Sony Details Requirements to Upgrade PS5 Storage with M.2 SSD

Sony has announced that select PlayStation 5 (PS5) owners will finally be able to expand their hard drive storage with an M.2 SSD, and it’s a bit complicated. As revealed in a post on its website, beta users in the United States, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, Germany, and France will be able to upgrade their consoles with more fast storage later today – if it’s compatible, of course. Sony notes that, as the update is still in its beta stage, the specifications detailed today could change before the official release rolls around to the public.

Those looking to upgrade from the base storage of 667 GB in PS5 will need a PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSD with read speeds of at least 5,500MB/s. You’ll need a cooling structure like a heatsink, and single- and double-sided formats are supported for those who want to attach it on their own. Some M.2 SSDs have heatsinks built in though, potentially saving buyers the hassle. The total size of the M.2 SSD, including its cooling structure, should be smaller than 110mm (L) x 25mm (W) x 11.25mm (H). To make sure you’re grabbing the right tech, you can look for the following numbers in M.2 SSD retail listings: 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, and 22110. Seagate has confirmed hardware that is compatible with PlayStation 5.

Once you’ve found a list of compatible M.2 SSDs, you can choose how large you want your storage upgrade to be. Depending on what you’re looking for, you can upgrade with as little as 250 GB or as much as 4 TB of space. Again, the option to add M.2 SSD storage is only available to those in the PlayStation 5 beta program. It is unclear when the feature will make its way to the public.

However, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) also offered a disclaimer, saying, “SIE cannot guarantee that all M.2 SSD devices meeting the described specifications will work with your console and assumes no responsibility for the selection, performance or use of third-party products.” Moreover, the company adds that not all games running with the M.2 SSD will feature the same performance seen on the PlayStation 5’s built-in SSD.

The option to upgrade your PlayStation 5 storage comes as only a piece of a wider update for console players in the beta, which includes 3D audio support for built-in TV speakers. The update will eventually make its way to all owners of the console just as any other update does, but if you’d like to register for the beta program, you can head to the registration page.