Ever downloaded a huge new game only to see that dreaded “Storage Full” message pop up? It’s frustrating, right? The PlayStation 5 is amazing, but those built-in storage limits fill up fast. You want to keep all your favorite games ready to play, but figuring out which extra drive to buy feels like a puzzle.
Choosing the perfect PS5 storage expansion can be confusing. You hear terms like “NVMe SSD,” “heatsinks,” and “PCIe Gen 4.” Which one actually works best with your console? Getting the wrong one means wasted money and more headache. We know you want fast loading times without the hassle.
This guide cuts through the confusion. We break down exactly what you need to know about compatible drives, installation steps, and the best bang for your buck. By the end, you will know exactly which SSD to purchase to unlock tons of extra space for your gaming library. Let’s dive in and expand that storage!
Top Ps5 Storage Expansion Recommendations
Bestseller No. 1
WD_BLACK 2TB SN850P NVMe M.2 SSD Officially Licensed Storage Expansion for PS5 Consoles, up to 7,300MB/s, with heatsink - WDBBYV0020BNC-WRSN
- Officially licensed M.2 SSD for PlayStation 5 consoles[4] so you can easily install and play with no concern of compatibility. [4]For PlayStation 5 system software compatibility, please visit the official WD_BLACK site.
- With capacities ranging from 1TB to 8TB[1], your PS5 console has the additional space to store up to 200 games[3] (8TB model) [1]1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = one trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment. [3] Number of games based on a 36GB average per game. The number of games will vary based on file size, formatting, other programs, and factors.
- Experience uninterrupted gameplay with a brand-new, optimized heatsink designed especially for the PS5 console for an easy, worry-free installation into the M.2 slot.
- Play directly from the drive and eliminate the need to transfer or delete games from your console with tested and approved storage for your PS5 console[4].
- Push the envelope of PCIe Gen 4 technology with read speeds up to 7,300MB/s[2], giving you seamless gameplay and incredibly short load times. [2]1 MB/s = 1 million bytes per second. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors.
Bestseller No. 2
Seagate Game Drive for PlayStation® Consoles 5 TB External Hard Drive - USB 3.2 Gen 1, Officially-License (STLV5000100)
- OFFICIALLY LICENSED Built with matching firmware to seamlessly work with all models of PS5 and PS4.
- PS5 READY Store your PS5 games and transfer them to the console when it’s time to play.
- WORKS WITH PS4 Store and play all your PS4 games directly from the external hard drive.
- BUILD YOUR GAME VAULT 5 TB of capacity means no more sacrificing, deleting or redownloading games.
- NO TOOLS REQUIRED Launch into action in under two minutes with easy plug-and-play setup.
Bestseller No. 3
Fikwot FX991 M.2 SSD 1TB NVMe SSD M2 2280 PCIe Gen 4x4, Read Up to 7100MB/s, Internal Solid State Drive for PS5 Laptop Desktop 3D QLC NAND
- [Lightning-fast Top Performance]: Fikwot FX991 M.2 SSD 1TB adopts NVMe protocol and PCIe Gen 4x4 specifications, and the maximum read and write speed can easily reach 7100MB/s and 6100MB/s. With lightning-fast speeds, the FX991 NVMe SSD can make your computer's systems and applications respond quickly, improving work efficiency.
- [Excellent Thermal Management]: FX991 NVMe SSD 1TB is equipped with Auto-adaptive temperature adjustment and power efficiency management. It can intelligently adjust the NVMe SSD heating temperature and power consumption control, which can reduces the burden on the device and extends the battery life of laptops and other devices. We have equipped M2 SSD 1TB with high-conductivity graphite heatsink. Under high load conditions, the internal ssd reading speed can still be close to the peak.
- [HMB and SLC Cache]: With HMB and smart SLC cache, FX991 M.2 NVMe SSD can deliver outstanding performance. Host Memory Buffer (HMB) technology enables NVMe SSD to use the DRAM of the host system for read and write caching and buffering, significantly improving the speed of computer startup, multitasking, and game resource transfer and reading. At the same time, FX991 M.2 SSD also supports TRIM, S.M.A.R.T, AES-256 encryption and other technologies.
- [Excellent Compatibility]: Whether it is a laptop, desktop computer or game console such as PS5, FX991 1TB SSD M.2 is perfectly compatible to meet your storage needs on various devices. FX991 1TB NVMe SSD can be used as a PS5 storage expansion, and you can easily upgrade your gaming experience with it.
