Sony has announced the first major software update for PS5, which includes important new features for game storage. In this sense, the PS5 update, which will arrive on April 14, finally opens the door to using external storage for PS5 games.
Of course, before taking out the champagne, this PS5 update still does not activate the internal bay to connect M.2-type SSDs and expand the external storage. For now, you have to settle for the possibility of store PS5 games on an external USB, something that until now was not possible.
Store PS5 games on an external USB, but don’t run them
In this way, starting tomorrow, the update will be able to save your entire library of PS5 games on compatible external USB drives. PS5 games will have to be transferred to USB extended storage from the console’s internal storage, as there are some drawbacks.
And yes, you read correctly: store, do not execute. The console will allow you to store the games although to run them, if they are from PS5, you will have to dump them back to the internal storage.
According to Sony, as PS5 games are designed to take advantage of the console’s ultra-high-speed SSD, they cannot be run from USB extended storage. And they will not be able to be downloaded directly to the external disk, just copy them from internal storage to USB.
However, games that are transferred or copied to internal storage will be will update automatically where appropriate. In addition, you can select which game modes you want to install (such as campaign or multiplayer).
The M.2 bay will not be usable yet
At the moment, the company does not comment on when it will activate the M.2 bay to expand internal storage, something that is expected well into the summer with the next big console update.
It is a small step but very necessary, but at the moment with a somewhat limited functionality if we have to be copying or transferring games from an external disk to the internal disk. An interesting PS5 update, but one that is missing more options such as the aforementioned storage through the M.2 SSD for which we still do not have a date.
