The best SSDs for the PS5
74 drives meet the rule below, 60 of them with a live Amazon listing. Sony publishes a specification for PS5 storage expansion. Every drive on this page meets the three parts of it we can verify from manufacturer data: M.2 NVMe, PCIe 4.0 or faster, and a rated sequential read of at least 5,500 MB/s.
What is on this list
A drive is included when it meets all of:
- M.2 form factor
- NVMe on PCIe 4.0 or faster
- Rated sequential read of 5,500 MB/s or more, which is Sony's published recommendation
What this data does not tell you:
- Sony also requires a heatsink and limits the total height of drive plus heatsink. This catalogue records a heatsink for only some drives, so check the specific model before buying.
- The console accepts 2230 through 22110 lengths. Where a length is not published in our source data it is not shown, so confirm it on the product listing.
Ranked by read
The top 20 of 74 are listed. The full SSD catalogue filters on every spec.
| # | Model | Tier | Controller | Read MB/s | TBW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Sabrent ROCKET 4 PLUS 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Top-tier | Phison PS5018-E18 (TSMC 12nm, 8 Ca | 7200 | 2800 | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 |  Samsung 980 PRO 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | SAMSUNG ELPIS CONTROLLER (Samsung | 7000 | 1200 | Check price on Amazon |
| 3 |  TeamGroup CARDEA A440 M.2 PCIe 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | Phison PS5018-E18 (TSMC 12nm, 8 Ca | 7000 | 1400 | Check price on Amazon |
| 4 |  ADATA XPG GAMMIX S70 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | Innogrit IG5236 “Rainier” Controll | 7400 | 1480 | Find on Amazon |
| 5 |  ADATA XPG GAMMIX S70 BLADE 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | Innogrit IG5236 “Rainier” Controll | 7400 | 1480 | Find on Amazon |
| 6 |  Patriot VIPER GAMING VP4300 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | Innogrit IG5236 “Rainier” Controll | 7400 | 2000 | Find on Amazon |
| 7 |  Mushkin GAMMA 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | Phison PS5018-E18 (TSMC 12nm, 8 Ca | 7175 | 1400 | Find on Amazon |
| 8 |  Addlink S95 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | Phison PS5018-E18 (TSMC 12nm, 8 Ca | 7100 | 1400 | Find on Amazon |
| 9 |  Western Digital WD BLACK™ SN850 NVMe 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | WD_BLACK G2 | Sandisk Modelo 20-82 | 7000 | 1200 | Find on Amazon |
| 10 |  Anacomda i4 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | Phison PS5018-E18 (TSMC 12nm, 8 Ca | 7000 | — | Find on Amazon |
| 11 |  Corsair Gen4 PCIe MP600 Pro 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | Phison PS5018-E18 (TSMC 12nm, 8 Ca | 7000 | 1400 | Find on Amazon |
| 12 | Top-tier | Phison PS5018-E18 (TSMC 12nm, 8 Ca | 7000 | 1400 | Find on Amazon | |
| 13 |  Galax HALL OF FAME EXTREME 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | Top-tier | Phison PS5018-E18 (TSMC 12nm, 8 Ca | 7000 | — | Find on Amazon |
| 14 |  Gigabyte Aorus Gen4 7000s 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | Phison PS5018-E18 (TSMC 12nm, 8 Ca | 7000 | 1400 | Find on Amazon |
| 15 |  Gigabyte AORUS Gen4 7000s Premium 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | Phison PS5018-E18 (TSMC 12nm, 8 Ca | 7000 | 1400 | Find on Amazon |
| 16 |  MSI SPATIUM M480 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | — | 7000 | 1400 | Find on Amazon |
| 17 |  Reletech P400 EVO 500GB, 1TB, 2TB | Top-tier | Phison PS5018-E18 (TSMC 12nm, 8 Ca | 7000 | — | Find on Amazon |
| 18 | Corsair MP700 Pro XT 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | High-end | Phison E28 | 14900 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 19 | Crucial T710 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | High-end | Silicon Motion SM2508 | 14900 | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 20 | PNY CS3250 1TB, 2TB, 4TB | High-end | Phison E28 | 14900 | — | Check price on Amazon |
What Sony actually asks for
The requirement is an M.2 NVMe drive on PCIe Gen4 with a recommended sequential read of 5,500 MB/s, fitted with a heatsink, in a length the bay accepts. The read-speed figure is a recommendation rather than a hard block, but it is the number Sony names, so it is the line drawn here.
The heatsink is not optional in practice
The expansion bay has no airflow of its own. Drives sold with a low-profile heatsink already fitted are the simplest route; a bare drive plus a separate heatsink works too, as long as the combined height clears the cover.
Capacity is the real decision
PS5 titles are large and the internal drive fills quickly. Since the expansion slot is a single bay, the practical approach is to buy the largest capacity you are willing to pay for rather than planning to swap drives later.
Common questions
Will a PCIe 5.0 drive work in a PS5?
Yes. Gen5 drives run at Gen4 speed in the console, so they work but give no benefit over a good Gen4 drive. They also run hotter, which matters in an enclosed bay.
What happens if the drive is slower than 5,500 MB/s?
The console will generally still accept it, and Sony warns that games may not perform as intended. Since drives meeting the figure are widely available, there is little reason to go below it.
Can I use a 2.5-inch SATA SSD with a PS5?
Not for PS5 games. A SATA drive connected over USB can store PS5 titles and play PS4 titles, but PS5 games have to run from the internal drive or the M.2 expansion bay.