PS5 doesn't have as much storage as you think — here's the proof

By Tom Pritchard
last updated

You don't get to use all of its 825GB SSD

PS5
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

It’s been known for a while that the PS5 would come with a smaller SSD than the Xbox Series X, offering 825GB instead of a full 1TB. What hasn’t been so clear is how much of that is usable.

We’ve already heard some chatter that the PS5 only has 665GB of usable storage, with the rest reserved for the operating system. New evidence suggests that we've got a little more space, but you’re still not going to like what we've learned. 

A new image that Twitter user @Okami13_ (opens in new tab) screengrabbed from a now-deleted YouTube video shows the PS5 has slightly over 667GB of usable storage. 

While that's better than 665GB, it’s not that much better. In fact it’s barely an increase at all in the grand scheme of things, especially not compared to the Xbox Series X's usable 802GB.

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The only question is why that discrepancy? Well as we pointed out at the time, the screengrab showing 665 GB (which came from Sony itself) was presumed to be a development kit – not a retail-model. This new screengrab came from a review unit, which is what’s going to be going on sale from next week.

Of course there’s still room for skepticism. As TechRadar (opens in new tab) points out, the screengrab refers to the storage as "HDD" rather than the more accurate "SSD." Why isn’t clear, and while people may casually refer to a solid state drive as a "hard drive" there’s no reason for Sony to be using the wrong acronym. It doesn’t discount the image completely, but it does cast doubt on its validity.

The good thing is we shouldn’t be waiting too long for a proper answer. The console itself goes on sale on November 12, and we should be seeing the first wave of reviews even sooner.

Unfortunately, like the Xbox Series S’s own storage woes, things don’t look too great, and it may make you more inclined to go out and buy a specialized storage expansion drives to make sure you have enough room for all your favorite games. It would just be nice if Sony told us a bit more about how that works, rather than making us guess and assume.

Tom Pritchard
Tom Pritchard
Automotive Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's Automotive Editor, which means he can usually be found knee deep in stats the latest and best electric cars, or checking out some sort of driving gadget. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining that Ikea won’t let him buy the stuff he really needs online. 

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