Is 825GB Good Enough for the PS5? A Deep Dive Analysis

As a gaming content creator who has published over 100 videos on YouTube, I often get asked how well the PS5‘s 825GB of storage holds up. After nearly 800 hours of playtime, I‘m ready to deliver a verdict.

Breaking Down the PS5‘s 825GB SSD

While the PS5 is advertised as having an 825GB solid-state drive, the actual usable space is 667GB. Here‘s how it breaks down:

So why not just make it a round 1TB? According to Sony‘s Mark Cerny, the unusual 825GB capacity was optimized specifically for the PS5‘s 12-channel SSD controller. This provides nearly twice the bandwidth of an equivalent 512GB or 1TB drive.

In real world usage, the PS5‘s SSD is blazing fast. Load times in games like Spider-Man Remastered are slashed from 15 seconds on PS4 Pro to under 1 second on PS5. Quick resume and near-instant fast travel reinforces that raw transfer speeds matter more than simple drive capacity.

How does the PS5 compare against Xbox? The Xbox Series X has a 1TB drive with 2.4GB/s speeds. While higher capacity, the PS5 has over double the bandwidth at 5.5GB/s. This supercharged data throughput is why the PS5 feels faster despite having less storage headroom.

Storage Requirements for the Average Gamer

Even with a performance-centric 667GB, the PS5 has enough space to install a respectable game library. Here‘s an estimate:

• 10-15 major titles (30GB to 60GB each)
• 5-10 smaller backwards compatible PS4 games
• A handful of indie games under 10GB

Based on my PS5 playstyle, I typically have 6-8 of the latest major releases installed at a time, plus a few retro and indie titles. With some storage management, 667GB gives me plenty of options to bounce between games without frequent re-installs.

To quantify how install sizes have grown, here is the footprint range for some popular PS5 titles:

As you can see, storage adds up fast! While game developers are optimizing their installers more, file sizes are undoubtedly trending larger this generation.

Expanding the PS5‘s Storage Capacity

If 667GB still feels restricting, expanding the PS5‘s storage is straightforward. Here are your options:

• External USB hard drive – Store and play PS4 games only. Moving games here can free up space.
• M.2 NVMe SSD – Install into PS5 expansion slot for full functionality.

For USB hard drives, sizes between 250GB to 8TB are supported. I‘d recommend 1TB minimum – large enough for a sizable library of PS4 games. Prices start around $45.

For M.2 SSD expansion, Sony provides a list of approved drives that meet the performance requirements. 1TB models start around $110 – very reasonable for high-speed PCIe 4.0 NVMe storage.

The installation process involves removing the PS5‘s outer panels to access the M.2 expansion slot. It only takes a few minutes with a Phillips screwdriver – I walked through the full procedure in this YouTube video.

Predicting PS5 Storage Needs Going Forward

Will 825GB continue to be sufficient looking ahead? Games will slowly demand more space, but Sony has set the console up well to adapt.

Here are my predictions on how PS5 storage needs will evolve:

• 2023-2024 – 1TB will become more common as larger games release. 825GB still workable.
• 2025-2026 – 2TB will start feeling necessary as 4K textures become baseline.
• 2027+ – Mid-gen PS5 Pro rumors point to a larger internal SSD.

As a point of reference, PS4 game install sizes capped out around 100GB towards the end of that generation. With PS5‘s transition to 4K and initiatives like Call of Duty ditching last-gen, file bloat will continue.

Sony did confirm expandable storage to 8TB eventually. I think they picked 825GB to balance cost for launch, knowing they can scale later with external SSDs. Overall very forward-thinking compared to the PS4!

My Recommendations as a PS5 Gaming Content Creator

For most gamers, 825GB is a great starting point. Budget focused buyers or those with sporadic playtime will do fine managing the stock capacity.

Enthusiasts playing the latest releases will want to add M.2 SSD expansion within the first couple years. 1TB models are affordable and keep the entire library on speedy flash storage.

Based on over 800 hours of gaming, streaming, and content creation on PS5, my recommendations are:

• Casual gamers – Stick with 825GB and offload older games if needed
• Core gamers – Add a 1TB SSD in the first year for 1300GB total
• Power users – Grab a 2TB expansion SSD for 2500GB+ total

No matter your use case, setting up an external drive as cold storage for PS4 games helps. And regularly deleting or archiving titles you’ve completed will keep enough free space for active gaming.

While not as big as the Xbox Series X on paper, the PS5 SSD‘s remarkable speeds deliver the best possible next-gen gaming experience. 825GB has room for an ample selection of immersive, high fidelity PS5 titles.

Have you expanded your PS5 storage yet? What capacity is your sweet spot? Let me know in the comments below!