External HDD vs external SSD for PS5
External USB drives for the PS5, ranked by value on Amazon.co.uk
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Choose a hard drive for the most storage per pound, and an SSD if you move games on and off often or play PS4 games from it. Neither can run PS5 games: on a PS5 a USB drive stores PS5 games and plays PS4 games. Both must be 250GB to 8TB and connect to a SuperSpeed USB port.
USB storage rules as published in Sony's extended storage support page. Prices from Amazon.co.uk.
USB hard drive vs USB SSD on a PS5
| Hard drive | SSD | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per TB | Lowest | Several times higher |
| Copy speed | About 100 to 250 MB/s | Up to about 1,000 MB/s on a PS5 |
| PS4 game loading | Slow | Fast |
| Runs PS5 games | No | No |
| Largest common size | 8TB and beyond (PS5 limit is 8TB) | 4TB |
Limits from Sony's extended storage requirements.
Which one?
Archive only: a hard drive, such as those on external hard drives for the PS5. Frequent swapping or a PS4 library: an SSD from external SSDs for the PS5. To play more PS5 games, neither: you need an internal M.2 SSD.
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Related comparisons and guides
If this page is not quite what you need, try External SSDs, External drive for PS5, Internal vs external, Play from an external drive?.
You may also want 2TB, How to move games.
Frequently asked questions
Is an external SSD faster than an HDD on PS5?
Yes, several times faster for copying games and loading PS4 titles.
Can I play PS5 games from an external SSD?
No. PS5 games run only from console storage or an M.2 SSD.
How fast are the PS5's USB ports?
The SuperSpeed ports support up to 10Gbps, roughly 1,000 MB/s.
What size external drive does a PS5 accept?
250GB to 8TB.
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Last updated: 2026-10-21 06:04:07 UTC. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date indicated on Amazon.co.uk and are subject to change. Any price displayed at the time of purchase will apply. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED AS IS AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.