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When the PlayStation 5 was launched in 2020, it signaled a second of prowess within the console house — providing spectacular efficiency for the worth and garnering constructive suggestions, together with from our PlayStation 5 review. The system initially got here in two configurations, one with a disc drive and one with out. In at present’s gaming world, gamers could favor to go for digital solely video games for comfort and to remove the necessity for bodily storage on their cabinets.
However this does depart you contemplating the dimensions of the exhausting drive loaded into the PS5. That inside storage is precisely the realm customers may need to replace. Whereas among the newer PS5 fashions do function extra storage than the unique, you may nonetheless be going through the truth that your digital storage capability is more likely to run out in some unspecified time in the future — and somewhat shortly in case you’re downloading giant video games.
That is why one of many least expensive and best upgrades you are able to do to a PlayStation 5 system is to swap in a brand new, bigger solid-state drive (SSD). Along with these drives being extra dependable than mechanical drives (as outlined in our guide on SSDs versus hard drives), they’re additionally quick, easy-to-use storage in your console.
Why you must improve the PS5’s storage
The unique PS5 system launched with an marketed 825-gigabyte solid-state drive. Which means, if you issue within the system knowledge out of the field, you are already right down to round 660 gigs of storage. With triple-A recreation titles climbing up over 200 gigabytes simply to put in and play, that is not quite a lot of house. Even when you think about the newer PS5 Professional mannequin with its two terabytes of capability, you are working towards storage limitations in case you wish to hold your video games on the system instantly.
So clearly there is a cap throughout the PS5 itself, however what is the worth in upgrading? Together with being a comparatively straightforward improve, there are a pair different issues to contemplate. For those who took benefit of the latest PlayStation 5 Black Friday deals, remember that it might probably accommodate including a further SSD with a storage capability of as much as eight terabytes, supplying you with greater than eight occasions the quantity of storage that the system’s built-in drive presents.
This provides you a protracted runway for recreation installs and reduces among the frustration of getting to delete one recreation so as to add one other. What’s extra, SSDs might be comparatively low-cost PS5 upgrades. Take into account, for instance, the WD_Black SN850X SSD, which supplies you a further terabyte of house for $150.
Tips on how to set up an SSD in your PS5
Fortunately, Sony has thought-about user-friendliness in the case of including an SSD to your PlayStation. Merely take away the white plate on one facet to show a surface-mounted M.2 SSD slot. Earlier than you head to Amazon to order a brand new drive, although, make sure to take a look at the necessities of the SSD, as there are spec and measurement issues. Some SSDs on Amazon are marketed to assist the PlayStation5, which takes out the guesswork, relying on the mannequin you are taking a look at.
As soon as you’ve got bought a suitable SSD, it is so simple as discovering that M.2 slot on the PS5 underneath its cowl, unscrewing the M.2 flap, and utilizing a spacer if essential to screw a brand new SSD proper into the system. Then reattach every part, and also you’re completed. PlayStation notes that new drives will probably should be formatted by the system, so make certain there isn’t any essential knowledge in your SSD. The system ought to deal with setting it up for you, and then you definately’re good to load extra video games onto your console — no electronics experience or main gadget surgical procedure wanted.
