Best Internal SSD for PS5 and PS5 Pro (2026): 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB Picks
A PS5 and a bare Samsung 990 PRO. The PS5 needs the heatsink version recommended below. PS5 photo: Gianlupisa1. SSD photo: Dinkun Chen. Both CC BY-SA 4.0.
PS5 SSD picks
For most people, the Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink 2TB is the drive to buy. Samsung says it is compatible with the PS5, its heatsink is thin enough for the slot, and Amazon sells it directly. The Crucial P310 with Heatsink is the cheapest drive here that meets Sony's specs. Buyers who want a drive Sony has licensed should look at the SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 850P, which costs much more for the same speed class.
SSD prices rose sharply in 2026 because of a NAND flash shortage, so a 1 TB drive is a sensible size this year if a 2 TB one costs more than you want to spend. The prices quoted below were on Amazon on October 23.
Sony's rules for a PS5 SSD
Sony's M.2 SSD support page lists these requirements:
- Interface: PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD (Key M). M.2 SATA drives don't work.
- Capacity: 250 GB to 8 TB.
- Size: 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, or 22110, up to 25 mm wide.
- Speed: a sequential read of 5,500 MB/s or faster is recommended.
- Cooling: a heatsink or heat transfer sheet is required. Including the heatsink, the drive can be up to 11.25 mm thick, with up to 8 mm above the board and up to 2.45 mm below it.
Sony also says not to add a heatsink to a drive that already has one, that Host Memory Buffer (HMB) isn't supported, and that it can't guarantee every drive meeting these specs will work. The page doesn't list PCIe Gen5, so a Gen5 drive like the Samsung 9100 PRO would run at Gen4 speed in the PS5's slot at a much higher price.
Every drive in this guide is a 2280 PCIe Gen4 drive that comes with its own heatsink, so there is nothing extra to buy or fit.
How much space you need
The original PS5 shipped with an 825 GB SSD, the slim model with 1 TB, and the PS5 Pro with 2 TB, and some of that space is reserved for system software. Big games often take 100 GB or more with updates, so a 1 TB drive roughly doubles the room on an original PS5. A 2 TB drive suits anyone who buys most games digitally, and a 4 TB drive means rarely deleting anything.
Quick comparison
| Drive | Capacities with heatsink | Rated read / write | Endurance (TBW) | Warranty | PS5 status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink | 1, 2, 4 TB | 7,450 / 6,900 MB/s | 600 / 1,200 / 2,400 | 5 years limited | Compatible, per Samsung |
| Crucial P310 with Heatsink | 1, 2, 4 TB | 7,100 / 6,000 MB/s | 220 / 440 / 800, per retailers | 5 years limited | Compatible, per Crucial |
| SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 850P | 1, 2, 4, 8 TB | Up to 7,300 / 6,600 MB/s | 600 / 1,200 / 2,400 / 4,800, per 3DNews | 5 years limited | Officially licensed |
| SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 850X with Heatsink | 1, 2, 4, 8 TB | Up to 7,300 / 6,600 MB/s | Up to 4,800 (8 TB) | 5 years limited | Works with PS5, per its Amazon listing |
Read and write figures are the makers' ratings for the 2 TB models. All four drives are well above Sony's recommended 5,500 MB/s, so price, capacity, and endurance separate them more than speed does.
Best for most people: Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink
Check the Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink 2TB price on Amazon Check the Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink 1TB price on AmazonThe Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink is rated at up to 7,450 MB/s read and 6,900 MB/s write. Samsung's datasheet gives a maximum size of 80.15 x 25 x 8.88 mm with the heatsink, inside Sony's 11.25 mm limit, and Samsung's Amazon listing says it is compatible with the PlayStation 5. It is rated for 600 TBW at 1 TB and 1,200 TBW at 2 TB, with a 5-year limited warranty.
The 2 TB model was $566.70 on Amazon on October 23, sold by Amazon, and the 1 TB was $303.49. That is a lot for a console drive, and the 1 TB version is the better buy for anyone who only needs to double an original PS5's storage.
It is also on eBay, where sealed and open-box drives sometimes sell for less. Check that the listing is the heatsink model (MZ-V9P2T0CW for 2 TB), since the bare 990 PRO needs a separate heatsink in a PS5.
Best budget pick: Crucial P310 with Heatsink
Check the Crucial P310 with Heatsink 1TB price on Amazon Check the Crucial P310 with Heatsink 2TB price on AmazonThe Crucial P310 with Heatsink (CT1000P310SSD5 and CT2000P310SSD5) is rated at up to 7,100 MB/s read and 6,000 MB/s write, and its Amazon listing names the PlayStation 5 as a supported device. The 1 TB model was $174.99 on Amazon on October 23 and the 2 TB was $329.50, both well under the Samsung.