- [5-Year Service]: We are confident in the quality of our products, so we provide a limited service of up to 5 years or 600TBW for the FX991 M.2 1TB SSD, so that you can enjoy excellent performance and reliability with confidence. Choose the top-performance FX991 M.2 2280 internal solid state drives to make your computing experience smoother and more efficient!
Bestseller No. 4
YOTUO Portable External Hard Drive Storage Expansion Mobile HDD USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, Desktop, Laptop, PS4, PS5, Xbox One X/S, Xbox 360, Xbox Series X/S, Office & Game (Black, 500GB)
- 【Plug and play for home and office equipment】YOTUO HDD01 USB 3.0 external hard drive. Suitable for Windows XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10/11, Linux, Mac OS system. As well as laptops, desktop computers, PS4, PS5, XBOX 360, XBOX ONE, XBOX series X/S and other office equipment and gaming equipment. The product is plug-and-play when used in Windows. For Mac users, first format the drive and select the ExFat format.
- 【The first time you use this product in your gaming device, you will need to install an external hard disk into your gaming device】XBOX Simply follow the steps prompted by the system pop-up window to use it in the device. PS5 may receive the message "This USB drive's file system is unsupported" when plugging in an external hard disk and may display an incorrect storage capacity. There is no need to worry. You can simply find "USB Storage Device" in the "Settings" screen, follow the steps prompted by the system to install the drive and format it, and it will be ready for use. PS4, please find "USB Storage Device" in "Device" interface in "Settings".
- 【Gaming device manufacturer restrictions for different generations of games】Due to restrictions imposed by gaming device manufacturers, the PS5 can read and run PS4 games directly from an external hard drive, but cannot run PS5 games directly from an external hard drive; PS5 games on the external hard drive need to be moved to the device in order to run. Similarly, the Xbox X Series and Xbox S Series can only run Xbox One games directly from an external hard drive.
- 【Patented silicone sleeve protects hard drive】 The patented silicone sleeve inside wraps around the hard disk. It protects the hard disk more effectively against shocks and drops.
- 【About the discrepancy between the nominal capacity and the actual capacity】The actual capacity of the hard disk is not the same as the nominal capacity because the measurement method (binary) used by the hard disk manufacturer is different from the measurement method (decimal) used by the computer system. This is normal.
Bestseller No. 5
WD_BLACK 1TB SN850P NVMe M.2 SSD Officially Licensed Storage Expansion for PS5 Consoles, up to 7,300MB/s, with heatsink - WDBBYV0010BNC-WRSN
- Officially licensed M.2 SSD for PlayStation 5 consoles[4] so you can easily install and play with no concern of compatibility. [4]For PlayStation 5 system software compatibility, please visit the official WD_BLACK site.
- With capacities ranging from 1TB to 4TB[1], your PS5 console has the additional space to store up to 200 games[3] (8TB model) [1]1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = one trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment. [3] Number of games based on a 36GB average per game. The number of games will vary based on file size, formatting, other programs, and factors.
- Experience uninterrupted gameplay with a brand-new, optimized heatsink designed especially for the PS5 console for an easy, worry-free installation into the M.2 slot.
- Play directly from the drive and eliminate the need to transfer or delete games from your console with tested and approved storage for your PS5 console[4].
- Push the envelope of PCIe Gen 4 technology with read speeds up to 7,300MB/s[2], giving you seamless gameplay and incredibly short load times. [2]1 MB/s = 1 million bytes per second. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors.
