Ok so I totally feel u... hitting that storage wall is literally the worst!! I've been through this upgrade and honestly, the WD_BLACK SN850X 2TB NVMe SSD with Heatsink is lowkey the king of performance-to-price right now.

1. WD_BLACK SN850X 2TB NVMe SSD: This is my top pick. It hits up to 7,300 MB/s, which way exceeds the Sony recommendation. Its sooo snappy and random read speeds are fantastic for those massive open-world titles.
2. Samsung 980 Pro 2TB NVMe SSD: Super reliable choice with a great track record. Its realy a classic, tho its slightly slower on paper than the newer SN850X.

Tbh, if u wanna save cash, buy the bare drive and a SABRENT M.2 NVMe PS5 Heatsink. It’s easy to install and avoids thermal throttling during long sessions. But if u dont wanna mess with it, the pre-installed heatsink is amazing. Seriously, go for the WD_BLACK, its fantastic value!! gl!

> Any updates on this? To add to the point above: honestly looking at all the back and forth here about WD versus Samsung is kind of a bummer because unfortunately even the top tier stuff feels like a total gamble these days. Everyone is obsessed with hitting those 7,000 MB/s speeds but performance dont mean much if the thing just craps out after a month... This whole thread actually reminds me of my cousin who tried to do a DIY upgrade last summer. He was so hyped to future-proof his setup that he bought this massive expensive drive and then spent three hours trying to get the cover off because he was terrified of scratching the plastic. He finally gets it in there, drops the tiny M.2 screw deep into the fan assembly, and had to spend the rest of the night shaking his PS5 upside down like a piggy bank while his wife just watched him and laughed. By the time he got the screw out, he was so stressed he just put the console back in the box and didnt touch it for a week lol. Total nightmare and he didnt even get to play anything that night. Funny how these upgrades always turn into a whole ordeal when you just want to play some games...

honestly i've been messin around with pc storage for years and the biggest thing i've learned is that reliability is way more important than chasing those tiny differences in peak speeds... when i finally decided to upgrade my ps5 i was sooo paranoid about the drive failing or overheating and bricking my console during a long session!! basically i just decided to stick with a brand like seagate because theyve been doing storage forever and i trust their firmware more than a random brand even if i dont totally understand all the controller specs. i actually ended up going with a separate heatsink too just because i wanted that extra layer of safety and it was realy easy to install so dont let that part scare you off!! anyway you definately cant go wrong if you just grab any gen4 drive from seagate or maybe even corsair since they have such a solid track record... its just sooo much better for your peace of mind to have something reliable that stays cool than saving a few bucks and worrying about it failing later on.

Yep, this is the way

Huh interesting. I had no idea. The more you know I guess 🤷

Finally someone says it. Ive been thinking this for a while but wasnt sure.

Ok so, curious about one thing: how much are you actually looking to spend, and are you worried about the installation process? Like, are you the type to be super careful with hardware, or do you just want to plug it in and forget it??

I've been doing a bunch of reading on this because I'm also kinda scared of breaking my console lol. Basically, the PS5 needs that fast Gen4 speed to keep up with the internal drive, but that speed generates a TON of heat. If the drive gets too hot, it slows down (throttling), and that's when you get lag. Sony says the heatsink is mandatory, not optional, so definitely don't skip it!

I know the previous guy mentioned the WD, but here are two other ways you might want to consider:

1. Seagate FireCuda 530 2TB NVMe SSD with Heatsink: This is basically the 'safe' premium choice. It's super fast (up to 7300 MB/s) and has crazy high endurance. Seagate's heatsink is specifically designed to fit the PS5 slot perfectly, so you dont have to worry about it being too thick. It's usually more expensive, but it's reallyyy reliable.

2. Crucial P5 Plus 2TB PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD paired with a SABRENT M.2 NVMe PS5 Heatsink (SB-PSHS): This is a solid budget-friendly route. The Crucial is a bit slower but still exceeds the 5500 MB/s requirement. The Sabrent heatsink is cool because it actually replaces the PS5's metal cover for better cooling.

I'm honestly a bit worried about those cheap universal heatsinks because if they're too thick, the cover wont close right. If you're nervous like me, just pay the extra for a pre-installed one. It's safer and saves the headache, honestly!! Good luck with the upgrade!

Any updates on this?