Last updated: October 22, 2026. Picks are based on Sony's support page and reviews from Tom's Hardware (PS5 guide checked October 22, 2026), TechRadar (guide listed November 27, 2025; Lexar review February 2025), IGN (listed December 5, 2025), PCMag (PS5 roundup checked October 22, 2026), and T3 (updated November 14, 2025), all read October 22, 2026.
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Quick answer- Top picks reviewers back: WD Black SN850X for most players, Samsung 990 Pro for a premium drive, and Crucial T500 as a well-reviewed all-rounder.
- Value options are the Lexar NM790 with Heatsink and the Samsung 990 Evo Plus, and both come with trade-offs you should know about.
- Sony requires a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD with a heatsink, and a USB external drive can store PS5 games but cannot run them.
Adding an SSD for PS5 is the simplest way to stop deleting games to make room. Sony's expansion slot accepts only certain M.2 drives, so a fast PC drive is not automatically a safe buy. This guide summarizes Sony's support page and reviews from Tom's Hardware, TechRadar, IGN, PCMag, and T3, all read on October 22, 2026. It covers Sony's size, speed, and heatsink rules, five drives reviewers recommend, and why a USB external drive cannot run PS5 games.
1. How to choose an SSD for PS5
Sony's support page sets the rules. The drive must be a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD (Key M) from 250 GB to 8 TB, and Sony recommends sequential reads of 5,500 MB/s or faster. M.2 SATA drives are not supported.
Size and heatsink. Sony accepts form factors from 2230 to 22110, but the drive plus its cooler must stay within 25 mm wide and 11.25 mm thick. Sony says an M.2 SSD needs effective heat dissipation, such as a heatsink with a heat transfer sheet, and advises against adding a second heatsink to a drive that already has one. Tom's Hardware sees no real benefit in choosing anything other than the common 2280 length.
Speed. You do not need the fastest drive on the market. Tom's Hardware reports that game load times differed by at most a second or two between drives in its testing, and IGN says PCIe 5.0 drives are not worth the extra money because the console cannot use their full speed.
DRAM and flash type. Sony says the PS5 does not support Host Memory Buffer (HMB), so drives that depend on it may run slower than expected. Reviewers weigh this differently. TechRadar noticed minor stutters on a DRAM-less drive in a couple of games, while IGN says the missing DRAM does not matter much on a console. Tom's Hardware prefers TLC flash and suggests avoiding QLC drives, which can slow down as they fill up.
Capacity and price. The PS5's internal SSD is 825 GB, and T3 says only about 667 GB of that is usable on the standard model. TechRadar recommends at least 1 TB, while Tom's Hardware leans toward 2 TB or 4 TB. TechRadar also warns that SSD prices have climbed because of AI data center demand, and says it would not blame you for waiting.
Internal or external. An internal M.2 drive is the only expansion that runs PS5 games. A USB external drive can store PS5 games, but they must be copied back to the console or M.2 storage before you can play them.
At a glance
| Pick | Best for | Key spec | Reviewed by |
|---|
| WD Black SN850X | Best overall | Up to 7,300 MB/s read, 1 TB to 8 TB, five-year warranty | Tom's Hardware, PCMag, T3 |
| Samsung 990 Pro | Premium single-sided drive | Up to 7,450 MB/s read, 1 TB to 4 TB, heatsink version | Tom's Hardware, TechRadar, PCMag, T3 |
| Crucial T500 | Strong all-rounder | Up to 7,300 MB/s read on 1 TB, heatsink version | PCMag, IGN, Tom's Hardware |
| Lexar NM790 with Heatsink | Budget high capacity | Up to 7,400 MB/s read, 1 TB to 4 TB, heatsink included | TechRadar, PCMag, Tom's Hardware |
| Samsung 990 Evo Plus | Add-your-own heatsink value | Up to 7,250 MB/s read, 1 TB to 4 TB, no heatsink | IGN, Tom's Hardware |
2. Top picks for most players
WD Black SN850X: Best overall
Best for: Players who want a proven, fast drive with a wide range of capacities, from 1 TB up to 8 TB.
