Let's Hardware: Jeff Attempts To Install An SSD Into His PlayStation 5

Despite all the conversations on the streams, I doubt this takes 90 minutes and predict that it works. :)

Oh, and over a decade too late, finally... first!

Good video!

I also hope one of you guys install an external SSD drive for Xbox Series X and it should be good!

@gtxforza: I think that video would be about 5 seconds long. On XSX it's literally just a card you plug into a port on the back of the console.

Strangely, this actually made me think of Sony's press conference for the PS4 where they had the "how to share games on PS4", but in reverse.

Part of me wishes that on the day Sony came out with like a 5 page instruction manual for installing a larger SSD, that Microsoft had released a video that said "How to increase storage on the Series X" and it was literally just someone plugging the card in. It would have been epically petty.

EDIT: Also, this whole process is dumb. It manages to somehow be bad on both ends in that (a) it's not actually that hard to do, but the instructions make it seem more intimidating than it is, but (b) it's still way harder than it needs to be, particularly in comparison to the XSX.

@therealturk: Oh, I also thought Xbox Series X's SSD expansion cards needed to format when first plugged in until when I watched one of the videos that I saw on YouTube, sorry about that.

All I want to know is when it Sony going to release that VRR update for the PS5, not to mention their television sets. It's starting to look like that promise was a lie to sell TVs and consoles. I personally don't need it because my current TV can't use it anyway, but it's the principle of the whole thing... ya know...

Playdate Quick Look please!

Hurting for storage on ps5 but also cash atm but this will eventually happen for me.

@gtxforza: I actually made it harder on myself by powering down my XSX completely to then plug in the SSD, but when I powered up my XSX it didn't like that. I pulled it out and plugged it back in, and then the Xbox was happy. It really does want you to just plug in the SSD while the XSX is powered on. I made it my new default install location and have basically forgotten I have it plugged in. I even forgot I had bought it until I was looking at my credit card statements from a few months back and saw a $200 charge at Best Buy, and couldn't remember what I had purchased.

@madmatt213: That's good and very inspiring.

I haven't been able to find a PS5 for purchase yet and already I'm hoping Sony does a redesign / refresh on the PS5 to make it "better" / less fiddly / more user friendly--like they did with the PS1, PS2, and PS3. It seems PS3-era Sony rose from the dead to fuck with the PS5 development.

I have no love for Windows / Microsoft, I dream of an all Linux PC gaming future, and I think Game Pass is gonna be net negative for video games, but I have to give MS credit for making the series X design as straightforward as possible. Sure, it looks like a Darth Vader mini-fridge from Skymall circa 1998, but it's simple and more user friendly.

I ordered the 2TB one of the same model so looking forward to trying that in 2 weeks when it arrives.

Also yeah taking the cover off is scary the first time you do it, but once you understand how it actually is done it's super easy.

Thanks Jeff. But ill probably wait until I can get a PS5 to start looking for reasonable priced SSD.

Does having a bunch of hdmi splitters/captures give input lag?

Jeff is still a threat:) That felt like a classic GB video!

@therealturk: Just think how hard this might be for people that haven't worked on pc's or built pc's, they would be terrified to bust their ps5 open and screw in chips, assuming they bought the right chips in the first place.

I love both the ps5 and XsX but man xbox killed it with their implementation, it's so easy and idiot proof, it's just a memory card like we had throughout the ps1 & ps2 generation

Jeff you need some kind of neon flashing sign about one of your insane caffeinated alcohol drinks in your office.

I went through the same thoughts as Jeff trying to take off that plastic cover. It's by far the most stressful part of the process. It isn't intuitive, and the instructions in the Sony video are misleading. The "left thumb" isn't used to slide the cover. It's all about intense lateral pressure from the right hand, with that corner SLIGHTLY raised.

The first time you do it, it really gives you the impression you're going to snap the thing in half.

Glad you're still playing Cookie Clicker. I'm currently playing two incremental games while I watch this.

@ninkendo: I agree, there's really not much to it once you've done it once.

The starting PS5 storage is annoying but I think I am going to make do since I only use it for exclusives. I only have 5-6 games installed on it right now and 250GB or so to spare with Death Stranding Director's Cut and the new Horizon as the only two games on the horizon, heh.

It's a bit unfortunate that a form factor that was pretty much designed to be factory-installed in laptops became dominant for SSDs. Something designed with the end user in mind, and not purely around space constraints would be much easier to deal with. Alternatives are slowly cropping up in enterprise and data center drives, but on the consumer side, we'll be stuck with M.2 for a long time.

M.2's were always expensive, but at least its not locked to Xbox's proprietary solution. It's already cheaper.

Only a tiny number of PS5 owners are going to do this. I can't imagine that most consumers--even some technologically savvy ones like me!--would go through with this.

I was in the beta and added a 2TB XPG S70 to my PS5. Took a couple minutes. Far easier than the HDD upgrades I did on my PS3 and PS4s since you don't need to backup/restore hundreds of gigs which takes hours and hours, or reinstall firmware from a USB drive.

