Sony"s PlayStation 5 shipped with a dormant M.2 expansion slot. Months after the launch, the Japanese company is now opening up the M.2 slot to beta testers. Those who like to tinker with their gaming console can boost its internal storage by adding an SSD. If you would like to give it a shot, Sony has provided an elaborate guide with some software and hardware requirements.
For starters, PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSDs with capacity ranging from 250 GB to 4 TB are advised to be used with Sony"s console. The recommended sequential read speed is 5,500MB/s or faster. More importantly, you can"t simply stick any SSD into the PS5. Sony requires it to feature an effective heat dissipation system. You can either go with an SSD with a built-in cooling system or buy an aftermarket cooling solution and add it yourself. However, you will have to ensure the SSD module size including the heatsink element should be less than 110 mm (L) x 25 mm (W) x 11.25 mm (H).
If all this hasn"t deterred you from going ahead with the storage expansion process, it is time to ensure your system software is compatible with this feature. At this point, only the beta firmware supports the M.2 slot. So first, head over to this link to register for the PS5 beta program. It is only open for gamers in the US, Canada, Japan, UK, Germany, and France. If you are lucky enough to get selected for the beta program, the next step is to install the beta system software from Settings > System > System Software > System Software Update and Settings.
Once you have the software ready, the next part requires you to pop open your expensive PS5, which is quite hard to come by due to the global chip shortage. Hence, we recommend heading over to PlayStation.com and carefully follow the steps provided by the manufacturer.