The best SSD hard drives for PlayStation 5: 64 models compared

Sony has unlocked the SSD expansion bay on the PlayStation 5, so what's the best NVMe m.2 PCie Gen 4 card to upgrade your internal hard drive?

After a long, arduous wait, the internal storage expansion bay for the PS5 was unlocked in September 2021. For gamers who, like me, had been deleting and moving games about on the internal SSD, it was music to our ears. But it's not just about more games. You could even upgrade your PS5 to a faster read speed, bringing with it more spritely gaming performance.

Upgrading your storage space is different with the PS5 compared to the PS4. With the older console, you could just plug in an external SSD to store extra content. However, the PS5 was designed to be heavily reliant on the latest generation of SSDs to function as advertised. More specifically, NVMe m.2 Gen 4 PCI-e SSD cards. And there's a number of PS5 SSD deals about.

External hard drives are too slow and indeed Sony won't even let you try and play a stored PS5 game from one such is the impact on the title's performance. As such, it's an M.2 PCIe Gen 4 x4 NVMe 1.4 SSD or bust. In this article I will take you through the contenders currently available on the market in Australia and nail down the best SSD deal for your PS5.

Best PS5 SSD drives

Below you will find a list of all the compatible PS5 NVMe SSD drives in Australia. There are others you may come across online, such as the Inland Performance, the Kingspec XG series, Netac nv7000, Nextorage and Oscoo, but they are not readily available locally. Below the table you can read my methodology. Looking at the Cost per GB and Value Index columns is a good place to start in hunting down the best PS5 SSD deal.

