How to install an SSD in your PS5 and expand your storage

Step
1

Check SSD compatibility

Before we get started, you’ll need to make sure your SSD is compatible with the PS5. You’ll need an M.2 SSD with a width of up to 25mm and thickness up to 11.25 mm. Sony also recommends a read speed of at least 5500MB/S.

Most SSD manufacturers will highlight PS5 compatibility on their website, so it’s worth doing a little research beforehand. For this guide, we used the Samsung 980 Pro PCIE 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD.

Step
2

Turn off the PS5

If your PS5 isn’t already turned off, you can shut it down by holding down on the power button at the front. Unplugging a PS5 in standby mode will cause the console to display an angry message upon reboot. 

Step
3

Unplug power and HDMI cable

Once the PS5 has powered down, you can unplug both the HDMI and power cables at the rear. 

Step
4

Place PS5 on flat surface with logo facing down

Find a flat surface to place the PS5 on. The logo should be facing down, while the rear ports (HDMI etc) should be facing towards you, and disk drive and power button facing away. 

Step
5

Pull the faceplate up to detach

Hold the bottom-right corner of the PS5’s faceplate, as well as the top-left corner, and then gently pull up. After you hear a ‘click’ the faceplate should come away to reveal the internals. 

Step
6

Remove screw from white rectangular panel

At the furthest edge of the PS5, you should see a white rectangular panel. Remove its screw with a Phillips screwdriver. 

Step
7

Remove panel to reveal the SSD expansion slot

Once the screw has been removed, you’ll be able to lift the white panel to reveal the SSD expansion slot. 

Step
8

Remove the screw and spacer on right-hand side

On the right-hand side of the expansion slot, you should see a lone screw. Unscrew it to remove both the screw itself and a spacer (a small metal ring). 

Step
9

Slot your SSD (with attached heatsink) into the left-hand port

On the left side of the expansion slot, you should notice a connection port. Your M.2 SSD should be slotted into here, with its top side facing up. You’ll hear a clicking sound once it’s fixed into place.

Step
10

Fix the SSD to the spacer and screw to lock it into place

Use the screw and spacer to fix the right side of your SSD down onto the PS5 so it’s no longer angled up in the air. Give the SSD a little wiggle to make sure it’s securely in place. 

Step
11

Rescrew the white panel into place

With the SSD installed, you can now put the white panel back into place, securing it with the screw you previously removed.

Step
12

Slide the PS5 faceplate back into place

This can be a little fiddly to do. Set it onto your PS5, about 2cm to the left, and then slide into place. Make sure the faceplate is secured in place before continuing. 

Step
13

Reconnect the PS5 to power and HDMI cables

You can now reconnect your PS5 to your power and HDMI cables. Also make sure to refasten the PS5 to its stand if in a horizontal position. 

Step
14

Turn your PS5 on

Press the power button at the front to boot up the PS5. 

Step
15

Format your newly installed SSD

If the SSD installation was successful, you’ll be greeted by a window asking you to format the SSD. This will wipe all storage space currently found on the SSD, so make sure you haven’t got any important data if you’ve previously used it for a PC. The formatting should only take a few seconds.

Step
16

Press OK

Once completed, you can press OK on the next couple of windows, which will notify you of the read speed of your SSD and explain that you can transfer installed games and save data to the SSD via settings > storage > installed location.