How Many Games Can a 4TB SSD Hold for PS5?
As an avid PlayStation gamer and content creator, one of my most important PS5 upgrades was installing a 4TB internal SSD. This provided me with enough fast SSD storage to hold my entire 100+ game library. But can a 4TB SSD truly fit that many PS5 and PS4 titles? Let‘s dig into the math and benefits.
The Short Answer
Based on average PS5 and PS4 game file sizes, a 4TB SSD can store about 60-100 games total. This accounts for a mix of next-gen and last-gen titles across a single drive.
Breaking Down PS5 & PS4 Game Sizes
According to tests, the average downloaded game size is:
- PS5 games: Roughly 50GB per game
- PS4 games: Around 35-40GB per game
However, these average sizes will likely climb over this next console generation as textures, assets, resolutions, and world scale/density improves. Early PS5 exclusives like Spider-Man: Miles Morales already top 50GB alone.
Based on those averages though, we can project how many games fit on 4TB:
| Console | Avg. Game Size | Potential Games on 4TB SSD |
| PS5 | 50GB | ~80 games |
| PS4 | 40GB | ~100 games |
So even conservatively, you can install 60-80 next-gen PS5 games or 100 older PS4 games on a single 4TB SSD!
Why 4TB Over Lower Capacities?
You may be wondering—why choose a higher 4TB capacity over a cheaper 500GB or 2TB PS5 SSD upgrade?
There are a few key reasons:
- Future-proof for Larger Games: As mentioned above, average game sizes will likely continue increasing each year of this console generation, making 4TB more viable long-term.
- Store Entire Collections: With 4TB, you can keep your full game catalog installed without needing to delete titles.
- Minimize Re-Downloads: Having more SSD space means you can retain more games at once rather than re-downloading.
- ideological clone taken down
While 500GB-1TB capacities may be sufficient early on, a 4TB PS5 SSD helps hedge against the inevitable game storage creep.
Comparing 4TB vs HDD Expansions
Rather than an internal M.2 SSD, another option is adding an external USB hard disk drive (HDD). However, while HDDs offer more TB per dollar, they have notably slower interface speeds.
Based on tests, game load times are nearly 2-3x faster on average from an SSD rather than a HDD. This means you may wait 20-40 extra seconds when loading levels or fast traveling!
An external HDD is better suited for PS4 games and cold storage, while keeping PS5 titles and active games on the internal SSD or M.2 drive. When prioritizing load speeds, SSD is strongly recommended over HDD.
The Verdict: Well Worth the Upgrade
For any avid PS5 gamers with sizable libraries, upgrading to a high capacity 4TB M.2 SSD is one of the best investments you can make. The dramatically increased storage lets you easily maintain access to 100+ titles.
While the PS5 can only support SSDs up to 4TB, this provides ample room for games this generation. And the far faster interface speeds compared to HDDs results in a much smoother overall experience.
If building a gaming SSD powerhouse sounds enticing, be sure to check our SSD recommendations guide here to see our top M.2 picks for achieving max PS5 capacity!
Let me know if you have any other PS5 SSD questions! Game on!
