PS5 SSD Expansion Guide – How to Install SSD, Best SSDs for PS5

In this PS5 SSD Expansion Guide, we will guide you on how you can expand and install an expansion SSD in your PS5 console. Sony is finally allowing players to increase their PS5 console storage by installing external NVMe SSDs in their PS5 consoles.

If the internal 1TB storage is too low for you, you can install a third-party NVMe SSD in your console to expand your storage. The support will arrive soon in a future update for all players however it is currently live for beta players. Before the update arrives, you can prepare yourself for installing the SSD and finding yourself a suitable M.2 NVMe SSD.

SSD Expansion Guide – PS5

Our PS5 SSD Expansion Guide details everything that you need to know about installing and expanding your PS5 storage.

PS5 NVMe SSD Requirements

Installing a PS5 SSD is not a single task and buying the best SSD is not an easy task as well. Starting with the requirements, Sony clearly states that an NVMe must match certain speed requirements to properly work with a PS5. It has to be a PCIe 4.0 NVMe with a sequential read speed of 5500 MB/s or faster. In addition to this, the NVMe must come with either built-in heatsinks or you have to install one on it yourself.

Some of the NVMe SSDs do come with heatsinks now straight from the factory however some of them do not and you will need to install heatsinks yourself. This makes dimensions a little tricky as well. Sony states that the combined size of the drive and heatsink needs to be 11.25mm or shorter which means that if your NVMe SSD comes with a built-in heatsink bigger than this, you cannot install it in your PS5 system.

The following chart details all technical aspects of the SSD requirements for installing in a PS5 system:

Best PS5 NVMe SSDs to Purchase

Now that we have the requirements out of way, there are a few NVMe SSDs, that can be purchased right now and used without any sort of tinkering before installing them in your PS5 console. We have listed them below:

• Gigabyte Aorus NVMe Gen 4 7000S – 1TB – $199
• Patriot Viper VP4300 – 1TB – $225
• Seagate FireCuda 530 (Heatsink Variant) – 1TB – $255
• Western Digital Black SN850 (Heatsink Variant) – 1TB – $250

Apart from these ready-to-install NVMes, there are a few others as well that you can purchase and install in your PS5 after a little bit of tinkering that requires a change of a heatsink or installing a heatsink. These include:

• Corsair MP600 Pro – Heatsink Change Required – 1TB – $199
• Inland Performance Plus – Heatsink Change Required – 1TB – $189
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus – Heatsink Installation Required – 1TB – $199
• Samsung 980 Pro – Heatsink Installation Required – 1TB – $199

If you have these NVMes but need to buy a heatsink for them, you can try out the following options that seem to fit in the PS5 perfectly:

• Eluteng M.2 Heatsink
• Glotrends M.2 Heatsink
• IcePC M.2 Copper Heatsink

PS5 NVMe SSD Installation Guide

Now that you have selected and purchase the NVMe for your PS5, it is now time to install it in your console. Sony has covered this aspect in detail on its own website as well however we will detail it here for you as well. If you want pictures as well, you can check out Sony’s official guide. Before installing the NVMe, Sony suggests that you have the following things checked:

• A well-lit room with a table to work on
• A #1 Phillips or cross-head screwdriver
• A small flashlight (optional)

Once you have these three things out of the way, you can follow the steps detailed below to install your NVMe in your PS5:

Note: Don’t power on or play on your console while the cover is off.

1. If it is the first time using your M.2 SSD with your PS5 console, you’ll need to format your M.2 SSD after installing. When you format your M.2 SSD, any data saved on the drive is erased. Data erased this way can’t be recovered, so be careful and make sure you don’t erase important data.
   • Do not turn off the power while saving data or while your M.2 SSD is being formatted. Doing so may cause data loss, corruption, or damage to your M.2 SSD or PS5 console.
   • Do not use an M.2 SSD without a heat-dissipation mechanism, such as a heat sink or heat transfer sheet. Your M.2 SSD may come with such parts or you may need to purchase them separately.
2. Go to Settings > System > System Software > Console Information to check that the latest system version is installed.
3. Press and hold the power button for three seconds to turn off your PS5 console, then remove all cables and devices from the console. Wait a while for the PS5 console to cool down.
4. Place the console on a soft cloth on a flat surface and remove the base.
5. Position the console so that the screw hole for the base is facing you, the PS logo is facedown and the power button is on your left side.
6. Place your palms near the top corners and grip the edge of the cover. Gently pull the cover up and towards yourself. You may hear a click.
7. Remove PS5 console cover
8. The cover lifts away. There is a long rectangular cover over the expansion slot, secured with one screw at the top.
9. Remove the screw from the expansion slot cover (A) and then remove the cover.
10. Remove the screw from the expansion slot cover, next to the fan.
11. Remove the screw (B) and spacer (C), and then adjust the spacer to the size of your M.2 SSD.
12. Remove the screw and spacer from the expansion slot and adjust to the size of your M.2 SSD
13. Hold the edge of your M.2 SSD, align it with the notch on the expansion connector, and then starting from diagonally upward firmly insert it all the way in.
14. Align M.2 SSD with the notch on the expansion connector and firmly insert it in.
15. If you proceed to the next step while your M.2 SSD is incorrectly inserted or not firmly inserted all the way in, it may cause damage to the terminal and your PS5 console.
16. Tilt your M.2 SSD down and fasten it with screws.
17. Fasten the M.2 SSD with screws.
18. Attach the expansion slot cover and fasten the screw.
19. Replace the cover by positioning it slightly away (about 2 cm or 3/4 inch) from the top edge and sliding it back into place. You’ll hear a click when the cover is secured.
20. Replace the PS5 console cover.
21. Connect the AC power cord, cables, and base, and then turn on the power.
22. When your PS5 console turns on, the formatting guide appears. Follow the on-screen instructions and format your M.2 SSD.

Installing PS5 Games Into the NVMe SSD

That is all that you need to know about installing an NVMe SSD from your PS5. Sony also details how you can remove the SSD from your system. We will skip those steps here as you can check them out in the official guide linked above however instead, we will detail how you can install games on your brand-new NVMe SSD now. You can follow the following steps to do so:

• You can download games from PlayStation Store to your M.2 SSD. Go to the home screen and select Settings > Storage > Installation Location to set this up.
• To move games and apps already installed on your console storage:
  • Go to your games home and select Game Library.  Highlight the data you want to move, press the Options button, and then select Move Games and Apps.
  • When you’re using both an M.2 SSD and a USB extended storage drive, go to the Items You Can Move to M.2 SSD Storage tab.  Select the checkboxes for any other games and apps you want to move and select Move.
  • To check your storage space and to move or delete data on your M.2 SSD, go to the home screen and select Settings > Storage > M.2 SSD Storage.

That is all for our PS5 SSD Installation Guide. If you want to add anything to this guide, feel free to use the comments section below.