Sony has announced that M.2 SSD support will finally be added to the PlayStation 5 in an upcoming system software update for beta users.
The news was revealed on a new PS5 support page. Sony noted that the feature is only available to beta users, and that because of this features and specifications described on the page may change before the official system software release. No specific dates were given, with Sony simply saying the update is "upcoming".
Sony has also finally offered further clarification over which M.2 SSD drives can and can't be used in conjunction with the console. As expected, it must be a PCIe Gen4 NVMe drive, and Sony recommends a read speed of 5,500MB/s or faster. Both single and double-sided drives are supported.
The specifications note that 25mm wide drives are not supported, so be sure to purchase a M.2 drive that is 22mm wide. To be sure you have the right size, look out for M.2 drives labelled as 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 or 22110. However, Sony warns that it cannot guarantee that all M.2 drives meeting its specifications will work with the PS5.
Importantly, Sony says any M.2 drive installed will require a heatsink to dissipate any additional heat generated by the SSD. It should be noted that many M.2 drives purchasable on the market do not come with integrated heatsinks, and so users looking to simply plug and play should opt for an M.2 drive with a built-in heatsink no more than 11.25mm tall. Alternatively, users can purchase a separate heatsink and install it themselves.
"The majority of M.2 SSD devices with the above type numbers (M Key Type 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110) and without a built-in cooling structure will fit the PS5 console’s SSD slot," says Sony. It does note to pay careful attention to the size of the heatsink, though. Provided the overall size of the M.2 drive is smaller than the tolerances of 110mm (L) x 25mm (W) x 11.25mm (H), it should fit fine.
Sony says that compatible SSD's can range from 250GB to 4TB, so users will have a plethora to choose from in terms of capacity. A full range of M.2 SSD requirements as well as installation instructions can be found on the support page.
M.2 SSD drives are beneficial for users hoping to increase the storage capabilities of their system. The integrated storage devices can be used to "download, copy and launch PS5 and PS4 games, as well as media apps." In addition, Sony has said that games downloaded onto either the PlayStation 5's console storage, a connected USB storage device, or an M.2 SSD drive can be freely moved between each.
As many games continue to increase in size, storage space is becoming an ever-increasingly tricky problem to manage for players across consoles worldwide. With that in mind, adding your own M.2 SSD to your PlayStation 5 might seem like an enticing solution. For more console hardware news, why not read about the chip shortage affecting every part of gaming and how it could drag into 2023.
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
PS5 M.2 SSD Support Coming in Next System Update Beta - IGN - IGN
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