Sony began beta testing the first software update for the PS5 today and includes support for M.2 SSD expandable storage. The long-awaited feature is currently available to testers and will be rolling out to all PS5 consoles later this year. We’ll have to test various drives with the PS5, but right now Sony requires at least one PCIe Gen4 SSD with a minimum capacity of 250GB. Sony also recommends a 5,500MB/s drive, but slower Gen4 drives may still be supported.
I tested Corsair’s Force MP600 (2TB) with a PS5 with lower read speeds (4,950MB/s) than Sony recommends, and a colleague confirmed that the Sabrent Rocket (500GB, rated at 5,000MB/s) was correct. well too. It’s super easy to set up and get everything up and running in less than two minutes. Here’s how it all works:
- To use expandable storage on PS5, you must remove the side panels from the console. Make sure to unplug the power cord and then follow this. really helpful youtube video on how to remove the side panels correctly. It’s a bit of a hassle, but the PS5 is solid, so don’t worry, you won’t break the panels.
- After removing both panels, you should find the M.2 SSD slot. It is on the left side of the fan; it’s on the side of the PS5’s disk drive. You will need a screwdriver to remove the cover on the M.2 SSD bay and remove the screw that secures your drive in place.
- Once the cover is removed, you will find a black screw provided by Sony at the very top of the slot. Unscrew this and use it to hold your SSD in place. Sony recommends using a cooler M.2 SSD; so if you bought a Gen4 without one, there are various heatsinks you can buy to plug into SSDs to help with cooling.
- Now that the M.2 SSD is in place, you can replace the cover in the slot and then gently slide the side panels into place on either side. Reconnect the power cable and start your PS5.
- If your M.2 SSD is not compatible, you will be greeted with a warning that you need a Gen4 drive with at least 256GB of space from your PS5. Otherwise, you’ll have to go ahead and format the drive for use on the PS5. If you are using it on other systems, be sure to back up all data on the drive.
- Formatting took less than 10 seconds on my Corsair Force MP600 (2TB). Once the format is complete, the PS5 will quickly test the drive speed and warn you if you have problems with a game installed on an M.2 SSD, try moving the game to internal storage.
- You can then freely move installed games to M.2 SSD storage or install new games directly from PlayStation Store to storage. It took about 30 seconds to move during the test Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart from internal storage to Corsair Force MP600 Pro (2TB) drive.
Support for Sony’s new PS5 M.2 SSD is in beta, so we’re still waiting to hear from SSD manufacturers about all supported drives. Seagate is the first to confirm that its FireCuda 530 drives are compatible with the PS5, and we tested both Corsair’s Force MP600 and Corsair’s Force MP600. this Sabrent Rocket To confirm they work just fine on PS5 (although no heatsink installed). We’ll have more details on supported drives as manufacturers confirm SSD lists.
Update at 4:01 PM ET: Added first-hand confirmation that Sabrent Rocket Gen 4 is also working.
