A PS5 accepts a standard M.2 NVMe SSD in its expansion slot, and games installed on it play exactly like they do on the internal drive. The drive must be PCIe Gen4, between 250 GB and 8 TB, and it needs a heatsink or heat transfer sheet. All of this is from Sony’s M.2 SSD support page. It’s the only way to add space you can play current PS5 games from.
Sony’s requirements
| Requirement | What Sony specifies |
|---|---|
| Interface | PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe (M.2 SATA drives don't work) |
| Capacity | 250 GB to 8 TB |
| Form factor | 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 or 22110 |
| Size with cooling | Up to 25 mm wide and 11.25 mm thick |
| Speed | 5,500 MB/s sequential read or faster recommended |
| Cooling | A heatsink or heat transfer sheet is required |
The most common choice is a 2280 drive. Many are sold with a PS5-sized heatsink already attached, which is the easiest option. If your drive has a built-in heatsink, don’t add a second one.
What size to buy
- 1 TB roughly doubles a base PS5’s game space and fits several big games.
- 2 TB is the sweet spot if you keep a lot installed, and usually the best price per gigabyte.
- 4 TB and up for people who never want to delete anything.
With new games regularly passing 100 GB, a 250 GB or 500 GB drive fills up quickly. Unless money is very tight, start at 1 TB.
How to install it
- Update your PS5 to the latest system software.
- Turn the console fully off (not rest mode) and unplug everything. Let it cool.
- Remove the cover. On the original PS5, the panel slides off; on the Slim and Pro, the cover lifts off after a release step. Sony’s page shows each model.
- Unscrew the expansion slot cover, insert the SSD at an angle, press it flat and secure it with the screw.
- Replace the covers, reconnect and power on. The PS5 offers to format the drive. Accept.
- Sony’s page has model-specific photos; follow them if your model looks different.
The formatting step erases anything already on the SSD. After that, the PS5 shows a read speed test, and you can choose where new games install.
What about a USB drive?
A USB drive is cheaper and needs no tools, but it has a limit: you can store PS5 games on it, but you can’t play them from it. You have to copy them back to the internal drive or the M.2 SSD first. PS4 games can play directly from USB.
That still makes USB useful: park games you’re not playing there, and copying them back is much faster than redownloading.
Is it worth doing for GTA 6?
If your free space is under 200 GB, yes, or at least clear space now. Rockstar hasn’t published a size, but it will be large. See GTA 6 file size for estimates and the real usable space on each console.