Western Digital 2TB SSD NVMe M.2

The WD_BLACK SN850P is a fast, officially licensed PS5 storage expansion with a pre-installed heatsink. It hits 7300 MB/s reads and lands in the 96th percentile for random performance. It's pricey, but if you want zero compatibility worries, it's worth the premium.

This thing is fast. Sequential reads hit 7300 MB/s and writes land at 6600 MB/s, which puts it in the 89th percentile for speed across all drives we track. Random performance is even better, sitting in the 96th percentile, so game loads and asset streaming feel snappy. The 1200 TBW endurance rating is solid too, landing in the 71st percentile. That's plenty for years of game installs and re-installs. The only real weak spot is the feature set, which sits at the 34th percentile. There's no fancy encryption or management software to speak of, just a heatsink and a drive. For a PS5 expansion, that's honestly all you need.

Stacked against the competition, the SN850P holds its own on speed but loses ground on price. The Samsung 9100 PRO and Kingston FURY Renegade G5 both offer similar or better raw performance, often at a lower cost per gigabyte. The Crucial T500 is another strong alternative that undercuts the WD on price while delivering comparable PCIe 4.0 speeds. The Seagate FireCuda 530R is probably the closest direct competitor, also aimed at PS5 users with a heatsink option, and it trades blows on performance. Where the SN850P wins is the official license. None of those other drives carry Sony's stamp of approval, and for some buyers, that's worth the extra cash. For everyone else, the alternatives are worth a serious look.

The SN850P is not cheap. In the US, you'll see it listed between USD 400 and USD 480 depending on the vendor, with Amazon typically having the better end of that spread. In Europe, the gap is even wider, from EUR 471 to EUR 599 across four listings. That's a real chunk of change for 2TB. But you're paying for the official PS5 license and the peace of mind that comes with it. If you want a drive that's guaranteed to work, has a heatsink ready to go, and won't give you any compatibility headaches, the premium might be worth it. If you're value-conscious and willing to roll the dice on a non-licensed drive, you can save real money.

The WD_BLACK SN850P is Western Digital's officially licensed PS5 storage expansion, and it nails the basics. You get 2TB of PCIe 4.0 NVMe storage with a heatsink already attached, so it drops right into the console's M.2 slot without any fuss. Read speeds hit 7300 MB/s and writes top out at 6600 MB/s, which puts it right at the ceiling of what the PS5 can actually use.

It's not the cheapest drive out there, and our database shows affordability sitting in the 24th percentile. But you're paying for the official license, the pre-installed heatsink, and a drive that just works. For most PS5 owners who want more space without thinking too hard, that's a fair trade.

Skip this if you're on a tight budget or you're comfortable doing a little homework. Drives like the Crucial T500 or Kingston FURY Renegade G5 offer similar performance for less money, and adding your own heatsink is a five-minute job. If you don't own a PS5 and you're just looking for a fast PC drive, there are better value options that don't carry the console licensing premium.

Buy this if you have a PS5, want more storage, and don't want to think about compatibility. The SN850P is fast, reliable, and dead simple to install. It's the safe choice, and sometimes safe is exactly what you want. If you're on a budget or you're comfortable doing a little research, there are cheaper drives that will do the job almost as well. But for the person who just wants to plug something in and start downloading games, this is the drive to get.