Update (06/07/2023) – GS
In July last year, Western Digital teamed up with Sony to launch the first line of SSDs compatible with the PS5, increasing the number of options available on the market for devices of this type.
This week, the manufacturer announced new models for the line, with storage options of up to 4 TB.
The new WD_BLACK SN850P NVMe SSD for PlayStation 5 consoles are products officially licensed by Sony Interactive Entertainment and are available in three versions: 1TB, 2TB and 4TB, but prices can be quite steep.
While the 1TB and 2TB versions saw a price reduction from last year’s release ($149.99 and $229.99, respectively), the new 4TB model comes in at a low $549.99 (~BRL 2,700).
Introducing the NEW Officially Licensed, up to 4TB WD_BLACK SN850P NVMe SSD for @PlayStation 5! Get it now at https://t.co/hnUAKZN6l8 pic.twitter.com/LTe76i5RGP
— WD_BLACK (@wd_black) June 6, 2023
The SN850P line of NVMe SSDs includes performance improvements over Western Digital’s previous model and achieves a read speed of approximately 7300MB/s, with write speeds reaching up to 6600MB/s.
The collaboration with PlayStation ensures that these devices can be securely and simply installed on the PS5.
For now, we still don’t know if the new line will be launched in Europe or what its official price will be, but do you think it is necessary to install a 4TB SSD in the console?
Original text – 07/12/2022
Sony teams up with Western Digital to release official PS5 SSD
In September 2021, Sony released an update to the PS5 system that allowed expansion of the console’s SSD storage. At the time, manufacturers such as Gigabyte, Seagate and Western Digital announced devices compatible with the console’s specifications, but none of them was considered “official”.
This week, Sony and Western Digital announced a partnership to finally release an official SSD for the console.
Since the new Xbox Series were announced, Microsoft has partnered with Seagate to launch an external SSD for the console, which has a unique design and that attaches to the rear entrance of the consoles.
In the case of the PS5, despite having the SSD expansion, Sony offers users much more freedom, since they can choose devices from any manufacturer, as long as they meet the speed and size specifications. If you are one of those who don’t want to worry about analyzing the technical specifications of the devices to find out which one is compatible, Western Digital launched this week an ideal solution.
The WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD was originally released in February 2021, with Western Digital revealing in July that it was compatible with PS5 specs.
This week, the device was renamed to NVMe SSD WD_BLACK SN850 for PS5 consoles, in addition to having also gained a new packaging to form a set with the other peripherals of the console.
It turns out that this visual makeover also raises the price of the products, with the 1TB version costing US$169.99 and the 2TB costing US$279.99.
In theory, this price is lower than the SN850 at its launch, but currently, it is possible to find the devices for much more affordable prices in the international market.
According to the technical specifications, both the version intended for PS5 and the original appear to be identical in terms of performance — both have a PCIe Gen4 x4 interface with a read speed of 7000MB/s and a write speed of 5300MB/s.
The only difference, apart from the packaging, seems to be that the PS5 version has a blue LED, while the original had an orange LED (but this is invisible as the device is docked internally in the console).
We still don’t know if the SSD NVMe WD_BLACK SN850 for PS5 consoles will be officially released in Europe, but in any case, it shouldn’t come cheap.