What reviewers say: Tom's Hardware (PS5 guide checked October 22, 2026) names it the best PS5 SSD, citing top-tier performance and a five-year warranty. It notes that a heatsink option exists at every capacity but says a purpose-built PS5 heatsink is the better choice. T3 (updated November 14, 2025) also picked it as the best all-rounder, and its writer says he uses one in his own console.
PCMag gave the SN850X 4.5 out of 5 and called it its best pick for a robust heatsink, though it lacks hardware encryption. Tom's Hardware calls the licensed WD Black SN850P an overpriced SN850X with PS5 branding, and TechRadar found the SN850P poor value at 1 TB and 2 TB, so check the price before paying extra for it.
- Pros: Top-tier speed, capacities up to 8 TB, five-year warranty, heatsink option.
- Cons: Tom's Hardware says prices have fluctuated and the 1 TB and 8 TB models are less attractive.
See WD Black SN850X on Amazon →
Samsung 990 Pro: Best premium pick
Best for: Players who want a premium single-sided drive and a heatsink version designed for the PS5.
What reviewers say: Tom's Hardware (checked October 22, 2026) lists it as its alternate top pick, noting that early firmware issues were resolved and that Samsung offers a PS5-compliant heatsink. TechRadar (guide listed November 27, 2025) calls it the best high-end option but says it runs hot under load, so get the heatsink version. T3 (November 14, 2025) praises its build quality and power efficiency.
The sources do not fully agree on gaming. PCMag rated it 4.0 and found its gaming benchmark scores mediocre, while Tom's Hardware's PS5 read test put the 2TB model near the top of its chart. Tom's Hardware and TechRadar both flag its high price.
- Pros: Very fast, single-sided design, heatsink version available, strong build quality.
- Cons: Higher price per gigabyte and a 4 TB maximum.
See Samsung 990 Pro on Amazon →
Crucial T500: Strong all-rounder
Best for: Players who want a well-reviewed drive in 1 TB or 2 TB with a heatsink version available.
What reviewers say: PCMag rated the T500 4.5 out of 5, naming it its best high-performance pick for the PS5, with strong benchmark scores and both heatsink and non-heatsink versions. It did call the cost per gigabyte fairly high. IGN (listed December 5, 2025) took the opposite view on value and named the 1 TB heatsink model its best budget pick.
Tom's Hardware's PS5 read test is a caution. Its 2TB T500 scored 5,538 MB/s, below most drives in the chart, though its 4TB T500 scored 6,557 MB/s. PCMag and IGN said no 4TB model existed when they wrote, but Tom's Hardware's chart lists one now.
- Pros: Strong benchmark results, heatsink version, five-year warranty per IGN.
- Cons: Fairly high cost per gigabyte per PCMag, and a lower PS5 read score at 2 TB in Tom's Hardware's test.
See Crucial T500 on Amazon →
3. Value picks and a no-heatsink option
Lexar NM790 with Heatsink: Best budget high-capacity pick
Best for: Players who want 2 TB or 4 TB at a lower cost and can accept a DRAM-less drive.
What reviewers say: TechRadar (review February 2025; guide listed November 27, 2025) calls it easy to recommend for a budget, high-capacity PS5 SSD. Its writer measured 6,526 MB/s in the PS5 benchmark and says the included heatsink fits the PS5 and PS5 Slim. The same review reports minor stutters in Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and some hitches in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, while most games ran fine.
PCMag (review dated August 2023) rated the NM790 4.0 and praised its value and capacities up to 4 TB. Note that PCMag tested the version without a heatsink and says Lexar states it meets Sony's requirements. Tom's Hardware's PS5 test of the 4TB model scored 6,538 MB/s.
- Pros: Good value, up to 4 TB, heatsink included on this version.
- Cons: DRAM-less and HMB-based, so Sony warns of slower-than-expected performance, and no hardware encryption per PCMag.
See Lexar NM790 with Heatsink on Amazon →
Samsung 990 Evo Plus: Best if you add your own heatsink
Best for: Players comfortable buying and fitting a separate PS5-compatible heatsink.
