Sony gives recommendations for SSD expansion PS5, but no required speed
Sony has revealed details on how PlayStation 5 owners can expand SSD storage. The company makes some recommendations in terms of specifications, but there is no hard requirement in terms of speed. Sony also does not guarantee optimal operation.
Sony lists a number of minimum requirements on its support website for the internal SSD expansion. It must be a PCIe 4.0 x4 instance with the M.2-22 form factor and a capacity between 250GB and 4TB. The length doesn’t matter; they may be M.2-2230 to M.2-22110 variants, both single-sided and double-sided. According to Sony, an SSD with heatsink is required. The total dimensions including cooling block may not exceed 110x25x11.25mm.
Regarding the speed, Sony only says that an SSD with a sequential read speed of 5500MB/s or higher is recommended. Sony does not say anything about the writing speed and the stated speed is not a requirement. The PlayStation 5 contains SSD storage with a read and write speed of 5500MB/s.
No guarantee on proper functioning
Sony also writes that it cannot guarantee that all M.2 SSDs that meet the stated properties will work in the console. The PlayStation manufacturer also says that not all games may run as optimally from an M.2 SSD as the internal PS5 storage, even if it is an M.2 SSD that achieves a higher speed of 5500MB/s.
Sony is not saying anything about recommended or certified SSDs for the PlayStation 5. Customers should contact the SSD manufacturer if they have questions about compatibility, the support page says.
The PlayStation 5’s M.2 slot is currently disabled via firmware. In the latest beta of the PS5 software, the expansion slot has been activated with a software update that will happen to all users at a later date. It is not yet known when the M.2 SSD expansion will be available to everyone.
Available SSDs
Several manufacturers have SSDs that are fast enough on paper as a storage expansion for the PlayStation 5. The Pricewatch includes models from brands such as Samsung, WD, MSI, XPG, Gigabyte, PNY, Corsair, Seagate, which have both read and write speeds above the get 5GB/s. However, the dimensions and availability of a suitable heatsink still need to be considered.
Presumably, several SSD manufacturers themselves will promote SSDs as suitable or optimal for the PlayStation 5. When the WD Black SN850 was introduced, Western Digital already said that it was suitable for the PS5. Seagate now says that about its FireCuda 530 models announced in June. Seagate tells the Australian website finder that it has tested the operation in the PS5.
Seagate FireCuda 530 with heatsink