The trade-off is endurance. Retailer listings give the P310 220 TBW at 1 TB and 440 TBW at 2 TB, a little over a third of the Samsung's rating. A PS5 mostly reads game data and writes far less than a PC, so that rating is unlikely to matter in a console, but the Samsung is the better choice for a drive that might later move to a PC. Both carry a 5-year limited warranty.
On October 23, both P310 listings on Amazon were sold by third-party sellers, not Amazon itself, so check the seller and return policy before buying.
Officially licensed: SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 850P
Check the SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 850P 2TB price on AmazonLike the WD_BLACK SN850P before it, the SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 850P is sold as a PS5 drive, and its Amazon listing says it is "officially licensed" for both the PS5 and PS5 Pro. It ships with a heatsink designed for the console's slot and is rated at up to 7,300 MB/s read. StorageReview reports a 5-year limited warranty and 600 TBW for the 1 TB model.
The license is the reason to buy it, since it rules out any question about fit. It is also the most expensive way to get a PS5 drive this year, which is why Tom's Hardware titled its review "A PS5 SSD you recognize at a price you don't." The 2 TB model was $609.99 on Amazon on October 23. The Samsung and Crucial drives above meet the same specs for less.
Same drive, no license: SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 850X with Heatsink
Check the SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 850X 2TB price on AmazonThe WD_BLACK SN850X was a common PS5 pick for years. The old WD_BLACK listing on Amazon now says the drive "has been replaced" by the SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 850X, after Western Digital spun its flash business off as SanDisk in 2025. The 850X with Heatsink is rated at up to 7,300 MB/s read and 6,600 MB/s write at 2 TB, uses TLC NAND, and has an RGB-lit heatsink. Its Amazon listing title says it works with PlayStation 5. The 2 TB model was $549.99 on Amazon on October 23, sold by Amazon.
It is worth buying when it costs less than the 990 PRO. The leftover WD_BLACK SN850X listings on Amazon were sold by third-party sellers on October 23.
Most room: Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink 4TB
Check the Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink 4TB price on AmazonThe 4 TB 990 PRO with Heatsink has the same speed and heatsink as the 2 TB model and a 2,400 TBW rating. It suits anyone with a large digital library who doesn't want to manage storage again. Sony supports drives up to 8 TB, and the 850P and 850X both come in 8 TB, but 3DNews reports the 8 TB 850P launched at $2,959.99.
Installing the drive
- Update the PS5 to the latest system software and turn it off completely, not into rest mode. Unplug it.
- Remove the cover. Sony's page has separate steps for the original console (CFI-1000 model group) and for the slim and Pro models (CFI-2000 and CFI-7000 model groups).
- Unscrew the expansion slot cover, move the spacer to the hole that matches the drive's length (80 mm for every drive here), insert the drive, and screw it down.
- Put the covers back, turn the PS5 on, and follow the prompt to format the drive.
Formatting erases the drive. After that, the PS5 can install games directly to it or move games from the internal SSD in the Storage settings.
PS5 SSD FAQ
Does a PS5 SSD need a heatsink?
Sony requires a heatsink or a heat transfer sheet. Every drive in this guide comes with one.
Can I use a PCIe Gen5 SSD in a PS5?
Sony lists only PCIe Gen4 x4. A Gen5 drive would run no faster than a Gen4 one in the PS5 and costs more.
Do PS5 games run slower from an expansion SSD?
Sony says it can't guarantee every game will perform the same as on the internal SSD. A drive above the recommended 5,500 MB/s, like all of these, is the safest choice.
Does the PS5 Pro use the same SSD slot?
Yes. The PS5 Pro is in the CFI-7000 model group, which Sony's page covers alongside the slim model, and SanDisk lists the 850P as licensed for both the PS5 and PS5 Pro.
Can I play PS5 games from a USB drive instead?
A USB drive can store PS5 games, but they have to be moved back to the internal SSD or an M.2 SSD to play. PS4 games can play directly from USB storage. For a portable drive, see our portable SSD comparison.
Final verdict
The Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink is the PS5 drive to buy, at 1 TB or 2 TB depending on budget. The Crucial P310 with Heatsink saves a lot of money and is fast enough for a console, at the cost of a lower endurance rating. The SanDisk Optimus GX PRO 850P is for buyers who want a Sony-licensed drive and will pay for it. With SSD prices this high, Black Friday on November 27 is a good time to watch all of them.
Where to buy
Where to buy
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