Can You Use a Gen 3 NVMe SSD in Your PS5?
As a hardcore PlayStation gamer and hardware tinkerer, this is a question I‘ve researched extensively. And the short answer is: No, PCIe Gen 3 NVMe solid state drives are not compatible with the PlayStation 5 console.
Sony specifically requires Gen 4 SSDs for the PS5‘s ultra-fast internal M.2 expansion slot. But why is that? And what drives can you actually use to augment your PS5‘s storage? Grab an extra large coffee, folks – we‘re diving deep on everything you need to know about PS5 SSD compatibility!
Why Gen 3 SSDs Don‘t Make the Cut
To understand the PS5‘s lightning fast speeds and strict SSD requirements, we need to peek under the hood at its bleeding edge storage architecture…
The PS5‘s High-Performance Architecture
Sony custom-designed the PS5‘s entire data pipeline for next-gen gaming. At the heart lies a blistering fast PCIe 4.0 SSD, delivering raw throughput up to 5.5GB/s. That‘s 100x faster than the PS4‘s hard drive!
This speed demon is paired with a powerful new software stack plus dedicated hardware decompression. Together, they allow the SSD to feed game assets to the console at up to 22GB/s – a rate previously only seen in high-end gaming PCs.
PS5 system architecture overview [Source: Sony]. Notice the SSD and I/O complex.
To maintain performance parity, any expansion drive must match the internal SSD‘s speed. And there‘s the rub: PCIe 3.0 maxes out around 3.5GB/s – far below what‘s required.
Why Gen 3 SSDs Fall Short
PCIe generations indicate the underlying interface protocol that connects SSDs to your motherboard. Each gen bump conveys major speed gains through doubling of PCIe lanes:
| PCIe Generation | Lane Speed | Max Throughput (x4 Lanes) |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 3 | ~1GB/s per lane | 3.5GB/s |
| Gen 4 | ~2GB/s per lane | 7.8GB/s |
As you can see, Gen 3 is bottlenecked at nearly half the throughput of Gen 4. Its real-world speeds also can‘t touch the PS5 SSD.
Here‘s a performance comparison of top Gen 3 drives versus Sony‘s internal SSD:
| SSD | Max Sequential Reads |
|---|---|
| Samsung 970 EVO Plus | 3,500MB/s |
| WD Black SN750 | 3,470MB/s |
| PlayStation 5 Internal SSD | 5,500MB/s |
The fastest Gen 3 drives still lag way behind. Their bandwidth ceiling prevents scaling to meet Sony‘s demands.
Backwards Compatibility Has Limits
You might be wondering: isn‘t PCIe supposed to be backwards compatible?
While true, backwards compatibility only flows one way:
- Newer gen devices run older gen hardware at legacy speeds
- But older gen hardware cannot interface with newer gen slots
So your PCIe 4.0 PS5 will throttle a Gen 3 SSD down to Gen 3 limits – which remains unsuitable. The PS5 requires Gen 4 minimum to utilize its architecture fully.
Think of plugging a USB 2.0 peripheral into a USB 3.2 port. The 3.2 port won‘t magically make that USB 2.0 device faster than its native capabilities allow. Same idea here!
In short: You cannot cheat your way around the PS5‘s requirements.
Okay, so no dice on PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSDs. But what should you buy then?
Finding Compatible PS5 SSD Upgrades
Thankfully, the PS5 supports add-in Gen 4 SSDs, granting you control to expand storage yourself.
Any M.2 NVMe drive meeting the following criteria will work like a charm:
✅ Interface: PCIe Gen 4 x4
✅ Storage: 250GB – 4TB
✅ Sequential Reads: 5,500MB/s minimum
✅ Form Factor: 2230/2242/2260/2280
✅ Cooling: Integrated heatsink recommended
Based on the PS5 SSD specs above, I can strongly vouch for these compatible options:
WD Black SN850
My personal pick thanks to best-in-class performance:
👍 Sequential reads up to 7,000MB/s
👍 Top-tier consistency for long sustained speeds
👍 High endurance rating (600TBW)
👍 Ideal for hardcore gaming / content creation
Seagate FireCuda 530
A fantastic runner up that won‘t break the bank:
👍 Faster than most at 5,500MB/s reads
👍 Innovative heatsink prevents thermal throttling
👍 Certified PS5 compatible for easy installation
👍 Costs $50-100 less than the SN850
I have both the SN850 and FireCuda 530 installed in different PS5s. You really can‘t go wrong performance-wise. Shop around for sales and pick based on budget.
Just please – I‘m begging you – do not buy a PCIe 3.0 SSD thinking you scored a good deal! You‘ll waste hours troubleshooting why that shiny new SSD refuses to work in your console…ask me how I know! 😅
Below I‘ve compiled additional resources to help find your perfect PS5 storage upgrade. Let me know if you have any other questions – I‘m always happy to help fellow members of #PlayStationNation enhance their gaming. Happy hunting!