Bestseller No. 6
fanxiang 1TB NVMe SSD PCIe Gen 4 Gaming SSD for PS5, Up to 7100MB/s M.2 2280 SSD Compatible with PS5 Storage Expansion, Internal Solid State Drive for Gamers, Professionals, Creators S880E
- PCIe 4.0 SSD Extreme Performance: M.2 SSD 1TB adopts PCIe Gen 4 x 4 controller, supports NVMe 2.0 technology, featuring sequential read/write speeds of up to 7100/6100 MB/s, the PCIE 4.0 1TB SSD NVMe SSD is fit for most motherboards and Desktops, Laptops, All-in-one PCs, and etc, FANXIANG S880E SSD delivers incredible storage performance
- NVME SSD for Gaming: Designed for hardcore gamers, S880E PCIe 4.0 SSD is compatible with PS5 and DirectStorage, enables faster loads for an extreme gaming experience, and it is your best partner for victory in Game. Upgrade your game console storage, enabling a extraordinary experience in game
- Professional Performance for Working: Built-in high-quality 3D NAND flash memory that delivers incredibly high transfer speeds for short boot time, fast application loading, and fast file processing. M.2 SSD 1TB is designed for high performance, and enabling a extraordinary experience in productivity for professionals, and videomakers even under heavy workloads
- Efficient Thermal Control: The sticker of the S880E M.2 SSD is specially designed.We have added a graphite coated copper foil layer and an aluminum foil layer,which can effectively help reduce the temperature of the PCIe 4.0 SSD when it is working. Even during high-graphic games, high performance can be maintained, and the reading speed can still be close to the peak
- 5-Year Service: Our 1TB NVMe SSD come with a 5 years after-sales service and lifetime technical support. FANXlANG is a trustworthy storage product brand with more than 20 years of manufacturing experience
Bestseller No. 7
WD_BLACK 4TB SN850P NVMe M.2 SSD Officially Licensed Storage Expansion for PS5 Consoles, up to 7,300MB/s, with heatsink - WDBBYV0040BNC-WRSN,Black
- The ONLY Officially licensed 4TB M.2 SSD for PlayStation 5 consoles[4] so you can easily install and play with no concern of compatibility. [4]For PlayStation 5 system software compatibility, please visit the official WD_BLACK site.
- With capacities ranging from 1TB to 4TB[1], your PS5 console has the additional space to store up to 200 games[3] (8TB model) [1]1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = one trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment. [3] Number of games based on a 36GB average per game. The number of games will vary based on file size, formatting, other programs, and factors.
- Experience uninterrupted gameplay with a brand-new, optimized heatsink designed especially for the PS5 console for an easy, worry-free installation into the M.2 slot.
- Play directly from the drive and eliminate the need to transfer or delete games from your console with tested and approved storage for your PS5 console[4].
- Push the envelope of PCIe Gen 4 technology with read speeds up to 7,300MB/s[2], giving you seamless gameplay and incredibly short load times. [2]1 MB/s = 1 million bytes per second. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors.
Bestseller No. 8
YOTUO Portable External Hard Drive Storage Expansion Mobile HDD USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, Desktop, Laptop, PS4, PS5, Xbox One X/S, Xbox 360, Xbox Series X/S, Office & Game (White, 1TB)
- 【Plug and play for home and office equipment】YOTUO HDD01 USB 3.0 external hard drive. Suitable for Windows XP/2003/Vista/7/8/10/11, Linux, Mac OS system. As well as laptops, desktop computers, PS4, PS5, XBOX 360, XBOX ONE, XBOX series X/S and other office equipment and gaming equipment. The product is plug-and-play when used in Windows, Mac.
- 【The first time you use this product in your gaming device, you will need to install an external hard disk into your gaming device】XBOX Simply follow the steps prompted by the system pop-up window to use it in the device. PS5 may receive the message "This USB drive's file system is unsupported" when plugging in an external hard disk and may display an incorrect storage capacity. There is no need to worry. You can simply find "USB Storage Device" in the "Settings" screen, follow the steps prompted by the system to install the drive and format it, and it will be ready for use. PS4, please find "USB Storage Device" in "Device" interface in "Settings".
- 【Gaming device manufacturer restrictions for different generations of games】Due to restrictions imposed by gaming device manufacturers, the PS5 can read and run PS4 games directly from an external hard drive, but cannot run PS5 games directly from an external hard drive; PS5 games on the external hard drive need to be moved to the device in order to run. Similarly, the Xbox X Series and Xbox S Series can only run Xbox One games directly from an external hard drive.
- 【Patented silicone sleeve protects hard drive】 The patented silicone sleeve inside wraps around the hard disk. It protects the hard disk more effectively against shocks and drops.
- 【About the discrepancy between the nominal capacity and the actual capacity】The actual capacity of the hard disk is not the same as the nominal capacity because the measurement method (binary) used by the hard disk manufacturer is different from the measurement method (decimal) used by the computer system. This is normal.
The Essential Buying Guide for PS5 Storage Expansion
Your PlayStation 5 is amazing, but those game files are huge! Soon, you will need more space. Buying the right storage expansion is simple if you know what to look for. This guide helps you pick the perfect upgrade so you can download more games and play longer.
Key Features to Look For
When you shop for a PS5 SSD (Solid State Drive), several features matter most. These ensure your new drive works fast and fits perfectly.
