If you’re serious about gaming chances are you’ll run into a little barrier we like to call ‘not enough storage’, even if you’re using the biggest available MSI SSD. In the world of gaming, few things matter quite as much as storage space – especially given the way we use and abuse our machines day-to-day with hundreds of tasks and processes.
Unless you’ve built your own and spared no expense, everyday usage can quickly start to weigh down your PC directly impacting the quality and quantity of your gaming experience. Even if you’re careful with your downloads and keep to physical copies (which will still require installing), the slow buildup of memory-hogging files can clog your loading times and jeopardise your game speeds.
And aside from avoiding procrastination and salvaging your bank balance, the only real issue when it comes to stacking up games on the PS5 is the size of the inbuilt memory. It isn’t just games: the last few generations of Sony’s best-selling console have doubled up as a media centre for videos, apps, social networks and streaming. All of which is great, but is sure to eat up that precious SSD space in mere months.
Fortunately there is a fix, and a beginner-friendly one at that. Here’s why (and how) you should upgrade your PC and PS5 SSD as soon as possible. It’s simpler than you think.
BUY NOW
Why upgrade?
There are so many brilliant games out there to play, but with graphics getting better every year and gamers demanding more and more content, PC game file sizes are getting astronomically large. And then you have storefronts like Epic and Steam regularly hosting sales on every game under the sun and offering a fully-digital library solution. The more of your memory you fill up, the slower those games are going to run.
Similarly, you don’t need us to tell you that from the moment the PS5 was released its roster was absolutely crammed full of exciting, compelling, gorgeous games – and that offering has continued to expand since then. When it comes to choosing what to play next, the wish list just keeps getting longer, as more and more must-play games are released every month.
Although the PS5 comes as a complete unit, it is still possible to tailor it to your specifications, much as you would a PC. Although we’ve come to see PC units as a little more modular, it is now totally possible for a beginner to install a new SSD into a PS5 as well.
And now for the best part. The SSDs you use to upgrade your PC and PS5 can, in fact, be the same one.
Which SSD should you use?
Within reason, that’s completely up to you, but the PS5 does require a PCIe gen4x4 NVMe M.2 SSD running 5500 MB/s or faster, with a capacity range of 250GB to 4TB. If all that sounds a bit like made-up nonsense, you can also just take our word for it that the Spatium M480 Play from MSI is one of the easiest to use and install – and can be used across both PC and console.
BUY NOW
The Spatium M480 Play series ranges from 500GB to a whopping 4TB of storage, and a built-in aluminium heatsink that will keep cool no matter how much pressure it’s under. Oh, and it’s pretty much ready to plug and play on the PS5.
Fortunately, most PS5-compatible SSDs are labelled as such, making it easier to pick one off the digital shelf. Gaming PCs are a little more complicated, as you’ll need to check the size and connection are right (you don’t want to end up with a SATA M.2 when you could have the speeds of an NVMe). It’s also worth checking the generation. They’re backwards compatible, so you won’t have an issue plugging a PCIe 4.0 into a 3.0 slot, but, again, it’s all about getting the fastest drive you can.
How to install on PC
Assuming you’ve read the above disclaimer about compatibility, installing an SSD in your PC shouldn’t be too difficult, especially with the Spatium M480 Play.
First of all, you’ll want to download MSI Centre and make sure your data is backed up. Once you’re sure nothing is going to get wiped, it’s time to turn off and unplug. If your computer has a spare slot, simply open up the case and slip the SSD into the slot – sometimes you’ll have to secure it with a screw.
Upgrading with an MSI product is a pretty great call in general, as they offer a 5-year warranty on their SSDs. The cards are also compatible with MSI Centre, so you can prevent the loss of data and move files seamlessly with dive health checkers and real-time performance metrics.
How to install on PS5
After updating your PS5 and peripherals to the latest version, power off and remove all cables. Place it with the logo side facing down and using a screwdriver, lift the back panel (the one without a logo). Remove the screws holding the expansion slot cover and spacer in place, then slide the spacer into the space marked “80” if you are using the MSI SpatiumM480 Play, since it’s a 2280 length drive.
BUY NOW
From here, simply slot the SSD in with the heatsink facing up, and secure them with the screw. After re-securing and popping the back panel back on, you can boot up the PS5 and get your new hardware confirmed.
The PS5 should show on-screen instructions at this point, and once the new SSD has been formatted you can set it as the default drive and you’re all done. That really is it. Your upgraded PS5 should be ready for any game you throw at it.
No matter whether you’re upgrading your gaming PC or just giving yourself more space on your PS5, you can’t go wrong with the MSI Spatium M480 Play. It’s simple to install, performs well, and can store up to 4GB, which is sure to keep you from moving games on and off the hard drive for a long while. Check out the Spatium M480 Play today and see how much space you can add to your gaming setup.
