PlayStation 5 SSD access is kicking off today with the rollout of the PS5 software beta program. Alongside enhancements to the user interface, expanded 3D audio support, an upgraded Control Center interface, and more, users will can now access to M.2 SSD slot with third-party storage. Head below for a closer look at the PS5 software beta program and the PlayStation 5 SSD access.
PlayStation 5 SSD access and more
Alongside a slew of software enhancements, the rollout of the PS5 software beta program marks the first time users will have access to the M.2 SSD slot. But there are a number of things to keep in mind here.
According to Sony, only PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSD with reads of 5,500MB/s or faster will work here. However, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be as easy as picking up a Samsung 980 Pro (or equivalent) and jamming it in there. While the aforementioned specs are recommended, Sony specifically says it cannot guarantee that all M.2 SSD models will work. Even if the third-party option you go with hits 5,500MB/s, it sounds like it still might not provide the same performance as the drive the PS5 shipped with.
There are also some cooling and heat distribution issues to consider, according to Sony. It says that replacing the PlayStation 5 SSD with a third-party option “requires effective heat dissipation with a cooling structure, such as a heatsink,” and it sounds like users will have to attach one to the SSD of choice themselves “either in a single-sided format, or double-sided format.” Something like this heatsink-equipped model might be worth consideration here.
And more…
Outside of the PlayStation 5 SSD support, there is also 3D audio support for your TV speakers that makes use of the DualSense controller to analyze the acoustic space you’re in. From there, enhancements to the Control Center interface bring a slew of new control customization alongside the ability to tap out messages to friends and parties from the Control Center Game Base.
Other additions include a quick trophy tracker via Control Center and a series of updates to show gamers which titles are on PS4 or PS5 — each version will appear separately on your home page and library and the console designation will be found in the game’s title now.
Electronicsforward’ Take
It’s great to see the third-party SSD support roll out, even if it’s just the beta. There appears to be too many caveats surrounding the performance of the add-on storage mediums — almost to the point that Sony didn’t consider all of this while the machine was in development — but only time will tell now how much of a hassle it will be or not, or which models work best to run games on.
The initial PS5 beta rollout is available for lucky PS5 users across the US, as well as Canada, Japan, UK, Germany, and France.
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