The PS5 SSD fixed my biggest gripe with console gaming
Opinion: goodbye, long load times
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For the longest time, I resisted upgrading my trusty PS4 for a PS5, though admittedly this was not entirely by choice, given the ongoing global chip shortage.
However, now that I’ve finally managed to beat thePS5 restockgame thanks to a greatbundle deal from mobile provider EE, I can confidently say that the console’s best feature isn’t theDualSense controlleror3D audio– it’s the PS5’s 825GB solid-state drive (SSD).
Despite the obvious leap in graphics and performance compared to thePS4, thePS5’s SSD fixed my biggest problem with console gaming by practically eliminating the time spent waiting for games to load and software updates to install. I’ve found that to be invaluable. As visually impressive as some of thebest PS5 gamesmay be – namely recent releases such asGran Turismo 7– my time is simply more precious.
Faster read speeds
Many things make the PS5 such a sought-after product: armed with an eight-core Zen 2-based CPU and RDNA 2 GPU,Sony’s new-gen hardware can make every fresh gaming release look impressive and, in some cases, even difficult to distinguish from real life. However, the PS5 SSD is a significant technological advancement in itself.
To put this in perspective, the PS5 comes equipped with a custom PCIe 4.0 SSD capable of delivering uncompressed data to the CPU and GPU with a speed of up to 5.5GB per second. This isroughly 100 times fasterthan what the PS4 could output at a mere 50-100MB per second.
These technical specifications make the PS5 SSD the biggest quality of life improvement the console has to offer. Even with graphically intensive Triple-A titles suchMarvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, boot speeds are so blazingly fast that it takes mere seconds to go from your PS5 menu to web-slinging across the New York skyline.
Interestingly, while Xbox Series X also includes an SSD in its kit, PlayStation’s seems to be more powerful - so much so thatEpic Games’ had to rewrite parts of Unreal Engineto cope with the PS5’s faster loading speeds.
Epic Gamesisn’t the only developer to make changes to accommodate the PS5’s new SSD.Horizon Forbidden Westgame director Mathijs de Jonge recentlymentionedthat the PS5 cuts down on in-game loading times so much that the developers had to “artificially slow them down so gamers [didn’t] get disoriented.
So long, ruined evenings
The PS5 SSD is also well-equipped to save you the trouble of sitting through lengthy software updates, giving you more time to enjoy theactual gaming partof gaming. Personally, as much as I loved my PS4, it was easy to lose count of how much gaming time I lost to downloads and installations. As someone who regularly works upwards of 55 hours a week, it can be challenging to find sufficient time for video games as it is.
It’s possible to circumvent update times with better planning or by enabling your PS4 to download and install software patches automatically. However, in my experience, the latter option has proven to be unreliable as I often find myself having to update my console manually to be able to connect to PlayStation’s online services. A quick Internet search shows that this seems to be aprevalent issue.
Since I picked up the PS5, I’ve had occasions where I picked up a game on sale from PlayStation’s digital store and was able to install and play it within minutes. Previously, my old-man PS4 would take at least 65 minutes to download and install a roughly 80GB game likeHorizon Forbidden West, even while connected to my 1GB fiber optic broadband using an ethernet cord. Now, I can knock this out in about 15 minutes, thanks to my PS5.
Best reason to upgrade?
SSDs are by no means new. They’ve been around for over 30 years and displaced hard disk drives (HDDs) as the data storage of choice on higher-end desktop computers and laptops over ten years ago. EvenAppleadopted them as part of itsMacBook Airrange way back in 2008.
Gaming consoles have only just caught up, with Sony andMicrosoftincluding SSDs as part of their new generation of hardware. But as I’ve outlined above, this relatively simple upgrade is one of the most critical steps forward in recent console gaming history.
If you’re still not convinced, look at it this way: Sony has just announced its upcoming relaunch ofPlayStation Plusto reposition the service as anXbox Game Passcompetitor, due to arrive in June. And when this happens, the PS5 SSD will show its strength, considering how regularly users will need to download and install new games.
The PS5’s 825GB of storage can still fill up pretty quickly with massive games likeDestiny 2,Hitman 3andFIFA 22. So you may want to consider installing one of thebest SSD for PS5; it’sfar easier than it looks.
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Ilyas is a freelance writer and technology communications specialist based in London, United Kingdom. On the rare occasion that he’s not working, you can find him either binge-watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe or doom-scrolling on Twitter. You can reach him anytime atilyas@snackable.tech.
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