Earlier this week, Sony implemented the latest PS5 system update, unlocking the previously dormant SSD expansion slots. Now Sony is releasing an aftermarket SSD that fits the PS5 perfectly.

The PS5 SSD expansion feature has been in beta since July, and several models of SSDs, including the WD_Black SN850 and Samsung 980 Pro, have already been tested for compatibility, but surprisingly Sony did not offer its own drive. Surprisingly, however, Sony did not offer its own drives. This situation will change within the next few weeks, as Sony will release SSDs compatible with its own next-generation game consoles under the Nextorage brand.

The Nextorage PCle 4.0 M.2 NVMe SSD meets all of Sony's PS5 SSD benchmarks and will be offered in both 1TB and 2TB configurations. 1TB models have read/write speeds of 7,300/6,000 MB/sec, while 2TB option has a slightly faster read/write speed of 7,300/6,900 MB/sec. This is quite impressive when compared to SSDs already on the market, such as the WD_Black 1TB SN850 SSD at 7,000/5,000 MB/sec.

Sony advises that adding an SSD to a PS5 console requires a heat sink to avoid the machine's internal temperature reaching dangerous levels. Therefore, it is no great surprise that the Nextorage M.2 NVMe SSD comes with an optional aluminum heatsink. Even with the heatsink attached to the drive, it should fit snugly into the PS5 SSD expansion slot, which has very specific measurement requirements.

It is a bit odd that Sony chose to release this drive under the Nextorage brand rather than labeling it as an official PlayStation product; promoting the SSD's PS5 compatibility seems to have been a logical marketing choice . However, one would expect Sony or a licensed third-party manufacturer to release an official PS5 SSD at some point in the future.

If your PS5 is running out of storage space, you may want to consider upgrading your console with an additional SSD. And this SSD from Nextorage looks to be a very worthwhile option. While there is no information on pricing or availability at this time, we expect this new Nextorage SSD to hit the market before the end of the holiday season and be priced in excess of $200.

If you have not yet secured a PS5 unit, please bookmark the PS5 Restocking Hub. This guide is updated daily with the latest restocking information and updates, so you won't miss out on any inventory drops.