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

2026-05-25 · 9 min read · By Justlikegames Editorial

The best internal NVMe SSDs for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S storage expansion cards in 2026 — Samsung 990 PRO, WD_Black SN850P, Seagate Expansion Card and more.

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

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

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

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 for under $15) since the bare drive doesn't include one. Cheaper than the WD_Black SN850P at parity capacity.

4. Best Xbox Pick: Seagate Storage Expansion Card 1TB

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.

5. Best Xbox Capacity Pick: Seagate Expansion Card 2TB

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's licensed card breaks Seagate's monopoly. Same plug-and-play behavior, often $30–50 cheaper than Seagate's 2TB depending on the week. Identical performance — Microsoft's certification ensures both cards hit the same internal-storage spec.

How to choose

- **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 $15 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.

Pair it with the right setup

- [Best Console Wall Mounts for PS5, Xbox & Switch (2026)](/blog/best-console-wall-mounts-2026/) — once your SSD lets you keep more games installed, get the console off the floor - [Best Gaming Chairs for Long Sessions (2026)](/blog/best-gaming-chairs-2026/) — for the marathon installs