Speed is King: PCIe Gen4 Interface
- The PS5 needs a very fast drive to run games directly from it. Look for drives that use the **PCIe Gen4 interface**. This is the current standard for speed.
- Slower drives (like older Gen3) might work, but they will not let you play PS5 games directly. You will have to move them back to the internal drive first.
Capacity Matters
- Storage comes in different sizes: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB.
- **1TB and 2TB** are the most popular choices. They offer a good balance between cost and how many big games you can store (like *Call of Duty*).
- If you download many large games, aim for 2TB or more.
Heatsink Required
- Fast SSDs get hot. To keep the drive safe and fast, it needs a heatsink.
- You can buy an SSD that **comes with a heatsink pre-attached**, or you can buy a separate, slim heatsink to stick on yourself. Pre-attached is usually easier for beginners.
Important Materials and Build
The best PS5 expansions use high-quality internal chips. You don’t need to know every chip name, but knowing what makes a good drive helps.
- **NAND Flash Type:** Modern, fast drives use TLC (Triple-Level Cell) NAND flash memory. This offers a great mix of speed and how long the drive lasts.
- **Controller:** The controller chip manages data flow. Top brands use reliable controllers that keep speeds consistent, even when the drive is almost full.
Factors That Improve or Reduce Quality
Not all Gen4 SSDs perform the same. Speed ratings tell you a lot about the drive’s quality.
What Improves Quality (Look for These Numbers!)
- **Read Speed:** This is how fast the drive loads game data. Sony recommends speeds of **5,500 MB/s (Megabytes per second) or higher**. Higher numbers mean faster loading screens!
- **Endurance (TBW):** This stands for Terabytes Written. It shows how much data you can write to the drive before it might wear out. Higher TBW means a longer-lasting drive.
What Reduces Quality (Avoid These)
- Drives that are **PCIe Gen3** or slower will not work for playing PS5 games directly.
- Drives without a **heatsink** can slow down (throttle) when playing demanding games because they overheat.
User Experience and Use Cases
Adding storage changes how you use your PS5 for the better.
User Experience
- Installation is simple. You open a panel on your PS5, slide the new SSD in, and close it up. You format it inside the console settings.
- Once installed, there is **no difference** in how games load or run, as long as the drive meets Sony’s speed requirement.
Use Cases
- **The Gamer Who Plays Everything:** If you jump between ten massive games, get a 2TB or 4TB drive immediately.
- **The PS4 Game Archivist:** You can store all your old PS4 games on the new SSD (or even an external USB drive, though the internal slot is faster). PS5 games *must* go in the internal M.2 slot to be played.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about PS5 Storage Expansion
Q: Can I just plug in any external hard drive?
A: You can plug in a standard external USB drive. However, you can only store PS4 games on it and play them. You must use the internal M.2 SSD slot for PS5 games.
Q: Do I need a heatsink if I buy a separate SSD?
A: Yes, absolutely. The PS5 is designed to run hot. A heatsink prevents your expensive SSD from slowing down or failing due to heat.
Q: What is the minimum speed Sony requires?
A: Sony recommends a raw read speed of at least **5,500 MB/s** for the internal M.2 SSD expansion.
Q: Will adding an SSD make my PS5 run faster generally?
A: It will make game loading screens much faster than a traditional hard drive. It won’t make your menus or system software run faster than the original internal drive.
Q: How much space do I need for a few big games?
A: Most big PS5 games are 80GB to 150GB. A 1TB drive holds about 6 to 10 very large games comfortably.
Q: Is it hard to install the internal M.2 SSD?
A: No, it is quite easy. You usually only need a Phillips-head screwdriver. The process involves removing a cover plate on the PS5 console.
Q: What happens if I buy a Gen3 drive by mistake?
A: The PS5 will recognize the drive, but it will only let you use it for storing PS5 games. You must move those games back to the main internal drive to actually play them.
Q: Should I buy a drive with a heatsink already attached?
A: For most people, yes. It saves time and ensures the heatsink is the correct size and attached properly for the best cooling.
Q: Does the storage expansion use extra electricity?
A: Yes, all components use power, but the PS5 is built to handle the extra drive. It does not significantly impact your electricity bill.
Q: Will buying a 4TB SSD cost much more than a 2TB SSD?
A: Yes, larger capacity drives cost more money. Always check current prices to see if doubling your space is worth the extra cost for your budget.