Product
Size (GB)
Heatsink?
Read Speed (MB/s)
Write Speed (MB/s)
Cost/MB
Value Index
Price AUD
Where to Buy
Adata Atom 50
1000
Yes
5000
4000
$0.26
-32.1
$260
Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade
1000
Yes
7400
6400
$0.25
61.7
$254
Adata XPG Gammix S70 Blade
2000
Yes
7400
6400
$0.21
75.0
$418
Corsair MP600 Pro LPX
500
Yes
7100
3700
$0.35
13.2
$177
Corsair MP600 Pro LPX
1000
Yes
7100
5800
$0.26
45.8
$255
Corsair MP600 Pro LPX
2000
Yes
7100
6800
$0.23
65.4
$459
Crucial P5 Plus
500
No
6600
4000
$0.20
11.8
$99
Crucial P5 Plus
1000
No
6600
5000
$0.16
36.3
$156
Crucial P5 Plus
2000
No
6600
5000
$0.15
37.4
$303
Fantom Drives Venom8
1000
No
7400
6800
$0.20
85.0
$200
Fantom Drives Venom8
2000
No
7400
6800
$0.17
101.5
$335
Fantom Drives Venom8
4000
No
7400
6800
$0.20
84.0
$810
Gigabyte AORUS Gen4 7000s
1000
Yes
7000
5500
$0.19
53.5
$187
Gigabyte AORUS Gen4 7000s
2000
Yes
7000
6850
$0.22
67.1
$432
Kingston Fury Renegade
500
Yes
7300
3900
$0.32
20.8
$160
Kingston Fury Renegade
1000
Yes
7300
6000
$0.22
61.0
$224
Kingston Fury Renegade
2000
Yes
7300
7000
$0.21
82.1
$414
Kingston Fury Renegade
4000
Yes
7300
7000
$0.31
55.4
$1,227
Lexar NM800 PRO
500
Yes
7450
3500
$0.29
21.5
$147
Lexar NM800 PRO
1000
Yes
7500
6300
$0.21
76.6
$209
Lexar NM800 PRO
2000
Yes
7500
6500
$0.19
88.4
$377
MSI SPATIUM M480 Play
1000
Yes
7000
5500
$0.27
37.2
$269
MSI SPATIUM M480 Play
2000
Yes
7000
6800
$0.25
57.4
$499
Netac M2 2280
500
Yes
5000
4400
$0.24
-29.2
$120
Netac M2 2280
1000
Yes
5000
4400
$0.20
-35.0
$200
Netac M2 2280
2000
Yes
5000
4400
$0.20
-35.9
$390
Oyen Digital Dash Pro
4000
Yes
6800
6800
$0.22
59.4
$876
Patriot Viper VP4300
1000
Yes
7400
5500
$0.18
71.6
$177
Patriot Viper VP4300
2000
Yes
7400
6800
$0.22
76.4
$445
PNY CS3040
500
Yes
5600
2600
$0.31
-28.8
$156
PNY CS3040
1000
No
5600
4300
$0.20
-16.8
$198
PNY CS3040
2000
No
5600
4300
$0.20
-16.6
$401
PNY CS3040
4000
No
5600
3900
$0.31
-14.9
$1,249
PNY CS3140
1000
No
7500
5650
$0.19
73.2
$189
PNY CS3140
2000
No
7500
6850
$0.18
99.1
$360
PNY CS3140
4000
No
7500
6850
$0.19
91.8
$777
Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus
1000
7000
5300
$0.19
49.1
$190
Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus
2000
7100
6600
$0.22
65.2
$440
Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus
4000
7100
6600
$0.28
52.1
$1,100
Samsung 980 Pro
250
No
6400
5000
$0.56
7.7
$141
Samsung 980 Pro
500
Yes
6900
5000
$0.38
20.3
$189
Samsung 980 Pro
1000
Yes
7000
5000
$0.23
37.0
$225
Samsung 980 Pro
2000
No
7000
5100
$0.24
36.9
$470
Samsung 990 Pro
1000
No
7450
6900
$0.29
61.1
$289
Samsung 990 Pro
2000
No
7450
6900
$0.25
69.4
$509
Seagate FireCuda 530
500
Yes
7300
6900
$0.33
51.1
$163
Seagate FireCuda 530
1000
Yes
7300
6900
$0.24
70.3
$237
Seagate FireCuda 530
2000
Yes
7300
6900
$0.21
78.8
$423
Seagate FireCuda 530
4000
Yes
7300
6000
$0.22
60.8
$899
Seagate Game Drive m.2 SSD
1000
Yes
7300
6000
$0.27
51.0
$268
Seagate Game Drive m.2 SSD
2000
Yes
7300
6000
$0.28
48.6
$562
Silicon Power XS70
1000
Yes
7300
6800
$0.19
86.0
$190
Silicon Power XS70
2000
Yes
7300
6800
$0.19
88.3
$370
Silicon Power XS70
4000
Yes
7300
6800
$0.25
65.3
$1,000
T-FORCE CARDEA Admirable A440 Pro Special Series M.2 SSD
1000
Yes
7400
7000
$0.30
59.5
$297
T-FORCE CARDEA Admirable A440 Pro Special Series M.2 SSD
2000
Yes
7400
7000
$0.38
46.9
$753
Verbatim Gen 4x4
1000
Yes
7400
6100
$0.32
45.7
$321
Verbatim Gen 4x4
2000
Yes
7400
7000
$0.29
60.7
$582
WD SN850
500
Yes
7000
4100
$0.29
18.6
$143
WD SN850
1000
Yes
7000
5300
$0.22
42.4
$220
WD SN850
2000
Yes
7000
5100
$0.21
40.7
$426
WD SN850X
1000
Yes
7300
6300
$0.21
69.5
$211
WD SN850X
2000
Yes
7300
6600
$0.19
80.5
$389
WD SN850X
4000
Yes
7300
6600
$0.32
49.7
$1,260

Methodology

There are 2 key parts to the table above in determining "best value". The most obvious is the cost per gigabyte. This compares how much space you are getting for your money; a figure that will float based on deals as they come and go. This does give you some guidance, but it doesn't account for the read and write speed potential of a card. Nor the reliability of the brand.

Reliability is a hard metric to compare, but we can account for read and write speed.

The Value Index column looks at the cost per gigabyte, but also looks at how much faster the drive is than the minimum 5,500MB/s required by Sony for the PlayStation 5. It then examines the gap between a drive's read speed and write speed – how much does it drop – and takes that into account. Our algorithm computes these metrics to produce an ultimate value. This can help provide further guidance for you.

Can you install a heatsink on a PS5 SSD?

