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I upgraded my PS5 SSD — and the results were surprising

I upgraded my PS5 SSD — and the results were surprising

PS5
(Image credit: Phil Barker/Futurity Publishing via Getty Images)

Before this week I was fortunate plenty to gain access to the first PS5 software beta. This update adds a range of new features on the PS5, but the headline part is the ability to expand the console'south stock 825GB SSD.

Other new features added in the beta update include displaying PS4 and PS5 games equally separate, which partially solves one of the console'due south biggest problems. Plus, you can now view your trophy listing vertically, which is a godsend. However, the unlocking of the SSD expansion slot was definitely the feature I was most curious to experiment with.

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I tin't say that I've had significant storage issues with my PS5 then far, thanks in big function to some of the smart storage solutions that the PS5 offers; nonetheless, more space is always welcome. Plus, adding an additional SSD means that when the falls heavy hitters like Battlefield 2042, Deathloop and Far Cry half dozen release I'll have space to store them all.

And then, afterwards installing the software beta on my PS5 and picking upwardly a compatible SSD I was ready to brainstorm the upgrading process. Here's how it went.

Picking the perfect SSD

WD_Black SN850

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Perchance the hardest office about installing an boosted SSD on a PS5 is actually choosing which drive to buy.

Sony has released a lengthy list of recommendations but every bit of now, in that location isn't an official compatibility list. Some manufacturers such equally Western Digital and Samsung have fabricated social media posts claiming sure products will fit into the PS5 expansion slot, but all have been very careful to skirt around direct confirmation that these drives will part without issue.

Of course, the ability to add an additional SSD is currently in beta then perchance once it's been thoroughly vetted by kickoff adopters such as myself Sony will release a physical listing of recommended drives. Nevertheless, right now the process of picking an SSD requires doing a lot of checks to ensure your called drive hits all the specifications.

Thankfully with each passing mean solar day, the procedure is getting a little easier. At present that the software beta has been available to select participants for nearly two weeks the cyberspace is already filled with comparisons videos, walkthroughs, and SSD guides from both media outlets and tech enthusiasts.

After doing a couple of hours of inquiry, I opted for the WD_Black SN850 NVMe SSD. My reasoning was ii-fold: Western Digital is a reputable manufacturer and it'south the SSD the console's atomic number 82 organization architect went for. If the designer of the PS5 thinks the SN850 is good enough for his console, and so I'm happy to have it in mine.

I purchased a 1TB SN850 SSD (with an included heatsink, per Sony'southward recommendation) from the official Western Digital store for £197 ($270) and was pleased with my selection. Although, I decided against checking my now depleted bank residue afterward.

No installations bug here

PS5 SN850 SSD

(Image credit: Tom'due south Guide)

Much has been made of the simplicity of installing the Xbox Serial 10 expansion carte du jour compared to the relative complexity that comes with adding an SSD to the PS5, however, the procedure really isn't that hard in practice.

Sure, it involves physically screwing the SSD into place, but anyone able to semi-competently wield a screwdriver shouldn't accept any problems. In fact, I found removing the PS5's faceplate the hardest part of the installation as I was worried about exerting likewise much force and snapping the thing in half.

Once you've removed the bottom faceplate you lot just need to open the expansion slot (which involves removing a unmarried screw) and then remove a supplied screw and spacer, click your chosen SSD into place and spiral it in. It's a unproblematic process, that only took me about 3 minutes and would have been less if I wasn't overly cautious to avoid stripping the screws.

PS5 SN850 SSD

(Image credit: Tom'due south Guide)

In my view, the benefits of Sony's approach to SSD expansion profoundly outweigh the perceived drawbacks. With Xbox Series 10 you have no option but to buy a proprietary expansion card; notwithstanding, on PS5 you take various third-party options to choose from and can select an SSD that best suits your needs and budget.

With my SN850 installed, I snapped the PS5 faceplate back into place with a satisfying click and was set to test out my new SSD.

Reaching new speeds

PS5 UI with SN850 SSD installed

(Image credit: Sony)

Switching on my PS5 I was greeted with a popup window informing me the console had detected an SSD in the expansion slot.

The formatting process took mere seconds, and the adjacent screen told me the SN850 registered a read speed of 6540.174 MB/south which is really more the PS5 internal drive (5500 MB/due south). I was impressed.

Unlike adding a new hard drive to the PS4, adding a new SSD to the PS5 doesn't replace the stock internal bulldoze which means yous get the new storage capacity in addition to what the console offers every bit standard. After adding the SN850 my PS5 has a hefty ane.6TB of storage or near 11.four copies of Call of Duty: Blackness Ops Cold War.

Of grade, extra storage is only useful if it can match the impressive functioning of the PS5's internal drive. And then I loaded upwardly a selection of PS5 titles, and some PS4 games running in backwards compatibility mode, to test out the SN850's capabilities.

You can run across my results in the table beneath. For reference, in society to test loading times, I timed how long it took a game to cold kicking from the PS5 abode screen into the first instance of gameplay.

Transfer to SN850 SSD Transfer to PS5 SDD Loading time on SN850 SSD Loading fourth dimension on PS5 SSD
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart 0:30:97 2:34:97 0:32:21 0:32:20
Spider-Man: Miles Morales 0:33:21 2:55:21 0:eighteen:27 0:eighteen:94
Returnal 0:45:82 4:05:24 0:27:xv 0:28:35
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (PS4) 1:18:76 7:47:94 0:54:04 0:54:12
The Last of Us Role Two (PS4) 0:54:63 5:38:38 one:25:22 1:31:95

The results are pretty impressive. Not just does the SN850 friction match the PS5 bulldoze, in several instances, it actually beat out the internal SSD by a few seconds. Other outlets accept observed like results so if you were worried about performance earlier forking out for a new SSD, don't be.

Should you upgrade your PS5 SSD?

My experience upgrading my PS5 has been remarkably straightforward. Installing the SN850 SSD was a breeze, and the performance results speak for themselves.

Certain, picking a bulldoze was slightly inconvenient simply that's thanks in large part to the expansion characteristic still being in beta. One time this software update is bachelor to all PS5 owners there volition exist an abundance of real-world testing to help you brand an informed choice.

This early into the generation you probably don't demand to add together an additional SSD, as fifty-fifty with a selection of the best PS5 games installed you'll probably yet have space to spare. Plus, if you lot wait even a few months the eyewatering prices of the available drives that hit the required benchmarks may accept come downwards.

However, if you lot already have a large library of PS5 games or loath having to regularly reinstall titles and then I tin thoroughly recommend adding an additional SSD to your PS5.

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Rory is a staff author at Tom's Guide based in the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland. He covers a wide range of topics including tech news, deals, gaming, streaming and more than. When he's not writing hot takes on the latest gaming hardware and streaming shows, he can be found watching a deadline unhealthy amount of movies and beingness thoroughly disappointed past his terrible football team.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/opinion/i-upgraded-my-ps5-ssd-and-the-results-were-surprising

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