Thanks to the PS5, Gen 4 SSDs are here to stay, even if PC tech is moving on to better things.
A new generation of SSDs may be upon us, but thanks to the PS5, Gen 4 NVMe SSDs won’t be going anywhere soon.
Currently, the only way to expand the PS5’s limited internal storage space and install more games is to plug a Gen 4 NVMe SSD into the console’s M.2 port. This function is going to have an unusual impact on storage drive standard, extending its lifespan past its usual shelf, even while significantly better Gen 5 models are beginning to appear for PC.
Gen 4 SSDs have been on the market for over three years now, but there is still life in the NVMe 1.4 drives yet and we’ve seen an implementation for PS5 become a priority for manufacturers over the past year and a half. That’s because some of the best SSDs for PS5 continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible with the format.
As a frame of reference, Gen 4 SSDs can reach read data on the drive at speeds of up to 8,000 MB/s, though most top-end models are more comfortable ranging around the 7,500 MB/s mark. While we’ve argued over whether PS5 SSD read and write speeds matter, the baseline you need to keep in mind is that a compatible drive needs to hit at least 5,500 MB/s sequential reads as a bare minimum. These speeds are still lightning fast even in the shadow of Gen 5 SSDs, which are slated to be roughly 60% faster, topping out with a potential of 13,000 MB/s.
However, while with previous generations of SSDs it’s made sense for manufacturers to swiftly move onto the new tech and cater to PC gamers looking to upgrade their systems, the PS5 changes things.
