Sony will finally unlock the expandable SSD slot on the PlayStation 5 this summer

The Sony PlayStation 5 comes with an expandable internal M.2 SSD slot that is fairly easy to access. However, ever since the console launched last year, the ability to expand your storage has been locked via software, leaving users to rely on external storage via USB. The company is now reportedly planning to bring an upgrade that will finally allow users to add more storage.

Sony is expected to roll out a new firmware update for the console this summer, according to a report from Bloomberg. The report also suggests that this new update will unlock higher speeds for the cooling fan to make sure that the thermals inside the console are kept in check. This makes sense as powering two SSDs at the same time could generate some more heat. The PlayStation 5 comes with an 825GB internal SSD, but only 667GB is available to the user for storing games, apps, and media. This makes it difficult to manage a large library especially if you have used a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 4 Pro.

Once the secondary internal storage slot is unlocked, users will be able to add more storage to the console. Speaking of which, Sony is yet to clarify the list of compatible third-party SSDs. During the arrival of the PlayStation 5 in November last year, Western Digital was seen marketing the SN850 PCIe Gen 4 M.2 NVMe SSD to be compatible with the PS5. According to Sony, the drives should meet certain performance parameters so that it doesn’t hamper the new console’s experience. As per the specifications, the Sony PlayStation 5 comes with a PCIe Gen 4 based drive peaking at 5.5GB/s of bandwidth. This could mean that the secondary slot will also require a drive that complies with such fast speeds. Samsung, Western Digital, and various other brands are offering PCIe Gen 4 SSDs; however, we are still awaiting confirmation from Sony on what drives to use with the new console.

By using high-speed SSD storage, Sony offers substantially reduced load times even on the most resource-intensive games. This is similar to what Microsoft is offering with its new Xbox Series X and Series S consoles. However, the new Xbox consoles also offer a ‘Quick Resume’ feature that lets you jump back into a game without having you load the game all over again.

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