Upgrade your PS5 and PS5 Pro with an external SSD

Sony took its first steps into the current console gaming generation in 2020 with the release of the PlayStation® 5 (PS5) and then followed by the mid-generation upgrade, the PlayStation® 5 Pro, in 2024. The PS5 is the highly anticipated follow-up to the PS4 console that brings big boosts to performance, higher console framerates, haptic controller feedback, 4K upscaling and ray tracing capabilities. 

One specification that didn’t change much with the generational jump is the default storage size of the internal drive. The PS4 launched with 500GB, 1TB and 2TB storage options, while the PS5 launched with just under 1TB of internal storage (the Pro launched with 2TB).  

Despite games getting much larger in size between the PS4 and PS5, the factory storage sizes didn’t grow much (or at all) to accommodate that growth. Luckily, both the PS5 and PS5 Pro are super easy to upgrade with a fast and convenient external SSD. 

The base PS5 boasts 4K gaming capabilities with up to 120 frames per second (FPS) and 4K support on select titles. AMD makes up the PS5 internals and utilizes Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures, making the PS5 quite more powerful than the PS4. The PS5 comes standard with an 825GB internal NVMe SSD and an additional slot for a supported internal M.2 NVMe SSD, like the Crucial T500 NVMe SSD. The console also supports external SSDs to store modern games and play older titles. 

The PS5 Pro targets 1440p (4K) resolution gaming with support for up to 120 FPS on select titles. Like its less powerful and older sibling, the PS5 Pro is powered by AMD’s Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures. The Pro version comes equipped with a bigger 2TB internal storage in addition to the second internal M.2 slot but lacks an optical disc drive. Another big addition for the PS5 Pro was PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), Sony’s proprietary AI-based image upscaling technology. 

The PS5 and PS5 Pro are backwards compatible with only the previous generation of games on PS4, but they can be played directly from a compatible external SSD connected to the PS5. While only older titles can be played directly off the drive, your entire gaming library can easily be transferred to the console with Crucial external SSDs. 

There are some specific requirements for external SSDs to be able to connect with your PS5 or PS5 Pro: 

• SuperSpeed USB 5Gbps or later (cannot connect through a USB hub)
• At least 250GB storage with 8TB maximum capacity
• Only two storage devices connected to the console at one time  
  

Note: The drive will be formatted, so ensure you don’t have any important files remaining on it. USB drives previously formatted for extended storage on a PS4 or other PS5 console don’t need to be reformatted. 

To set up your external drive: 

1. Connect your compatible external SSD to the console using the USB Type-C or Type-A connection.  
2. Select Settings on the PlayStation home screen, then Storage.  
3. Go to USB Extended Storage > Format as USB Extended Storage.  
4. Select Another USB Drive to choose the correct drive, if you have multiple connected.  
5. Wait for the formatting process to finish. Do not turn off the power or remove the external drive during the formatting process to avoid potential data corruption or drive damage.   

There are a few things you can try if the console is not detecting the storage drive: 

• Make sure the most recent PlayStation Network update is installed  
• Disconnect and reconnect the drive to the console  
• Connect the device to a different USB port on the console  
• Ensure the external SSD meets the PS5 storage requirements 
  

The PS5 and PS5 Pro are designed to only play modern generation games from their internal drives, but that doesn't mean you’re stuck with only internal storage though. A third-party external SSD like the Crucial X10 or Crucial X10 Pro can be used as extra storage expansion: 

1. PS5 and PS5 Pro games can be stored on a third-party external drive. Players can quickly copy them over to the PS5 internal drives to play them. 
2. Since the PS5 generation is backwards compatible with all PS4 titles and supports playing them off a compatible external drive, an SSD like the Crucial X10 Pro is a great place to store older games you’ll want to keep in rotation. An external SSD is perfect for gamers who want to keep expanding their libraries rather than sacrificing old favorites to make way for newer titles. Chances are you’ve built up a substantial library of games from a previous generation or two, so plenty of extra storage is a must. 
3. The Crucial X10 Pro is a high-quality, fast and affordable option to hold any digital adventure that comes your way. 
   

The Crucial Pro Series, featuring the X10 Pro, are high-performance portable SSDs designed to enhance storage capacity and gaming experience for PlayStation® users. The X10 Pro offers impressive read and write speeds up to 2,100 MB/s, available in capacities of 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB and boasts an IP55 rating for dust and water resistance. The X10 on the other hand offers similar speeds while also boasting capacities up to 8TB, able to comfortably store any game you throw at it. 

The X10 and X10 Pro SSDs are versatile options for gamers since they’re compact, lightweight and compatible with PlayStation® 5 consoles. High-speed performance ensures faster load times and smoother gameplay, while large storage significantly expands gaming libraries. Overall, the Crucial Pro Series and portable SSDs offer an excellent combination of speed, capacity and durability, ideal for gamers looking to enhance and safeguard their hobby anywhere. But if you’re looking for more internal PlayStation® space, be sure to check out the PS5 compatible Crucial T500 NVMe SSD with heatsink and P310 M.2 2280 SSD with heatsink to not only store more, but boost performance on all your next-gen games. If you need some help choosing the best internal drive for your PS5, we have you covered.