How to Expand Your Hard Drive for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X

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Out of the box, the PS5 has nearly 700 GB of available SSD space, with the Xbox Series X comes in slightly higher at just over 800 GB of space, once you remove the space taken up by the system files and operating system. (Coming in third place is the Xbox Series S, with only 364 GB of usable storage).

At first glance, this all sounds pretty good, but downloading just a few popular games could eat into your available space considerably. In fact, if you’re a Rockstar Games fan, downloading Red Dead Redemption 2 alone sucked up a substantial 150GB of your available space. So, what do you do if you just want to fight the law in the wild west, but you don’t have enough space to simply open the world? Let’s get started with finding SSD expansion options that are compatible with your console.

What SSDs work on P5?

While there are a variety of options for memory expansion on your PlayStation 5, we’ve rounded up a couple of our favorites below:

Best Overall Option

Inland Gaming 2280

With 2 TB of internal storage and sequential read speeds up to 3400 MB, this solid-state option will increase your storage along with your speed. Additionally, every Inland product comes with a three-year limited warranty to ensure you receive high-caliber support and service throughout your storage expansion endeavors.

Best Budget Option

Crucial P5 Plus

Delivering sequential reads up to 3400 MB, this Crucial SSD option includes a variety of advanced features, like dynamic write acceleration and adaptive thermal protection to ensure your data remains safe while your performance remains reliable.

Neither of these options do it for you? Not to worry–you can use the following spec list (provided by Sony) to ensure that your self-selected option fits all of the criteria needed to bring your machine to maximum performance. As with anything, please make sure to check the list against your selected item carefully, to ensure peak compatibility.

●    Format: PCle Gen 4.0 (x4) M.2 NVMe SSD

●    Capacity: 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB

●    Read Speed: 5500MB/S or faster

●    Total Size with Heatsink: 110 x 25 x 11.25 millimeters

●    Form Factor: 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, 22110

●    Heatsink: Required

Micro Center carries a wide selection of PS5 compatible hard drives – see the full list here.

How do I install an SSD to my PS5?

Once you’ve chosen the appropriate SSD, there are just a few steps to get things up and running:

1.  Make sure you’ve got the most recent system software–Sony did not release SSD expansion at the beginning of the PS5’s lifecycle, so if you have a factory-stock PS5, it won’t accept storage upgrades.
2. Completely power down your PS5 and unplug it. Provide a few minutes for everything to cool down.
3. Lay your PS5 on a soft surface and remove the white cover by pushing it toward the base.
4. After that, you’ll remove the SSD cover, pop in your new card, and put your system back together. Enjoy your additional storage space!

Check out this official Sony explainer for a more in-depth installation walkthrough.

What SSDs work on Xbox X? Xbox S?

As it pertains to Xbox SSD cards, there is really only one contender worth your time, and it is listed below:

Best Overall

Seagate Storage Expansion Card

With over 1TB of capacity and an incredibly tiny size, the Seagate Storage Expansion Card is an excellent external storage option. If you’re looking for something you can just pop in to upgrade your storage, this is absolutely the option for you!

How do I install an SSD to my Xbox X or S?

Although the Internet is full of different tips and hacks to update the internal storage of your Xbox X, the safest option is to utilize an expansion card or external drive. This will allow for a safe install while facilitating the same storage upgrade you are looking for.

Your expansion card will install on your device through a dedicated slot in the back of the Xbox. Simply pop it in (no need to turn it off), and your system will recognize and configure your new device.

Not sure where to begin?

Head over to your local Micro Center! Have a chat with any of our associates and they’ll be happy to help you find exactly what you need to upgrade any system you have. From PCs to Xbox to PS5, we can get you gaming quick!  

JPSHRACER

I would upgrade my Xbox Series X using the Seagate 2 Terrabyte (TB) expansion card however at $399.99 it is really expensive. The Non Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) is worth it for the speed. I filled up the 1TB NVMe internal. I use my old Seagate 4TB Universal Serial Bus (USB) 3.0 drive. It is also filled up. I probably need another Seagate USB 3.0 5TB hard drive for my games. I will save up for both. Gotta have storage space for game installs and save files 😇