Why is PS5 825GB?

As a hardcore PlayStation gamer, I was initially puzzled when Sony announced the PS5 would ship with an 825GB solid state drive (SSD) rather than a nice round 1TB. Turns out this unusual capacity was carefully chosen to enable cutting-edge data transfer speeds that truly set the PS5 apart.

Unleashing the Power of the PS5‘s Custom SSD

The PS5‘s ultra-fast SSD is not off-the-shelf but was specially designed for the console. It uses a 12-channel interface to connect to the main system, while most SSDs max out at 8 channels. More channels means increased bandwidth and parallelism for simultaneously accessing data across multiple NAND flash chips.

To fully leverage this speedy 12-channel setup, the PS5 logically taps out at a strange 825GB capacity. A larger 1TB drive would actually bottleneck some of those precious lanes! Sony decided unleashing the full throttle of the SSD was worth the modest tradeoff in base storage space.

For Most Gamers, 825GB Proves Sufficient

Is only 825GB enough for the average player‘s needs? Surprisingly yes, it turns out. Let‘s crunch some numbers.

The PS5 reserves a portion of the 825GB for system files, leaving 667GB free for game installs and saves. Average PS5 game sizes clock in around 36GB. Call of Duty drives that average up a lot—many indie titles are under 10GB. With an average mix of games, you can expect to fit a healthy 15+ titles before needing more elbow room. Not too shabby!

Expanding PS5 Storage Both Internally and Externally

Once you fill up that 667GB and want more capacity, no problemo for PS5. Sony built options for seamlessly adding high-speed solid state drives internally, or cheaper external USB drives:

Internal M.2 SSD Slot: PS5 supports PCIe Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSDs up to 4TB. Installation takes only a few minutes and integrated storage behaves just like the internal drive. Sweet!

External HDD Support: You can offload PS4 games to a traditional external USB hard drive. This doesn‘t offer the blazing speed of solid state, but it‘s an easy way to save space on cheaper HDD storage.

Handy table comparing expansion methods:

Having exhausted the built-in 825GB SSD, I added a spacious 4TB Sabrent Rocket drive internally on my PS5 Pro. Combined with a large external HDD for legacy PS4 installs, storage anxiety is history!

M.2 SSD Recommendations for Upgrading PS5

As an avid early adopter of PS5 storage expansion, here are my top tips for selecting an M.2 SSD based on usage needs:

1-2TB SSDs Nail the Price/Performance Sweet Spot

For most gamers, a 1TB or 2TB PCIe 4.0 drive offers the best bang for your buck. Models from WD_Black, Samsung, and Seagate can routinely be snagged for under $200 on sale while handling dozens of AAA game installs.

4TB Overkill Except for Content Creators

Unless you‘re a serious content creator juggling loads of captured gameplay videos and high-res screenshots, a pricey 4TB seems like overkill for the average player. I have no regrets though!

Stick to Well-Known Brands Like WD_Black or Samsung

While you‘ll see no-name SSD brands boasting "compatible with PlayStation 5!", they often cut corners that can jeopardize performance and reliability. I strongly recommend sticking with reputable makes like Western Digital or Samsung even if it means spending a bit more.

The Outlook for Larger Capacity PS5 Consoles

Will Sony eventually release PS5 models with larger 1TB or 2TB onboard SSDs when prices fall? Based on historical trends, I‘d bank on it!

First, we‘ll likely see introductions like the PS5 Pro with beefier computing power. Later down the road, refreshed non-Pro variants could offer bigger SSDs at lower costs.

The original PS4 launched with a 500GB hard drive in 2013. Within 3 years, you could buy PS4 Slim and Pro editions equipped with 1TB drives. I expect a similar evolution to play out here. But the custom engineered 825GB foundation should continue delivering speedy game loads for years to come!