubling for the larger model.
Seagate FireCuda 530 NVMe PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD
The big 4TB Seagate FireCuda 530 includes a built-in heatsink, which is a requirement for an internal PS5 drive. There are 1TB, 2TB and 4TB models.
After I installed and set up the drive, I tried transferring a few games from the default drive to my new SSD. Call of Duty, which is nearly 200GB, transferred in about 2 minutes, 30 seconds. Returnal, around 50GB, transferred in about 40 seconds.
Slot your drive in here, then replace the metal plate.
Corsair MP600 PRO LPX
Corsair’s PS5-compatible M.2 drive comes with a heat sync. We tested the 2TB version. There is also a 1TB version.
PNY XLR8 CS3140 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
Normally I’d stick with M.2 drives with built-in heat sinks, so make the entire upgrade process easier. But I’ll make an exception for this PNY XLR8 drive, because PNY also makes a separate PS5 SSD cover panel, complete with built-in heat sink, for $20.
Just slot the slim M.2 drive in the slot, then screw the new cover panel over it and you’re all set. We’ve tested the drive and added its transfer time scores to the chart below.
Final Fantasy VII (81GB)
- Console main storage to M.2(in minute:seconds)
- M.2 to Console main storage (in minute:seconds)
Spider-Man: Miles Morales (39GB)
- Console main storage to M.2(in minute:seconds)
- M.2 to Console main storage (in minute:seconds)
WD Black SN850 Gen4 x4 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
Besides the Samsung and Seagate versions, this Western Digital drive is probably the most popular M.2 choice for the PS5. It also includes the needed heatsink built in, which I frankly recommend as a much easier way to get your console storage upgraded.
The WD Black comes in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB sizes, although I can’t see going through all the effort required to open the PS5 and install these for a mere 500GB of extra space, especially with some games getting close to 100GB in size. 1TB seems like the best bang for your buck.
Samsung 980 Pro 1TB PCIe NVMe Gen4 M.2
This is the original Samsung 980 Pro 1TB drive that needs a separate heatsink. If you’ve got one and can attach it, it’s a less expensive option and easy to find. In fact, the price on this model has even dropped by a few dollars.
The advantage of adding an M.2 internal drive to your PS5 is that you can both store and play PS5-native games from it. Regular external hard drives can store PS5 games, but not play them. (Both store and play PS4 games.)
MHQJRH M.2 2280 SSD heatsink
If you’re going down the add-your-own-heatsink route, this is one of the most popular parts for PS5 owners. Gamers have reported that it’s a perfect fit for the PS5’s M.2 slot, especially when paired with the Samsung 980 SSD.
To attach a heatsink like this, you usually need some thermal tape to connect the heatsink to the drive. In this case, there’s an included thermal pad that sticks the two parts together. That’s important because without the right kind of thermal management, the M.2 drive could get too hot in the tightly constricted PS5 internal drive slot.
FAQs
We update this list regularly, and below are answers to some of the most common PS5 M.2 SSD questions.
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