During the PlayStation 5 specs reveal last week, Lead System Architect Mark Cerny brought a cavalcade of technical details on the system but also highlighted the unique compatibility situation the PS5's 825 GB SSD creates for users. Expanding PS5's storage will be a significant hurdle for even the most tech-savvy player, whether it's due to finding the right type of storage or simply being able to afford it.
The linchpin of PS5 is its incredibly fast SSD. Solid state drives have been an important part of PC gaming for nigh on a decade, and Microsoft announced Xbox Series X will also use an SSD, so they're not some new revelation. What's important about PlayStation 5's SSD specifically is what its insane speed (coupled with an intelligent I/O system for moving that data quickly) allows game developers to do differently on that platform than anywhere else. At 5.5 GB/s raw read speed, games can use the SSD like additional RAM and pull data roughly one second in advance of it being needed. The implications of this are vast, but suffice it to say, PS5's SSD is faster at its base speed than the current fastest SSDs that exist... and that happens to be both a gift and a curse.
Due to Sony's decision to use an SSD so fast it impacts how developers can build games, PlayStation 5 games require that speed. For the consumer, this means replacing the SSD or adding additional drives to increase storage space for PS5 games can only happen if those SSDs are capable of the same speeds. As mentioned above, drives that fast don't currently exist (the closest one is about 500 MB too slow and retails for about $230 by itself) and even if one landed on the market between now and this Fall, it would also have to physically fit into the system's storage bay; SSDs, unlike hard drives, don't have standardized sizes. For those interested in using external SSD storage, bear in mind that option is even further out of the question because the fastest external SSDs are generally under 1 GB/s. So, as of now, it will be impossible to upgrade storage space for PS5 games.
As an addendum to this information, Mark Cerny added Sony will run compatibility and benchmark tests on third-party M2 SSDs to eventually find the right option for PS5. In his words, "It would be great if it that happened by launch but it's likely to be a bit past that so please, hold off on getting that M2 drive until you hear from us."
External Storage Options on PlayStation 5
Based on Sony's PS5 reveal, the only use of external storage on PS5 will be for PlayStation 4 games. The system will support almost all PS4 titles, some of those with enhanced performance, and players will be able to play those games from either the internal SSD or an external drive (SSD or HDD). Specifics for which types of drives will be compatible haven't been revealed, but it's reasonable to expect any USB storage that worked on PlayStation 4 will work on PlayStation 5.
The internal SSD storage problem is a tough one to solve, and it's one reason console manufacturers were so hesitant to get into the SSD business. Microsoft's solution is the memory-card-like, 1 TB unit that plugs into the back of the Xbox Series X. Proprietary solutions are typically undesirable, especially in this case where faster drives are already available, but at least this option solves the issue of finding an SSD that fits into the system. For what it's worth, the jump to SSDs for both consoles could make games smaller in the short term, because SSDs read and store data more efficiently than HDDs. However, even that could be counterbalanced by higher resolution textures taking up more space. The transition to SSDs will still be great for Xbox Series X, and potentially groundbreaking for PlayStation 5 – just be prepared to make some tough choices about which games to delete or keep installed in the early days. PlayStation 5 is scheduled for a Fall 2020 release.