I'd love to see Microsoft produce a straight up mimic of the PS5 tutorial video. Give it the same naming structure, hire a voice actor to mimic the tone and cadence, oddly similar background music, but it's like 30 seconds long. Flip and reverse the 'how to share a game' thing Sony eviscerated them with.

boy the first 15 minutes of this video encapsulates why Jeff doesn't like modern games
dad mode activated, too frustrating to watch

@captainspectacular said:

I somehow doubt trying to make fun of a slightly fiddly install process will have the same impact as making fun of unilaterally ending the concept of physical games ownership.

I thought the PS5 had a special new hard drive thats really fast, is this the same thing?

This is the most realistic cover removal video I’ve seen. It’s nerve-wracking to flex it. Most videos make it look too easy. Sony’s original teardown shows it better than their new M.2 install video.

Shopping for a drive with the correct size heatsink is more confusing than any console accessory should be for the average owner.

Flashing lights warning right up front.

Installing a fast SSD into a PS5 in order to ultimately play Balan Wonderworld and Pitfall is the most Jeff thing ever.

Around the 12 minute mark is where you realise why the video is 90 minutes long. Haha. Love it.

@kopcik: My thoughts exactly! Loved the casual vibes

I still kinda feel like PS5 is pushing the speed thing harder than they really need to.

The difference between PCIe 3 and 4 is not a whole lot in terms of loads and a whole lot in terms of $$$. Coulda just done 3 in the PS5 and 4 in the inevitable PS5 Pro instead of having $400 SSDs.

A truly infuriating video between the flashing TV screen off to the right (I don't have epilepsy, but this shit has bothered me at times and I sympathize with people who do have it) and the length of time it took to open the console. At least with the latter, I can understand that feeling daunting, but I was able to find a video months ago to see how it's done, just in case, and I think this is a simpler demonstration than what Sony provided.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHZugP--N8Q

@leviathan_dive: M.2 drives and the custom SSD in the PS5 are both NVME based technology, which is to say: storage accessed over a PCIe connection. The PS5's built in drive is just soldered on the motherboard, while M.2 is a form factor for replaceable drives. The PS5 still has custom controller hardware that is used to manage access to both the built in drive, and any M.2 drive you add.

It's not that hard. Like buying a hard drive for a PS4 or an SD card for a switch you can already go on Amazon for a lot of these SSDs and see top questions and reviews answering the question of PS5 compatibility. Plus manufacturers are already advertising their SSDs as PS5 compatible. It'll just be another bullet point in the description.

Mark Cerny explains in detail why they chose the specific speed threshold they did in the road to PS5 presentation. The difference between 3.0 and 4.0 is the difference between falling short of their goals or achieving them. Besides, prices are falling fast, and this is a device that will be sold for another 6+ years. ADATA has been selling their 2TB XPG S70 drive for as low as $250 if you keep an eye on Walmart.com and Amazon. Eventually the price difference will just evaporate as 4.0 drives just become the commodity standard.

@bradgrenz: Thanks, I understand it a little more now.

@btstreleckis: Giantbomb is punk rock. But this one was a weird but still entertaining

vid. Gave me a little anxiety lol.

What a joke the PS5 storage is. Nice one Sony.

Lol people still seem so bitter about the "How to share your games" video. It was literally a last minute troll idea from Adam Boyes, not something cooked up by Sony's marketing department. By all means, let Xbox try to get back at them, but Adam doesn't even work there anymore, so, whatever.

As for this video.. Jeff keeps saying PS5 came with 1 TB, but actually it is 825 GB I believe, and after the OS stuff it comes to 667.2 GB empty space. Even then, I have 15 games installed right now (and only actively playing 3) and still have 309 GB free.. Lucky for me, I don't play COD. I don't think I need more space. Most of the larger games are not that big.. Yakuza 7 44 GB, Miles Morales 39 GB, Sackboy 31 GB... the largest I have is the PS4 version of FF7 Remake at 86 GB, and I only have that because I wanted to upload my save before switching to Intergrade but I have been too lazy to do it.

Amnesia:A Machine for Tims

I replaced PS3 and PS4 HDDs, and still wasn't sure if doing this with the PS5 was replacing the built in drive, or just adding on more storage to that, and I'm glad to see that it just gives an extra place to store games. Replacing the whole drive on earlier systems was sort of nerve-wracking, it seemed like there was a good chance things would go wrong and destroy the system, instead of just not getting a memory boost.

If there is one upside to not being able to find a PS5 right now, it is that when I do get one I can buy a 2 TB NVMe drive at the same time and just install it before I add any games to the system.

Its seems like most of the 'work' is setting up to transfer items you have already downloaded onto another drive. If there was no prior work, that means you just set up the system add the expansion drive, and then just start downloading what you want.

oohhh So that's what happened to my Honda Accord.

Wow the flashing lights from the monitor all over this video really suck.