Best SSD Upgrades for PS5 & Xbox Series X|S (2026)

Both current-gen consoles ship with too little storage. The PS5 Slim's 1TB is roughly 700 GB usable. The Xbox Series X is even tighter once you install Call of Duty. Worse — neither console lets you install Series X|S or PS5 games to a regular external drive; they require official high-speed expansion.

Here are the six SSDs we actually recommend in 2026, plus the rules for picking one.

1. Best Overall PS5: WD_Black SN850P 2TB

WD_BLACK 2TB SN850P NVMe M.2 SSD Officially Licensed Storage Expansion for PS5 Consoles, up to 7,300MB/s, with heatsink - WDBBYV0020BNC-WRSN

$448.51

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The SN850P is the only NVMe drive that ships in PS5-branded packaging with the heatsink already attached, sized for the PS5 expansion bay. No screwing on a separate heatsink, no double-checking thickness specs — drop it in and the console formats it. Read speeds of 7,300 MB/s comfortably clear Sony's 5,500 MB/s minimum. The 2TB doubles your usable storage; we'd skip the 1TB unless budget forces it.

2. Best PS5 Budget Pick: WD_Black SN850P 1TB

WD_BLACK 1TB SN850P NVMe M.2 SSD Officially Licensed Storage Expansion for PS5 Consoles, up to 7,300MB/s, with heatsink - WDBBYV0010BNC-WRSN

$239.99

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If 2TB is out of reach, the 1TB SN850P is the same drive, half the capacity. Still officially licensed, still ships with the heatsink, still hits 7,300 MB/s. Good for one extra big game install (Call of Duty, FFVII Rebirth) plus a backlog of indies.

3. Best DIY PS5 Pick: Samsung 990 PRO 2TB

Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB, PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280, Up to 7,450 MB/s | NVMe Internal Solid State Hard Drive for High End Computing, Gaming, and Heavy Duty Workstations, (MZ-V9P2T0B/AM)

$389.99

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If you already trust Samsung from a PC build, the 990 PRO is the best non-licensed PS5 SSD on the market — 7,450 MB/s reads, low power draw, excellent thermals. You'll need to add a third-party heatsink (sold separately affordable) since the bare drive doesn't include one. Cheaper than the WD_Black SN850P at parity capacity.

There is no DIY option for Xbox Series X|S. Microsoft locks expansion to officially licensed cards that use the proprietary CFexpress-style slot on the back. Seagate's 1TB is the default — plug it in, Xbox treats it as native internal storage, Quick Resume works across games on the card. Plug-and-play in 30 seconds.

Same card, double the capacity. If you're someone who keeps 8+ Series X games installed (Starfield, Forza, CoD, Halo, Madden — pick five), 2TB is the right tier. Long-term, this is the card that survives a generation.

6. Best Xbox Alternative: WD_Black C50 2TB

WD_Black 2TB C50 Storage Expansion Card, Officially Licensed for Xbox – Quick Resume, Plug & Play, NVMe SSD Expansion for Xbox Series X|S Gaming Consoles - WDBMPH0020BNC-WCSN

$640.00

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WD's licensed card breaks Seagate's monopoly. Same plug-and-play behavior, often affordable cheaper than Seagate's 2TB depending on the week. Identical performance — Microsoft's certification ensures both cards hit the same internal-storage spec.

• PS5 needs: PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe, M.2 2280, at least 5,500 MB/s read, with a heatsink. The SN850P ships ready; the 990 PRO needs a add-on.
• Xbox Series X|S needs: Only officially licensed Seagate or WD_Black expansion cards. No exceptions. External USB drives can store games but cannot run Series X|S titles.
• 2TB is the sweet spot. Modern AAA games are 80–200 GB each. 1TB fills up after four titles; 2TB gets you eight or nine.
• Skip "Game Drive" external HDDs. Those work for PS4/Xbox One backwards-compat libraries only — not for current-gen titles.

• Best Console Wall Mounts for PS5, Xbox & Switch (2026) — once your SSD lets you keep more games installed, get the console off the floor
• Best Gaming Chairs for Long Sessions (2026) — for the marathon installs

• Best PS5 Exclusive Games
• Best Xbox Game Pass Games
• Best Games on PS Plus

Next upgrade: the best gaming monitors for PS5 and Xbox.