PS5 SSD's biggest weakness could be fixed this summer — here's how

PS5 SSD's biggest weakness could be fixed this summertime — here's how

(Image credit: Tom'due south Guide)

If you're struggling to manage the storage space on your PS5, there's some skilful news.

Co-ordinate to a report from Bloomberg, Sony is fix to activate the console'southward SSD expansion feature this summer. Hopefully, that'll mean an end to relying on the fast but cramped built-in 825GB storage.

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The PS5'south congenital-in SSD only has 667GB of usable space out of the aforementioned 825GB, and that can make full up quickly if you're not careful — looking at yous Phone call of Duty. So the ability to expand your storage is going to exist invaluable to gamers every bit more and more PS5 games get released.

The PS5 has had a spare M.2 expansion slot since twenty-four hour period one. So in that location'south already infinite to install an extra SSD under the faceplate. The problem is that Sony hasn't activated the characteristic all the same, so any extra drives yous endeavour and add will be completely useless, though you'd need Sony-approved PCIe 4.0 SSDs anyway that aren't available yet.

Yous tin can plug external USB drives into the PS5, only they volition only let y'all play PS4 games. Information technology's useful for saving space, peculiarly if you're playing a championship that requires over 100GB of storage; games similar Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

PS5 summer upgrade coming

Sony has already confirmed that SSD expansion will arrive equally function of a future PS5 firmware update, and now we know some more details. Aside from a summer launch, Bloomberg reported that information technology volition as well increase the speed of the PS5'due south cooling fans.

That makes sense when you call back about it. Since PS5 games will only run on an SDD of equal or greater speed to the panel's internal drive, that's going to generate a lot of heat.

A Sony spokesperson didn't comment on the summer rollout when asked by Bloomberg. Instead, they simply confirmed that the PS5 would be getting Thou.two storage expansion at an unspecified bespeak in the almost futurity. Still, if Bloomberg's sources are right, we don't have very long for Sony to get its SSD upgrade process in place.

Unfortunately having a launch window is but half of the story. Sony however needs to announce what kinds of third-party SSDs will be compatible with the PS5, which companies will develop them, and how much they're going to cost.

Hopefully, nosotros shouldn't finish up in the same situation every bit the Xbox Series Ten and Xbox Series South. Microsoft'south consoles already let you lot expand your SSD storage, only just via $220 proprietary "Expansion Cards." As far equally we know Seagate is the only company making these cards, which ways you won't get multiple companies trying to undercut each other on price.

Everything we've seen suggests the PS5 is not using a proprietary design or handing off expansion duties to a single third-party visitor. That ways as fourth dimension goes on, and more PS5-compatible drives arrive on store shelves, the price should slowly subtract.

But nosotros actually need to exist able to use the drives first, and it's notwithstanding not clear why Sony didn't make this feature available on solar day one. Still, not long to wait now. Assuming you've been able to find where to buy PS5, that is.

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Tom is the Tom's Guide's Automotive Editor, which ways he tin can commonly exist found knee deep in stats the latest and best electric cars, or checking out some sort of driving gadget. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, when pretty much everything was on the table. He's usually constitute trying to squeeze some other giant Lego set up onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining that Ikea won't let him buy the stuff he actually needs online.