While some of the above SSDs don't come with a heatsink as standard, that shouldn't necessarily scare you off. They don't cost too much more to buy, and they its easy to add a heatsink to a m.2 SSD. One of the best options if you already have, or want, a Gen 4 NVMe m.2 SSD card, is to get a heatsink cover. This is custom fit for the PS5, and does the job in cooling your PS5 in the easiest possible fashion. The PNY XLR8 SSD cover is a great option in this regard. You can pick it up for less than $40.

Best PS5 SSD 1

What SSD works with ps5: compatible specifications

There are plenty of NVMe m.2 Gen 4 PCIe x4 SSDs on the market, but not all of them are compatible with the PlayStation 5. The expansion bay slot has physical limitations, while the hardware itself has certain read and cooling demands that must be met. All the SSD cards in this article meet the requirements, but should you want to check an alternative option you've come across, this is what you must look out for:

  • M.2 SSD between the lengths of 30 and 110mm.
  • No wider than 22mm.
  • Generation 4 PCIe M.2 x4 NVMe 1.4 SSD card.
  • Read speed greater than 5500MB/s.
  • Capacity between 50GB and 4TB.
  • Must have a heatsink.*
  • The heatsink cannot extend more than 8mm above the card, or more than 2.45mm below the card.

* Note that you can attach a heatsink to an NVMe SSD card yourself if there isn't one already built on the unit you have, or it's too large. They're relatively inexpensive and the process is easy to do.

When will pcie 5.0 SSDs come out for PS5?

One thing to keep in mind when shopping for a PS5 SSD, is that a new generation is on the way. The PCIe Gen 5 NVMe m.2 SSDs have been announced and are in the pipeline for release in late 2023, or perhaps not until 2024. So far we've seen a few names come out with planned models, which you can see below. Speeds up to 14000 MB/s have been suggested, which would be a huge increase on the Gen 4 cards.

But will PCIe 5.0 cards work with the PS5? Sony hasn't indicated yet whether it will be able to update the firmware to make the most of these improved speeds and cards. But there's more to it than that. They are expected to run a lot hotter than the Gen 4 cards, and may need a bigger heatsink as a result. Will they even fit in the expansion bay? Only time will tell, but at this stage, it's not worth waiting out for one.

List of Gen 5 PCIe SSDs

  • Samsung (PM1743).
  • AT&T.
  • Adata Project Nighthawk PCIe 5.0.
  • Adata Project Blackbird PCIe 5.0.
  • Apacer AS2280F5.
  • Corsair MP700.
  • Zadak TWSG5.
  • Gigabyte AORUS Gen5 10000 SSD.

Best PS5 SSD 3

Tips on how to buy a PS5 SSD in 2023

There are a few things to consider when searching through the drives in the below list. There are often other versions of a card with very similar names, or even the same basic name, that are different generations. As a result, they have slower speeds or may be missing a heatsink. It's important to keep an eye on this – especially if you see a price that seems a lot lower than expected. The full specs you need to look out for are below the table.

I've linked out to the correct cards in the table, so that's a good place to start your comparison.

Also know that stock availability can come and go. I've saw this drive up prices beyond the RRP at times during COVID, but thankfully those days seem to be over. Also, it means you need to make sure that the price you're looking at isn't in an alternative currency. Or that it's not being shipped from an international location. This could incur more import and shipping costs, and a delay.

How to find a PS5 SSD deal

I've put together a table below that lists every PS5 compatible SSD in Australia as of the start of 2023. I've linked through to the best deals I could find on those drives. Be advised, however, that PS5 SSD deals come and go. And that we have seen a significant price drop through 2022 in the cost of almost all the PS5 SSDs that were available at launch

How to install a PS5 SSD hard drive

Once you've found the best PS5 SSD deal, you need to install it. Although it may sound technical at first, installing the PS5 SSD expansion drive is straightforward. I've previously detailed a step-by-step guide on how to install a PS5 SSD, which you can look through. However, I think you'll get everything you need to know from the below video.

If you're still trying to get your hands on a PS5, know you're not the only one. Stock is still low in Australia, and indeed the world. Keep an eye on our how to buy a PS5 page for news of extra stock arrivals.

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