Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsSony’s PS5 SSD was designed as part of a custom input/output system to make loading less visible—not to guarantee that every game has no loading screens. Sony’s published headline figure is 5.5 GB/s of raw read bandwidth, and the company ties the experience to the SSD working alongside integrated custom I/O, including a custom decompressor. That is a hardware specification, not a universal measurement of how quickly every game loads.
What is special about the PS5’s SSD?
Sony’s goal was to remove barriers to play, especially loading screens, by letting developers stream game assets at a high rate. The idea is broader than replacing a hard drive with a faster drive: Sony presented the SSD and its integrated custom I/O as a coordinated system. The company’s FAQ describes the SSD’s 5.5 GB/s raw read bandwidth and notes the custom decompressor in the I/O path. Sony’s PS5 FAQ explains the figure and the system.
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In practical terms, rapid asset access can help a game display detailed content as a player moves, reduce the wait around fast travel, or make transitions feel nearly immediate. The SSD gives developers an opportunity to design around faster access; it does not, by itself, determine every loading sequence or guarantee a particular result in every title.
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The 5.5 GB/s figure is Sony’s stated raw read bandwidth for the PS5’s ultra-high-speed SSD. It is not a measured loading rate for a particular game, nor an average across PS5 games. Sony attributes the intended experience to the customized design and integrated I/O system, rather than presenting the drive’s raw number as a complete account of game performance. Sony’s FAQ
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- With capacities ranging from 1TB to 4TB[1], your PS5 console has the additional space to store up to 200 games[3] (8TB model) [1]1GB = 1 billion bytes and 1TB = one trillion bytes. Actual user capacity may be less depending on operating environment. [3] Number of games based on a 36GB average per game. The number of games will vary based on file size, formatting, other programs, and factors.
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- Play directly from the drive and eliminate the need to transfer or delete games from your console with tested and approved storage for your PS5 console[4].
- Push the envelope of PCIe Gen 4 technology with read speeds up to 7,300MB/s[2], giving you seamless gameplay and incredibly short load times. [2]1 MB/s = 1 million bytes per second. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors.
That distinction matters when comparing the internal drive with an expansion SSD. A sequential-read specification is one characteristic of a drive; it does not alone establish that a game will perform identically to the same game on the console’s internal storage.
How developers describe the design opportunity
Sony’s developer roundup offers examples of how studios viewed the faster storage. These are developers’ descriptions and expectations, not controlled performance tests:
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- Brian Horton, creative director of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, said: “Beyond near-instant loading and fast-travel, the SSD and its speed allow us to more quickly load and display more detailed assets.”
- Gavin Moore, creative director at SIE Japan Studio, said of Demon’s Souls: “As developers [of Demon’s Souls], we are already changing the way we think about the SSD.”
- Mattias Engström, game director of Hitman 3, said: “The blitz-fast load times we are seeing on the PS5 console encourages [player] experimentation more than ever.”
- Marcus Smith, creative director at Insomniac Games, said: “The SSD and custom I/O architecture around it allows us to send players across dimensions with near-instant speed.”
Taken together, the comments point to several design uses: displaying detailed assets during movement, reducing disruption when loading or fast-travelling, and making rapid transitions part of a game’s structure. Sony also included a Returnal developer’s forward-looking question about whether levels would remain necessary; that is speculation about design possibilities, not evidence that levels or loading have disappeared from games generally. Sony’s developer roundup
Did Sony actually kill the loading screen?
No—not as a universal claim. “Killed the loading screen” is best understood as shorthand for Sony’s design ambition: make waits shorter, less disruptive, or less apparent where a game’s design and implementation allow it. The cited Sony material does not establish an average loading-time reduction across games, a guaranteed percentage improvement, or that every PS5 title has eliminated loading screens. Developers’ comments describe their own projects and perspectives.
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Mark Cerny, identified by Sony as PS5 lead system architect, presented the console’s architecture in March 2020. His role helps explain why Sony discussed storage as a system-level design issue; the claims and figures here are limited to what Sony’s FAQ and developer materials state. Sony’s technical announcement
How much storage is in a PS5?
Capacity depends on the console model. Sony’s CFI-21XX manual lists a 1 TB custom SSD for the PS5 console and 825 GB for its Digital Edition. These figures apply to that model group, not necessarily every PS5 revision. Sony’s CFI-21XX manual
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How can you expand PS5 storage?
The right option depends on whether you want to launch PS5 games directly from added storage or simply keep games there until you need them.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11| Storage option | PS5 games | PS4 games | Key requirements and limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.2 SSD expansion | Can download, copy, and launch games from the drive. | Can download, copy, and launch games from the drive. | PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe; 250 GB–8 TB; listed form factors and size limits apply, including the cooling structure. Effective heat dissipation is required. Sony does not guarantee every drive or identical performance to the internal SSD. Sony M.2 installation guide and Sony M.2 requirements |
| USB extended storage | Can be stored on the drive, but must be copied back to console storage before play. | Can be played directly from the drive. | 250 GB–8 TB; not all devices are guaranteed to work. Sony USB extended-storage guide |
Use an M.2 SSD when you want games ready to play
Sony’s M.2 requirements specify a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe drive with a capacity from 250 GB to 8 TB. The drive must fit one of Sony’s listed form factors and size limits, including its heatsink or other cooling structure. M.2 SATA drives are unsupported. Sony also cautions that meeting the listed specifications does not guarantee compatibility, and some games may not perform exactly as they do on the internal SSD—even if an M.2 drive’s sequential read speed exceeds 5,500 MB/s. Sony’s M.2 requirements
For installation, Sony specifies a #1 Phillips or cross-head screwdriver and directs owners to follow instructions for their particular PS5 model group. Check that the cooling structure fits the bay. The first use requires formatting the drive, which erases its contents. Sony’s installation instructions
Use USB extended storage as an archive or for PS4 games
USB extended storage is useful for keeping PS5 games without occupying as much console storage, but a PS5 game on USB cannot be launched directly: copy it back to console storage when you want to play. PS4 games can be played directly from USB extended storage. Sony lists capacities from 250 GB to 8 TB and notes that it does not guarantee every device will work. Sony’s USB extended-storage guide
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