If your PS5 is running low on storage, adding an internal M.2 SSD is one of the best upgrades you can make — and formatting it correctly is what makes the console actually use it. In this guide, you’ll install and format a compatible M.2 SSD, migrate where your games install by default, and confirm the drive is healthy and running at the speed the PS5 expects. The whole process takes roughly 20 to 30 minutes if the drive isn’t already installed, or about 10 minutes if it is.
Before diving in, know what formatting does: it erases everything on the drive and writes Sony’s required partition structure so the PS5 can store games there. If your M.2 SSD previously lived in a PC, back up anything on it first — formatting will wipe it completely.
Before You Start
Gather everything below before you open the console. The PS5 only accepts drives meeting specific interface and size requirements, and a drive that’s too thick or too slow won’t register.
| What you need | Why | Optional? |
|---|---|---|
| PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD, 250 GB to 8 TB | The PS5 requires PCIe Gen4 with a sequential read speed of 5,500 MB/s or faster; capacities outside this range aren’t supported. | No |
| Heat sink (single-sided, total thickness under 11.25 mm) | Sony requires a cooling structure; the slot cover alone isn’t enough for sustained performance. | No (aftermarket covers with built-in heatsinks count) |
| Phillips #1 screwdriver (or the included slot-cover screw hand screw on some models) | Needed to remove the side panel and secure the drive’s standoff screw. | No |
| Microfiber cloth | Keeps dust out of the expansion slot while the panel is off. | Recommended |
| External USB drive (optional) | Handy if you want to move PS4 games off the console before the swap to speed things up. | Yes |
Step-by-Step
1. Back up and power down the console
Time: 5 minutes. If any games or saves live on the M.2 SSD you’re about to format, move them back to console storage first. Go to Settings > Storage > Console Storage > Games and Apps, highlight the titles on the M.2 drive, press the Options button, and choose Move Games and Apps > Move to Console Storage. Then fully power down: press and hold the power button on the console until you hear a second beep (about 7 seconds) — rest mode isn’t safe for this procedure. Unplug the power and HDMI cables.
2. Install the M.2 SSD
Time: 10 minutes. Lay a disc-edition PS5 face down with the disc slot to your left (the glossy panel with the PlayStation logo faces up). Slide the left corner panel outward and up until it pops free. Locate the expansion slot cover, remove its single screw and the small spacer screw, and insert the M.2 SSD at roughly a 30-degree angle into the connector. Press the drive flat, pivot it down onto the standoff, and tighten the spacer screw. If your standoff has multiple positions (80, 100, or 110 mm), set it to match your drive’s length. Reattach the slot cover and side panel.
3. Power on and format the drive
Time: 3–5 minutes. Reconnect power and HDMI, then press the power button. The PS5 may display a message that the M.2 SSD needs to be formatted. If it does, select Format M.2 SSD and wait for the confirmation. If it doesn’t prompt you, format manually: go to Settings > Storage > Extended Storage / M.2 SSD, select the drive, press the Options button on your controller, and choose Format as M.2 SSD. Confirm when warned that all data will be erased. Formatting typically takes under 2 minutes for most drives.
4. Set the drive as your install destination
Time: 2 minutes. Go to Settings > Storage > Installation Location > PS5 Games and Apps and select the M.2 SSD. New PS5 game downloads now default to the SSD. Repeat under PS4 Games and Apps if you install PS4 titles too.
5. Run a health and performance check
Time: 2 minutes. Go to Settings > Storage > M.2 SSD, select the drive, and choose Test Drive Health and Performance. This runs a quick benchmark and reports whether the drive meets PS5 requirements. You want to see a green checkmark next to both health and performance — not a warning that the drive is operating below spec.
Verify It Worked
Three quick checks confirm everything is set up correctly:
Capacity check: In Settings > Storage, the M.2 SSD should appear as its own tab with roughly the advertised usable capacity (some space is reserved by formatting, so an advertised 1 TB drive may show around 940 GB free).
Install check: Download or move a game to the drive. During installation, you can watch the progress bar appear under the M.2 SSD tab rather than Console Storage.
Performance check: Rerun Test Drive Health and Performance from the M.2 SSD menu. If it passes, load a large game from the drive — titles stored there load at the same speed as internal storage when the drive meets spec.
Mistakes to Avoid
Buying a Gen3-only drive. The PS5 requires PCIe Gen4 x4 with at least 5,500 MB/s sequential read. How to check: look up the drive’s spec sheet — if it lists 3,500 MB/s or similar, it’s Gen3. What to do: return or exchange it for a Gen4 model. How to undo: there’s no fix short of replacing the drive; the PS5 will refuse to format it.
Skipping the heat sink. What causes it: assuming the metal slot cover provides enough cooling. How to check: if games stutter or the drive drops out under sustained load, or if the health test warns of overheating, thermal throttling is likely. What to do: power down, remove the panel, and fit a heatsink that keeps total thickness under 11.25 mm. How to undo: remove the heatsink if you switch to a different drive later, but never run the drive bare.
Formatting the wrong drive. What causes it: formatting a drive that still contains data you meant to keep, such as an external USB backup drive. How to check: in Settings > Storage, read the capacity and label carefully before confirming — M.2 SSD and Extended Storage (USB) are separate tabs. What to do: format only the drive listed under the M.2 SSD tab. How to undo: formatting can’t be undone; restore data from an external backup if you had one.
Forgetting to move games back before pulling the drive. What causes it: physically removing an M.2 SSD that still holds installed games. How to check: before shutting down, open Settings > Storage > M.2 SSD > Games and Apps and confirm it’s empty or move everything to console storage. What to do: move games back via Move Games and Apps > Move to Console Storage. How to undo: reinstall the drive and the games will still be there — but you can’t play them while the drive is out.
FAQ
Does formatting the M.2 SSD delete games on the console’s internal storage?
No. Formatting only erases the M.2 SSD itself. Anything installed on the console’s internal SSD stays untouched.
Can I use the PS5’s M.2 SSD in a PC afterward?
Yes, but you’ll need to reformat it in a PC (usually NTFS or exFAT), which erases the PS5’s partition structure and everything installed on it. Move games back to internal storage first if you want to keep them.
Why won’t my PS5 recognize my M.2 SSD?
Common reasons: the drive is PCIe Gen3 (below the 5,500 MB/s requirement), it’s a SATA M.2 instead of NVMe, it’s outside the 250 GB–8 TB capacity range, or the heatsink makes it too thick to seat properly. Recheck the specs, reseat the drive at the correct angle, and confirm the standoff screw is snug.
How often should I reformat or retest the drive?
Only reformat when troubleshooting persistent errors or repurposing the drive. Run Test Drive Health and Performance occasionally — a few times a year or whenever you notice long load times — to catch degradation early. As of 2026, PS5 system software handles M.2 maintenance automatically in the background, so no routine manual reformatting is needed.
