Sony launches beta to expand SSD storage

One of the most anticipated features of the PlayStation 5, and one that was unfortunately not available at launch, is the ability to expand the SSD storage. After several months of waiting, it seems that the arrival of the aforementioned support is just around the corner. And is that the latest beta of the PS5 firmware now allows you to install M.2 SSD drives in the available internal slot.

While you can currently connect external drives via the USB ports, it is not possible to run PlayStation 5 games, only store them. The reason? These games require ultra-fast storage drives whose speeds can only be achieved by standard PCIe 4.0

. And although the console has a slot to connect the appropriate drives (M.2), it is disabled at the software level.

The next big update to the PlayStation 5 will allow, precisely, to use the M.2 SSDs to expand the storage. Today’s games take up too much space and the console’s 825GB surely falls short for the vast majority of gamers. Now, Sony clarifies that units must meet a feature series

to function properly. It is important that you take them into account before opening the wallet.

First of all, the SSD must have a 5,500 MB / s minimum read speed. Any higher figure is supported. Likewise, it is mandatory that it be a unit M.2 y PCIe 4.0. Sony notes that using an M.2 SSD on the PlayStation 5 involves making sure there is “effective heat dissipation”, so recommends accompanying the unit with its own heat sink

(heatsink). It is worth mentioning that many proposals on the market already include this cooling structure.

Regarding the capacity, the PS5 will be able to accept M.2 SSDs between 250GB and 4TB. Have no doubts that over the next few weeks we will see many storage unit manufacturers offering their M.2 solutions for the PlayStation 5. However, you can currently find some products that align with Sony’s requirements, such as the Samsung 980 Pro or the Western Digital 850. The second incorporates a heat sink.