Sony confirms expandable storage for PlayStation 5 Slim with PCIe Gen4 SSDs
The latest PlayStation 5 models, branded with the Slim designation, allow owners to expand their internal storage by adding an additional solid state drive. This capability aligns with what Sony has previously established for the original PS5 design, and recent confirmations from Sony via IGN underscore that the expansion path remains the same across both Slim variants.
Both iterations of the PS5 Slim come equipped with a built‑in 1 TB hard drive. Of this capacity, around 825 GB is available to players for their games, apps, and saved data after the operating system and system software reserve their portions. By comparison, earlier revisions of the PS5 reserved approximately 667 GB for user content, reflecting a familiar pattern of larger storage footprints in newer hardware revisions.
Sony communicated to IGN by email that the Slim consoles continue to support storage expansion through a secondary SSD. The company also reiterated the requirement to use M.2 format SSDs that adhere to a PCIe Gen4 interface and provide a read speed of at least 5500 MB/s. This standard ensures a balance between performance and compatibility across a broad range of drive models, and it mirrors the guidance given by Sony for the original hardware generation.
Industry observers noted that the measured read speed of the expansion drive is often not a decisive factor in real‑world gameplay. Earlier PS5 owners reported that even drives with slightly slower performance could operate effectively, provided the drive met the essential interface and thermal requirements. In practice, the user experience typically hinges on the overall system balance, including bandwidth, heat management, and software optimization, rather than raw read speeds alone.
Sales for the PlayStation 5 Slim were planned to begin in November 2023. The edition without a disc drive carried an estimated price of $450, reflecting a significant savings compared with the standard disc‑based model. The version equipped with a disc drive was positioned at around $500, marking a conventional pricing tier for a console that bundles both optical and digital capabilities. For audiences in markets outside the United States, these price points translate into local currencies consistent with prevailing exchange rates and regional tax considerations, and they were subject to periodical adjustments by retailers and Sony’s own distribution network. Still, the underlying value proposition remained clear: more compact hardware with expandable storage at a competitive price point.
Insights emerged previously from industry reporting that suggested a strong appetite among players for higher storage capacity. The PS5 Slim’s design makes it feasible to scale up storage, which is particularly relevant for gamers who accumulate large libraries of titles and downloadable content. As game sizes continue to grow and new titles deploy more expansive assets, the ability to add fast, reliable storage without buying a newer, bulkier console stands as a decisive factor for many buyers. Sony’s continued support for this storage path helps keep the platform flexible as game ecosystems evolve, ensuring that players can enjoy fast load times and smooth performance across a growing catalog of titles. In this context, prospective buyers should consider their existing game library, the likelihood of future downloads, and the physical footprint they are willing to manage when planning a storage upgrade. This approach helps maximize the Slim’s value, aligning hardware capabilities with user expectations for long‑term use. It is worth noting that any retailer’s guidance on drive options, warranty coverage, and installation steps should be consulted to avoid compatibility issues and ensure an optimal setup. For more details, attribution is provided to Sony and IGN as sources of the official statements and analyses.
Previously Appeared