What reviewers say: IGN (listed December 5, 2025) tested a 2 TB model that scored 6,137 MB/s in the PS5 storage test. It loaded one game in 4.37 seconds versus 4.47 seconds on the internal drive. Tom's Hardware (review listed October 28, 2024) called it a solid, power-efficient drive but said the pricing remains questionable.
The sources disagree on heatsinks. IGN says you could probably get away without one, while TechRadar says a heatsink is absolutely needed and Sony says not to use an M.2 SSD without heat dissipation. Follow Sony and fit a heatsink that meets its size limits.
- Pros: Fast load times in IGN's test, power-efficient, capacities up to 4 TB.
- Cons: No heatsink included, DRAM-less, and pricing questioned by Tom's Hardware.
See Samsung 990 Evo Plus on Amazon →
4. Budget options, alternatives, and who should skip
Budget alternatives. Tom's Hardware names the Crucial P310 (2280) as its cheap pick and the Biwin Black Opal NV7400 as a compromise pick that ships without a heatsink. The P310 uses QLC flash, which the same guide generally advises against, though it calls the P310 one of the better QLC drives. I only read one in-depth source on these two, so treat them as leads to research rather than full recommendations.
External drives. PCMag's best external pick, the Seagate Game Drive PS5 External SSD, earned 3.5 out of 5. PCMag liked the speed for a USB drive but said it is expensive for the capacity and cannot play PS5 games directly. IGN says the same about the WD_Black P40, and notes that PS4 games can run from a USB drive.
PCIe 5.0 drives. IGN tested the Samsung 9100 Pro and found the PS5 rated it at 6,335 MB/s, far below its PC rating. Tom's Hardware also sees no real benefit in PCIe 5.0 drives for the console at current prices.
Who should skip buying. IGN says that if you only keep a few games installed at a time, the internal storage may be enough. If prices feel high, TechRadar says waiting is reasonable. If you do not want to open the console or check heatsink dimensions, an external drive is a simpler way to archive games, though it cannot run them.
5. Installing and caring for your PS5 SSD
Update your PS5 to the latest system software before installing. Sony then asks you to power the console off, unplug it, and touch a grounded metal object to discharge static. You need only a number 1 Phillips screwdriver.
Remove the console cover and the expansion slot cover, then move the spacer to match your drive's length. Insert the SSD at an angle, press it fully into the connector, and fasten it with the screw. Sony warns that a cooler that blocks the screw or stops the cover from closing means the cooler is too big.
When you power on, the console prompts you to format the drive, which erases everything on it. Do not turn the power off during formatting or while saving data. Sony also says not to play with the cover removed.
To choose where new games go, open Settings, then Storage, then Installation Location. To move existing games, select Game Library, press Options, and choose Move Games and Apps. Sony says all data for a given game must live in one place, and you should move a game to console storage if it misbehaves on the M.2 drive.
Sony advises removing the M.2 SSD before sending the console for repair. It also says your warranty should not be affected if the drive meets the specifications and you follow the instructions. To use the drive in another PS5, sign in to the same account on both consoles.
Ready to compare options? Prices and availability change often, so check the current listing.
Shop Samsung 990 Pro →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a heatsink on an SSD for PS5?
Yes. Sony says an M.2 SSD needs effective heat dissipation and should not be used without a heatsink or heat transfer sheet. If the drive already has a built-in heatsink, Sony recommends against adding another one.
Can I play PS5 games from an external USB drive?
No. Sony says PS5 games on USB extended storage must be copied back to console storage or the M.2 SSD to be played. TechRadar and IGN add that PS4 games can run from a USB drive.
Is a PCIe 5.0 SSD worth it for PS5?
Reviewers say no. IGN found the PS5 rated a PCIe 5.0 drive at about 6,335 MB/s, and Tom's Hardware sees no real benefit at current prices.
How much capacity should I get?
TechRadar suggests 1 TB as a minimum, while Tom's Hardware leans toward 2 TB or 4 TB. Sony's page says the PS5 accepts drives from 250 GB to 8 TB.
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