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The short version
- Best overall: Samsung 990 Pro with heatsink (1TB or 2TB) — fast, cool, and basically plug-and-play on PS5.
- Best value: WD Black SN850X with heatsink and Crucial T500 punch way above their price.
- Budget pick: Crucial P3 Plus saves money and still passes Sony’s speed test (a touch slower, but fine).
- The one rule for PS5: get a PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 (2280) SSD with a heatsink. That’s the whole game.
Why GTA 6 makes storage a real problem
GTA 6 is shaping up to be a monster, and not just on screen. Early estimates put the install somewhere around 150–200GB, which is enough to swallow a big chunk of any stock console.
If you own a base PS5, the usable space disappears fast. Throw in Call of Duty, a Sony exclusive or two, and suddenly you’re deleting games to make room. Been there. It’s not fun at 1am the night before launch.
A second SSD fixes that for years, not months. And the good news is that prices have dropped hard, so a fast 2TB drive costs what a 1TB did a couple of years back. For more on the numbers, see our breakdown of GTA 6 storage size.
The one rule for PS5 SSDs
Sony is picky, and that’s actually helpful because it narrows your choices. Your PS5 needs a drive that hits all of these marks:
- PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 — not a SATA drive, not an external USB SSD for playing PS5 games.
- 2280 form factor — that’s 22mm wide, 80mm long. The most common size you’ll see.
- A heatsink — this is the part people forget. The PS5 slot runs hot, and a bare drive can throttle or throw errors.
- 5,500 MB/s read speed or faster — Sony’s recommended floor. Most quality Gen4 drives clear this easily.
You can buy a separate low-profile heatsink and stick it on a bare drive, and that works fine. But honestly, the pre-built “with heatsink” versions are barely more money and save you the fiddling. Buy the one that already has it.
What about PC?
PC players have it easier. Any solid Gen4 or Gen5 NVMe drive will run GTA 6 well, and most modern motherboards already cool the main M.2 slot.
You don’t strictly need a heatsink on PC if your board has one built in. Check your manual, drop the drive in the cooled slot, and you’re set. If you’re still weighing your hardware, our system requirements guide covers what you actually need.
Best SSDs for GTA 6 (PS5 and PC)
Here are the drives I’d actually recommend, ranked by who they suit. Prices move around, so treat these as ballpark.
| Model | Capacity | Type | Price (approx) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung 990 Pro (with heatsink) | 1TB / 2TB | PCIe Gen4 NVMe | $110 / $170 (£95 / £150) | Best overall PS5 pick |
| WD Black SN850X (with heatsink) | 1TB / 2TB | PCIe Gen4 NVMe | $100 / $160 (£90 / £145) | Gaming all-rounder |
| Seagate FireCuda 530 | 1TB / 2TB | PCIe Gen4 NVMe | $115 / $180 (£100 / £160) | Endurance and longevity |
| Crucial T500 | 1TB / 2TB | PCIe Gen4 NVMe | $90 / $150 (£80 / £135) | Best value performance |
| Crucial P3 Plus | 1TB / 2TB | PCIe Gen4 NVMe | $70 / $115 (£65 / £105) | Budget builds |
Samsung 990 Pro with heatsink — best overall
This is the one I point friends toward first. It’s fast, it stays cool, and the heatsink version drops straight into the PS5 with zero extra parts.
Get the 2TB if you can stretch to it. GTA 6 plus a few other big games eats space quicker than you’d think.
Check price on AmazonWD Black SN850X with heatsink — gaming all-rounder
The SN850X has been a community favorite for years, and the heatsink model is purpose-built for the PS5. Performance is neck-and-neck with the Samsung, and it’s often a few dollars cheaper.
If the 990 Pro is sold out or pricey on the day, grab this without a second thought.
Check price on AmazonCrucial P3 Plus — the budget pick
Watching your wallet? The P3 Plus is the cheapest drive I’d trust in a PS5. It’s a touch slower than the premium drives on paper, but it still passes Sony’s speed test and load times feel great in real use.
Just add a cheap low-profile heatsink since this one usually ships bare. Five minutes and a few dollars sorted.
Check price on AmazonHow to install a PS5 SSD step by step
This sounds scarier than it is. You need a small Phillips screwdriver and about ten minutes. No technical wizardry required.
- Power down fully. Turn the PS5 off completely (not rest mode) and unplug every cable. Let it cool for a few minutes if you’ve been gaming.
- Lay it flat and remove the cover. Put the console on a soft surface. Grab the bottom corners and slide the cover off — it pops with a firm push. There’s a knack, not a force, to it.
- Find the expansion slot. You’ll see a long rectangular cover held by one screw. Unscrew it and lift the cover off to reveal the M.2 slot.
- Set the spacer. Move the little screw/spacer to the hole that matches a 2280 drive. If your drive has a heatsink, it likely fits the standard spot already.
- Insert the SSD. Slide it into the slot at a slight angle, then press it flat. Line up the notch — it only goes in one way.
- Secure it. Hold the drive down and fasten the screw. Don’t overtighten; snug is enough.
- Replace both covers. Put the slot cover back, then slide the main cover on until it clicks.
- Power on and format. Plug everything back in and boot up. The PS5 will detect the drive and prompt you to format it. Tap through, and it’ll run a quick speed test.
That’s it. Once it’s formatted you can move GTA 6 over or install it fresh on the new drive. Easy win.
1TB or 2TB — which should you buy?
If money is tight, 1TB is fine and holds GTA 6 plus a handful of other games. But 2TB is the sweet spot right now because the price gap is small and you’ll never think about storage again.
My honest take: buy the 2TB. Future you, mid-download at midnight, will be grateful.
Trying to decide between consoles too? Our PS5 vs PS5 Pro comparison breaks down which one is worth it for GTA 6.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need a heatsink for a PS5 SSD?
Yes. Sony requires effective cooling, and the expansion slot gets warm under load. A heatsink keeps the drive from overheating and throttling. Buy a drive with one attached, or add a cheap low-profile heatsink yourself.
Can I just use an external USB SSD for GTA 6?
Not for playing it. You can store PS5 games on an external USB drive, but you can’t run PS5 titles from it — you’d have to copy them back to internal storage first. For actually playing GTA 6, you need an internal M.2 SSD.
Will a budget SSD hurt my GTA 6 performance?
Barely, if at all. A budget Gen4 drive like the Crucial P3 Plus is a little slower on benchmarks, but it still clears Sony’s required speed and load times feel snappy in normal play. You won’t notice it mid-mission.
How much space does GTA 6 actually need?
Plan for roughly 150–200GB once you factor in the base install plus day-one updates. That’s a big bite out of a stock PS5, which is exactly why a second SSD makes sense before launch.
Is installing an SSD hard, and will it void my warranty?
It’s genuinely easy — about ten minutes with a screwdriver. The PS5’s M.2 slot is designed to be user-upgraded, so adding a drive does not void your warranty as long as you don’t damage anything in the process.
