PS5 SSD vs external drive: which should you buy?
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Buy an internal M.2 NVMe SSD if you want to play more PS5 games at full speed; it is the only storage that can run PS5 games. Buy an external USB drive only to store PS5 games (copying them back to play) and to play PS4 games directly. The external is far cheaper per terabyte but cannot run PS5 titles, so most owners who play a lot choose an internal SSD.
PS5 requirements as published in Sony's M.2 SSD support page. Prices from Amazon.co.uk.
Internal SSD vs external drive at a glance
| Internal M.2 SSD | External USB drive | |
|---|---|---|
| Plays PS5 games | Yes, at full speed | No (store only) |
| Plays PS4 games | Yes | Yes, directly over USB |
| Stores PS5 games | Yes | Yes (copy back to play) |
| Speed | 5,500+ MB/s (Gen4) | ~1,000 MB/s (USB cap) |
| Price per TB | Higher (NVMe flash) | Lower (spinning disk) |
| Fitting | Internal bay, ~10 min | Plug into USB |
Which should you buy?
Choose an internal SSD if
- You want to install and play more PS5 games without redownloading.
- You play big current-gen titles like GTA 6 and want full load speed.
- You are happy to spend a few minutes fitting an M.2 drive.
Choose an external drive if
- You mainly want a cheap archive for PS5 games you are not playing now.
- You play a lot of PS4 games, which run directly from USB.
- You want the most storage per pound and do not need PS5 play speed.
Most people end up using both
A common setup is an internal SSD for the games you play and an external drive as a cheap archive for the rest. You copy a PS5 game from the external drive back to internal storage when you want to play it, which is far faster than redownloading a 100GB-plus title.
If you only buy one, make it the internal SSD: it does everything the external does for PS5 games (store) plus the one thing the external cannot (play). The live table below ranks compatible drives on Amazon.co.uk by price per terabyte.
Compatible drives, live prices
See all PS5 SSDs ranked by price per TB
Related comparisons and guides
See also External SSDs, External HDD vs SSD, External drive for PS5, Does it improve load times?.
Other places to go from here: PS5 SSD requirements, Which SSD is compatible?, The 11.25mm height rule, With heatsink, 2TB.
Frequently asked questions
Should I buy an internal SSD or external drive for my PS5?
Buy an internal M.2 NVMe SSD if you want to play more PS5 games at full speed. Buy an external USB drive only to store PS5 games and to play PS4 games; it cannot run PS5 games.
Why can't PS5 games run from an external drive?
PS5 games rely on the console's high-speed internal storage and decompression. USB is too slow, so PS5 titles must be installed on internal M.2 storage to play.
Is an external drive cheaper than an internal PS5 SSD?
Yes, far cheaper per terabyte, because it uses spinning disk or slower flash. The trade-off is that it stores rather than plays PS5 games.
Can I use both an internal SSD and an external drive?
Yes, and many do. Play from the internal SSD and archive less-played PS5 games on the external drive, copying them back when you want to play.
Can the PS5 play PS4 games from an external drive?
Yes. PS4 games run directly from a USB external drive on the PS5, with no copying needed. Only PS5 games are restricted to internal storage.
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