Sony has rolled out its patch enabling the use of third-party M.2 SSD drives for the PlayStation 5, allowing users to expand their console's usable storage space beyond the PS5's base 825 GB. SSD manufacturer Seagate was the first third-party to step forward and confirm its line of FireCuda 530 SSDs are compatible with the PS5. In doing so, however, Seagate also dropped a wake-up message to PS5 users, as their line of PS5-compatible SSDs were revealed to be incredibly expensive.
Four different Seagate SSDs were mentioned by the hardware manufacturer as PS5 compatible as part of the FireCuda 530 line. They range from 500 GB at their smallest to 4 TB as their largest. That's perfect for what PS5 owners would want in terms of storage space options. The price is what PS5 users are going to take issue with. That's because Seagate's PS5 SSDs cost $149.99, $254.99, $514.99, and $999.99 respectively. That's right, Seagate's largest two options cost more than the PS5 itself.
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There's definitely some added context for the situation that's worth mentioning. To start, just because Seagate is the only company to come forward with a "PS5 Compatible" SSD line doesn't mean it's the only option. There's very likely to be other, more affordable options soon. They just require testing to ensure compatibility. Also, Seagate's most comparable Xbox Series X/S offering, the Seagate Storage Expansion Card, offers 1TB for $219.99, which while more affordable isn't dramatically different from the PS5 M.2 SSDs.
The problem is that the PS5 starts with an 825 GB SSD storage solution out of the box. While 825 GB may seem decent at first, in practice 825 GB is quite limiting. First, the PS5's OS and necessary update storage cuts 825 GB down to 667.2 GB before users even install their first game. Then there are games like Call of Duty: Warzone that can take up over 100 GBs. In other words, a handful of free-to-play games or some PlayStation Plus free downloads and the PS5's internal storage is already full.
While the PS5 does have other options for storage solutions, they aren't particularly practical. PS5 users can store games on an external storage drive, but they can't be run from that source. They have to be transferred back into the PS5's internal storage, which can be a Tetris-like affair, swapping games back and forth between the PS5 and external hard drive.
Regardless, the PS5 has at the very least opened up a new opportunity for storage expansion. Users whose PS5s are capped on internal storage can now spend $149.99 or more on Seagate's SSDs to expand and install more games. They can also wait, and potentially have more affordable options down the road. It's a good start.
The PS5 is available now.
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