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How the PS5 SSD changes the play experience
The SSD is most noticeable when a game needs to bring a different world, location, or playable character into view with little interruption. Sony describes the PS5’s SSD and custom I/O as a platform designed to move game assets quickly and reduce loading barriers. That system capability matters most when developers build it into the moment-to-moment design rather than simply shortening a loading screen.
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The games below illustrate distinct uses of that capability. The comparison is about how each turns speed into a gameplay feature—not which one has the lowest measured load time.
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Which PS5 games use the SSD for near-instant loading?
| Game | What PlayStation says the SSD enables | Best-known use of speed |
|---|---|---|
| Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart | Near-instant loading for planet and dimension hopping, with rapid swaps between worlds | World-to-world transitions as spectacle and movement |
| Returnal | Rapid portal transitions and a near-instant restart after death | Getting back into a repeat run quickly |
| Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | Near-instant character switching and fast travel, alongside quicker city exploration using Web Wings | Moving around a large city and switching heroes |
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart: dramatic dimension hopping
In Rift Apart, rifts and dimension changes are central to the action. PlayStation says the PS5’s SSD lets entire worlds be swapped in and out in seconds, allowing Ratchet and newcomer Rivet to jump between dimensions and teleport without conventional loading-screen interruptions. The speed is not merely a convenience between levels; it supports the game’s defining transitions.
#1 Best Overall
- Marvel’s Wolverine is a new action-packed adventure from Insomniac Games
- Play as Wolverine and Ravage enemies with explosive brutality and unleash razor-sharp adamantium claws to deploy fast, fluid attacks and overcome impossible odds
- An Original, Emotionally Charged Story. Beneath Wolverine’s gruff exterior and violent temperament is a man fighting for a cause greater than himself
- A Global, Adrenaline-Fueled Journey where you slice into enemies across detailed locales such as the frosted Canadian Wilderness, the narrow streets of Tokyo, and the high and low districts of the island nation of Madripoor
PlayStation’s feature on the game quotes Mike Fitzgerald, Insomniac Games’ director of core technology, describing the series’ densest worlds to date, with busy cities, wildlife, foliage, and detailed environments. The same feature quotes Insomniac’s technical explanation that the SSD and I/O can bring textures and resources into memory almost instantly, so the system can focus on what needs to be seen or heard at a particular moment. These are developer and PlayStation descriptions of the design, not independent benchmark results.
Returnal: less waiting between attempts
Returnal is built around repeated runs, so a fast return to action after death has a direct effect on the rhythm of play. PlayStation links the SSD to rapid portal travel as well as near-instant restarting. That makes this the most relevant pick if the transition you care about is the gap between a failed attempt and trying again, rather than swapping between large open areas.
Rank #2
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Marvel’s Spider-Man 2: quick switching and city travel
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 uses the SSD for rapid switching between its playable characters and fast travel around New York. PlayStation also highlights Web Wings as a way to explore the city more quickly. The result is a different kind of seamlessness: spending less time waiting to change heroes or reach another part of the map.
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- Choose Rift Apart if you want dimension changes to be part of the action itself.
- Choose Returnal if quick retries and portal transitions fit the kind of play you want.
- Choose Spider-Man 2 if rapid character switching and fast travel across a city are the appeal.
These are distinctions in design, not a speed ranking. The official pages describe each game’s intended SSD-enabled features, but do not provide a common test setup or directly comparable timing measurements.
Rank #3
- Spider-Men, Peter Parker and Miles Morales, return for an exciting new adventure in the critically acclaimed Marvel’s Spider-Man franchise. Swing, jump, and utilize the new Web Wings to travel across Marvel’s New York, quickly switching between Peter Parker and Miles Morales to experience different stories and epic new powers, as the iconic villain Venom threatens to destroy their lives, their city, and the ones they love.
- An evolution of the Spider-Man story: The incredible power of the symbiote forces Peter and Miles to face the ultimate test of strength, both inside and outside the mask, as they balance their lives, friendships, and their duty to protect those in need.
- Experience two playable Spider-Men: Quickly swap between both Spider-Men as you explore an expanded Marvel’s New York. Experience Peter’s new symbiote abilities and Miles’ explosive bio-electric venom powers, and discover upgradeable, high-tech equipment that enhances the combat experience for extensive gameplay depth and variety.
- Battle iconic Marvel Super Villains: Fight against a variety of new and iconic villains, including an original take on the monstrous Venom, the ruthless Kraven the Hunter, the volatile Lizard, and many more!
Do you need extra storage to get these loading benefits?
No. The games’ described loading behavior comes from their use of the PS5 platform; buying an expansion drive is not a prerequisite. If you want room for more installed games, PlayStation supports compatible internal M.2 SSD expansion, which can run PS5 and PS4 games. An external USB drive can store PS5 games, but a PS5 game must be moved back to console storage or a compatible M.2 drive before it can be played. Check Sony’s current compatibility, capacity, and heatsink requirements before choosing an M.2 drive.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Day 1 Edition includes the Base Game Disc, Steelbook, and World Map.
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- Day And Night - Experience two different gameplay loops, offering distinct abilities to choose from, mysteries to uncover, and varying ways to achieve your goals. Experiment with different approaches and discover how the world reacts to your actions.
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Rank #4
- MLB The Show 26 Full Game on PlayStation 5
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