PS5 Has Just Over 650GB Usable Storage Space

The PlayStation 5 launches in just over a week on November 12, but Sony still hasn't concretely stated just how much of the SSD will be available for you to install games on. We have confirmed that it's going to be just over 650GB.

The PS5 ships with a custom 825GB SSD, but not all of that will be free for game installations. The console's operating system needs some of that space from the get-go. We've tested it ourselves, and there is roughly 667GB free to install games.

That's less than the Xbox Series X, but that was always likely to be the case considering the PS5's smaller SSD overall. The Xbox Series X ships with a 1TB SSD, with its operating system reducing available storage down to 802GB. That means the PS5's OS is slightly more efficient when it comes to space required but still doesn't leave you with a lot of room for large game installations.

On the other hand, it's a lot more than the Xbox Series S, which has just 364GB of space. On the plus side, games on this system will often take up less space. This isn't universally the case, but 20GB shaved off of file sizes here or there could be the difference between having room to install that last game and having to delete something.

For some further comparison, the PS4 launched with a 500GB HDD, and 409HD of that was usable. The launch model of PS3 came with a 60GB HDD. But game sizes have gone up dramatically since either system launched, and scrutinizing these numbers is important considering how big certain next-gen games are going to be. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, for instance, will be 133GB on PS5. That file size could grow larger as it's updated, though you will be able to install only certain modes at a time in order to manage the size.

Both the Xbox Series X and PS5 support expandable SSD storage but approach the matter in two different ways. Microsoft has partnered with Seagate to develop plug-and-play SSD cards that slot into the back of the Xbox Series X and Series S, with 1TB cards available at launch. Sony, however, is giving players the option to use off-the-shelf NVMe SSDs to expand PS5 storage. These SSDs will need to be approved by Sony beforehand, and right now the company hasn't listed any compatible drives ahead of launch. The feature will be added in a future update. You also cannot store PS5 games on an external storage device, even if you aren't playing them yet. Only PS4 games can be stored this way.

The Xbox Series X and Series S launch on November 10, and you can read our Xbox Series X review now. The PS5 is hot on its heels with a release date on November 12. You can check out our PS5 review now.