How Many PS5 Games Can You Store on a 1TB SSD? A Gamers Guide to Optimizing Storage

As a passionate PS5 gamer and content creator, one of the most frequent questions I see is "how many PS5 games can I fit on a 1TB SSD?" With game install sizes ballooning up to 100GB+ these days, it‘s impossible to keep your entire library installed at once on the PS5‘s built-in 825GB SSD. Upgrading to an additional internal M.2 SSD helps, but 1TB may still fill up faster than you think.

Based on averages, you can realistically expect to store 10-15 PS5 games on a 1TB SSD. However, with some savvy storage management and a mix of smaller indie titles, you may be able to squeeze in a few more. Let‘s take a deeper look at the factors that determine PS5 game install sizes to help optimize your 1TB SSD storage.

Average PS5 Game Sizes Continue to Grow

While earlier generations saw install sizes ranging from 8-25GB on average, modern games are shattering those limits. For example:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War – 250GB
• NBA 2K21 – 101GB
• Assassin‘s Creed Valhalla – 50GB
• Sackboy A Big Adventure – 32GB
• Bugsnax – 9GB

According to a 2021 report by Io Interactive, the average PS5 game size is around 36GB, though the trend is continually upwards. Of course, this varies based on the game genre and complexity of assets. SPAAA franchises with 4K textures and elaborate campaign modes take up the most space.

However, even many indie games now clock in at 25-50GB due to higher resolution art. And DLCs or game updates can quickly add more GBs. It all adds up faster than you may expect!

Calculate How Many Games Your PS5 SSD Can Hold

Let‘s break down the math using that 36GB average PS5 install footprint:

• 1TB SSD = ~1,000GB capacity
• 36GB per game average
• 1,000GB / 36GB = 27 games

But in reality, your SSD will hold less than that. You lose some base storage to system files and save data. Plus, most gamers have a mix of smaller indies and storage-hogging AAA giants.

To account for these factors, a good rule of thumb is to take 70% of your total SSD capacity.

• 1TB SSD @ 70% usable space = 700GB
• 700GB / 36GB average game size = About 19 PS5 games

And if you have more of those 50-100GB titles? Closer to 10-15 games.

Maximize Your 1TB PS5 SSD Storage

While 1TB may seem small next to your 100+ game library, there are ways to optimize how you use that space:

Uninstall Games You Aren‘t Playing

This one is obvious but easy to forget. If you haven‘t booted up a game in months, uninstall it and free up those GBs. You can always redownload later if you get the itch to play again. Sony makes this painless and keeps your save files intact.

Potential savings: 10-100GB per game

Use External HDDs For PS4 Games

PS4 games don‘t need the PS5‘s ultra-fast SSD. Save that precious space by storing PS4 titles on a cheaper external hard drive. Just plug it into one of the USB ports on your PS5.

Potential savings: 25-50GB per PS4 game

Clear Your Media Gallery Regularly

Capturing epic gameplay moments is awesome, but all those 4K videos and screenshots take a toll on storage. Make it a habit to clear out your media gallery each month. Upload your best clips to YouTube and then delete the originals.

Potential savings: Up to 100GB

Remove Unused Game Content

Many titles let you selectively uninstall content you aren‘t using. For example, deleting a single player campaign after you‘ve finished it or removing high-res texture packs if you don‘t have a 4K TV.

Potential savings: 5-30GB per game

Compress Game Assets

Sony allows developers to use their Kraken compression tools on PS5 games. Some titles actually take up less space than their PS4 versions thanks to more efficient compression techniques.

For example, Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom is a tiny 5GB on PS5 versus 11GB on PS4.

Fill Gaps With Smaller Indie Games

Once you‘ve cleared some room, fill in the gaps with bite-sized indie games. Excellent picks like Hades (12GB), Unto the End (5GB), or What Remains of Edith Finch (4GB) can give you more bang for your SSD buck.

PS5 SSD Upgrade Costs – Is 1TB Enough?

At around $100-150, a 1TB SSD is generally the best value for expanding your PS5 storage while staying budget-friendly. But here are some other options with their current average prices:

As you can see, the cost climbs steeply for high-capacity 4TB and 8TB SSDs. In most cases, 1TB hits the sweet spot of price versus capacity. But hardcore gamers with 100+ game libraries may find springing for 2TB or 4TB worthwhile.

The Outlook for PS5 Storage Upgrades

Sony has confirmed that they are working on enabling support for higher capacity M.2 SSDs beyond 4TB for future PS5 updates. Prices are also expected to continue falling over the next couple years.

So while 1TB seems limited now, it‘s likely that 2TB or higher PS5 SSD upgrades will be much more affordable in 2024 and beyond. Keep an eye out for Black Friday and holiday season sales.

In the meantime, strategically managing your 1TB SSD with these tips can help maximize your game storage. With some diligence, 1TB is sufficient for most gamers‘ primary game libraries. But I do recommend having an external hard drive handy for additional PS4 game overflow when that SSD fills up!

What tips do you have for optimizing PS5 SSD storage space? Let me know in the comments below!