The PlayStation 5's new SSD storage expansion feature has been put to the test, giving a promising look into the future of the system for players with large libraries of games.

After lacking the promised feature ever since its launch in November 2020, the PlayStation 5 finally has a beta version of a software update available that allows NVME SSDs to be used for storage expansion. So far critical reception to this long-awaited feature has been extremely positive, and tests show encouraging results as compared to the system's internal storage.

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After installing the SSD, the PS5 will perform a read speed test and then allow games to be moved to and installed on the SSD. Digital Foundry's tests with a Samsung 980 Pro SSD show the performance for PS5 games to be identical, and surprisingly, loading times to be even faster off of the expansion for some games. The identical performance is good, as PS5 games are designed with the system's specific hardware specifications in mind, and the loading improvements are a welcome surprise. It only improves loading times by a few seconds in most cases, but the fact that they are improved at all is an impressive feat considering the PS5's already blazing fast load times.

These results come at the cost of the end user requiring some tools to install the SSD in the first place, as well as the money to buy the expensive upgrade. The M.2 SSD does not simply plug into the system like the Xbox Series X storage solution, instead needing removal of the system's case and removing a few screws to access the port in the first place. It is also recommended to add a heatsink to the SSD, as they tend to heat up significantly when being accessed, which will of course happen constantly during gameplay.

In addition to the already exciting third-party SSD support, the new system software will also bring quality of life features like a new UI to better compartmentalize PS4 and PS5 games into their own sections. The SSD support is the main focus of this update, though, and with the consistently increasing file sizes of games, PS5 owners will welcome the option to store more on the system at once. Having to delete games to make space for different ones can be incredibly inconvenient, especially on a slow internet connection where downloading games can take several hours.

While the update brings significant improvements, it also lacks a feature that would be useful for some players. Just like the PS4, the PS5 still does not allow a game to be copied to an external drive, only moved back and forth. This prevents players from backing up their games in case anything goes wrong with a current drive. Still, the PlayStation 5 beta firmware shows a promising future for the system.

MORE: PS5 Architect Mark Cerny Offers SSD Recommendation

Source: Eurogamer