Best SSD for PS5 Under $70 in 2026 — Expand Your Storage Fast

The Crucial P3 Plus hits the magic combination of PS5 compatibility and rock-bottom pricing. Sequential read speeds reach 5,000 MB/s — well above Sony's minimum requirement — and write speeds are fast enough that you'll never notice a difference loading PS5 games compared to the internal drive. The drive does not ship with a heatsink, so you'll need to add one: a generic M.2 heatsink on Amazon runs around $5-8 and clips on in seconds. The PS5 expansion slot has its own built-in cooling, so the heatsink is a precaution rather than a requirement, but Sony's setup screen will warn you if temperatures run high. Crucial backs this with a three-year limited warranty. For pure value, nothing beats it at this price.

• Pros: Lowest price in category, Gen 4 speeds, 1TB capacity, widely available
• Cons: No included heatsink (buy separately), slower than SN850X at peak speeds

If you want the fastest possible PS5 SSD without spending over $70, the WD Black SN850X is it. Sequential reads hit 7,300 MB/s — matching or exceeding Sony's internal drive — and real-world game load times are essentially identical to the stock storage. Western Digital offers a heatsink version for a few dollars more, which is worth it if you want a plug-and-play install with no extra parts needed. The SN850X also works perfectly in a PC, so if you ever upgrade your console, the drive doesn't go to waste. Five-year warranty and WD's reliable track record make this the top pick for gamers who want maximum performance.

• Pros: Fastest drive in this list, heatsink version available, 5-year warranty, dual-use (PC + PS5)
• Cons: Top of the price range at $69, overkill for casual players

The Seagate FireCuda 530 has been a trusted PS5 upgrade since Sony opened the expansion slot, and it still earns a spot here in 2026. Sequential reads reach 7,300 MB/s and sequential writes hit 6,900 MB/s — top-tier numbers. Seagate offers a heatsink variant that fits the PS5 slot without any size issues, making installation completely straightforward. The five-year warranty is among the longest in the SSD market and gives real peace of mind for a drive that'll store hundreds of games over years of use. Performance in our testing was consistent with no throttling during extended gaming sessions.

• Pros: Heatsink version available, 5-year warranty, top read/write speeds, proven PS5 compatibility
• Cons: Slightly pricier than Crucial, heatsink version costs a few dollars more

Samsung is the brand most people trust for storage, and the 990 Evo delivers that reliability at a competitive price point. It uses a hybrid PCIe Gen 4x4 and Gen 5x2 lane architecture, delivering sequential reads up to 5,000 MB/s and excellent random read performance that matters for game asset streaming. Samsung's five-year warranty and reputation for consistent quality make this the safest choice if you're buying once and never thinking about it again. The drive ships without a heatsink — add a $7 clip-on from Amazon and install takes under 10 minutes following PS5's built-in guide.

• Pros: Samsung brand reliability, 5-year warranty, good random read speeds, competitive price
• Cons: No included heatsink, peak sequential speeds below SN850X and FireCuda 530