You can add an SSD to your PS5 yourself. Sony has its own guide for it, and the expansion slot has been in the console from day one. The requirements are strict, though: it has to be an M.2 NVMe drive with a PCI-Express Gen4x4 interface, it has to fit within a precisely defined size envelope, and a heatsink is not an extra, it is a requirement. The console will not accept a regular M.2 SATA SSD from a PC.
Which M.2 SSD fits the PS5
| Parameter | What Sony requires |
|---|---|
| Interface | PCI-Express Gen4x4, M.2 NVMe SSD (Key M), Socket 3 (Key M) |
| Not supported | M.2 SATA SSDs and drives with HMB (Host Memory Buffer) |
| Form factor | 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, 22110 |
| Single- and double-sided modules | both supported |
| Sequential read speed | 5,500 MB/s or faster recommended |
| Capacity | 250 GB to 8 TB |
| Cooling | required: heatsink and thermal pad |
Valid as of 11 September 2026. Two things in the table are often misread. Sony phrases the 5,500 MB/s speed as a recommendation, not a hard requirement: the console won’t block a slower drive, but nobody promises that games will run the same as from the built-in storage. And Sony’s documents disagree on capacity: the printed PS5 Slim manual lists the older range of 250 GB to 4 TB, while the current support page and the PS5 Pro manual say 8 TB.
Sony adds a sentence to the table that nobody likes reading: it cannot guarantee that every M.2 SSD meeting these specifications will work with the console. Sony does not publish a verified list of specific models.
Dimensions including the heatsink
| Dimension | Value according to Sony |
|---|---|
| Width | up to 25 mm |
| Length | 30 / 42 / 60 / 80 / 110 mm |
| Total thickness | up to 11.25 mm |
| of which above the board | up to 8.0 mm |
| of which below the board | up to 2.45 mm |
Sony gives the height in two parts, above the board and below it, rather than measuring from the bottom of the module. So when you buy a heatsink, looking at a single number isn’t enough. Take the values exactly as Sony publishes them and don’t convert them into one another.
How much storage the console has on its own
- Original PS5 (CFI-10XX): 825GB Custom SSD
- PS5 Slim (CFI-20XX): 1TB Custom SSD
- PS5 Pro (CFI-71XX): 2TB Custom SSD
The requirements for an added M.2 drive are the same for the Slim and the Pro; only the physical disassembly differs. Sony has one guide for the CFI-1000 and a separate one for the CFI-2000 and CFI-7000 series. If you’re still deciding which console to get, the comparison of PS5 and PS5 Pro and the overview of which PS5 edition to buy will help, because the Pro’s 2TB starting point changes the math on when you’ll need an expansion at all.
Installation step by step
This is Sony’s procedure for the PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro. On the original CFI-1000 model you also remove the stand and lay the console on its side; the rest is the same. If the console won’t start after the installation, take the drive out again and go through the steps for when your PS5 won’t turn on.
- In the control center, select Power → Turn Off PS5. The screen goes black, the light blinks white and turns off.
- Unplug the power cable and all other cables and let the console cool down.
- Place the console bottom side up, with the front facing you, and remove the feet.
- Remove the cover by lifting it until the clips release. Keep the console on a soft cloth on a flat surface.
- Remove the screw from the expansion slot cover and take the cover off.
- Remove the screw and spacer, and move the spacer to the position that matches the length of your drive.
- Insert the drive: hold it by the edge, align the notch with the connector, tilt it upward at an angle and push it all the way in.
- Lower the drive and screw it in place.
- Put the expansion slot cover back on and screw it in.
- Attach the main cover: align the clips with the holes and press until you hear a click.
- Reattach the feet, connect the power and other cables and turn on the console.
- Format the drive. A formatting guide appears after you turn the console on; you can reach it later via Settings → Storage → M.2 SSD Storage.
On the PS5 Pro, the M.2 slot is on the bottom, next to the disc drive connector and the cover for the coin cell battery. So nothing mysterious happens under the cover: it’s the spot where the PS5 disc drive and the SSD click into ready-made connectors.
Sony’s safety instructions are short and worth following: touch grounded metal before handling anything to discharge static electricity, don’t touch the contacts on the drive or the connector, and use a screwdriver of the right size. If a screw or spacer falls into the console, don’t turn it on and contact support. When you turn the console on, both the main cover and the slot cover must be attached properly, otherwise it can overheat. It’s the same logic as cleaning dust out of a PS5, where the covers also come off and have to go back on.
External USB drive: what you can play from it
The second route to more space is a USB drive. It’s cheaper, but not equivalent. Sony requires a SuperSpeed USB 5Gbps interface or newer, meaning USB 3.0 and up, and a capacity of 250 GB to 8 TB. The drive can’t be connected through a USB hub, and you can only use one at a time.
What matters is the difference in what will run from the drive:
- PS4 games can be launched from a USB drive. You can even set the USB drive as the default install location for PS4 games, so if you have a large library of older games after transferring data from PS4 to PS5, this is the cheapest way to keep it installed, and a reason why a PS4 library still makes sense.
- PS5 games can’t be launched from a USB drive. You can only store them there, and before playing they have to be copied back to the console storage: Game Library → Installed tab → select the game → Options button → Copy.
When not to buy an SSD for your PS5
- You mostly play older PS4 games. An external USB drive at a fraction of the price is enough, because PS4 games run from it directly.
- You have a PS5 Pro and two games in progress. 2 TB of built-in storage lasts a long time, and you can put off the expansion until M.2 drive prices drop.
- You’ve spotted a cheap M.2 drive without a heatsink. Sony requires cooling, it doesn’t just recommend it. A drive without a heatsink and thermal pad doesn’t belong in the console.
- You don’t feel confident with a screwdriver. The procedure is official and meant for users, but it involves removing the cover and handling tiny screws. If that’s where you draw the line, a USB drive gets around it without opening the console, and other options are compared in the article on how to free up space on PS5.
FAQ
An M.2 NVMe SSD with a PCI-Express Gen4x4 interface and a Key M connector, in a form factor from 2230 to 22110, with a capacity of 250 GB to 8 TB and its own cooling. Sony recommends a sequential read speed of 5,500 MB/s or faster. M.2 SATA drives and drives with HMB are not supported.
Yes. Sony states that using an M.2 SSD in the console requires effective heat dissipation through a cooling structure, meaning a heatsink and a thermal pad. The heatsink counts toward the allowed thickness, so it has to fit within the 11.25 mm limit Sony gives for drives.
No. PS5 games can only be stored on a USB drive, and before playing they have to be copied back to the console storage via the Game Library and the Options button. PS4 games can be launched from a USB drive, and you can also set the drive as their default install location.
Sony describes installing an M.2 SSD as a user procedure in its own manual and in its support guide. However, it never explicitly says that the installation doesn’t void the warranty. The only certain thing is that Sony publishes the procedure itself and that, according to Sony, the console covers are meant to be removed.
The original PS5 labeled CFI-10XX has an 825GB Custom SSD, the PS5 Slim (CFI-20XX) 1TB and the PS5 Pro (CFI-71XX) 2TB. Part of the capacity is taken up by the system, so there is always less free space than the box says.
Information verified as of 11 September 2026. The maximum supported capacity varies between Sony documents (the printed PS5 Slim manual says 4 TB, current support says 8 TB), so check Sony’s support page before buying the largest drives. The rest of the console guides are in the PlayStation hub on Gamers Together, and the overview of PS5 accessories covers what’s worth buying for your PS5.