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You only need a new SSD if your PS5 is too full for GTA 6. If you do, get a PCIe Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSD with a heatsink, 5,500MB/s or faster, ideally 2TB. Those are Sony's rules plus our sizing advice. GTA 6's download size isn't confirmed yet (as of 25 October 2026), but every copy, boxed or digital, is a full download, and preload opens on Thursday 12 November.
Live update: we'll update this page the moment the official GTA 6 size is published. Last checked: 25 October 2026.
Do you actually need one?
- Check your free space: Settings → Storage → Console Storage.
- Clear space first. Deleting games you've finished is free, and your saves stay in place (on PS Plus cloud saves, or on the console as long as you don't delete them). See how to make room on PS5.
- Still short? Then an M.2 SSD is the way to go. It's the only add-on storage that can play PS5 games.
How much room each console has out of the box:
| Console | Drive | Usable space (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 (original) | 825GB | About 667GB |
| PS5 (current, 1TB models) | 1TB | About 848GB |
| PS5 Pro | 2TB | About 1.89TB |
Sony's PS5 SSD rules, in plain English
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe (Key M) | The fast type of SSD. SATA M.2 drives won't work |
| 250GB to 8TB | Any capacity in that range is supported |
| 5,500MB/s or faster sequential read | Recommended by Sony. All five of our picks are well above it |
| A heatsink or heat-transfer sheet | Required. Buy a drive with one built in, or add one yourself |
| Fits 110 x 25 x 11.25mm including the heatsink | No more than 8mm above the board and 2.45mm below it. Most heatsink drives sold "for PS5" are designed to fit |
| Form factor 2230 to 22110 | Most drives are 2280, which fits |
Two caveats from Sony: it can't guarantee every drive that meets the spec will work, and not every game is guaranteed to run exactly as it does from the internal drive. If you hit problems, move the game back to internal storage.
Fitting it takes about 10 minutes with a small Phillips screwdriver. Sony's guide (linked below) covers each PS5 model. Update your PS5's system software first.
Five drives that meet Sony's spec
We haven't tested these ourselves. They're well-known drives that come with a heatsink fitted and meet Sony's requirements on the makers' own specifications. They're listed in no particular order.
| Drive | Max read (maker's figure) | Heatsink | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| WD_BLACK SN850P for PS5 | Up to 7,300MB/s | Built in, designed for PS5 | Officially licensed for PS5. The easiest choice |
| Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink | Up to 7,450MB/s | Built in | Very popular for PS5 |
| Crucial T500 with heatsink | Up to 7,400MB/s (2TB) | Built in | Sold in a PS5-ready heatsink version |
| Kingston FURY Renegade with heatsink | Up to 7,300MB/s (2TB) | Built in | Kingston makes a heatsink version for PS5 |
| Crucial P310 with heatsink | Up to 7,100MB/s | Built in, designed for PS5 | The cheapest of our picks |
Make sure you pick the heatsink version. Most of these drives are also sold without one, which won't meet Sony's rules unless you add a heatsink yourself.
UK prices for the 2TB heatsink versions (checked 24 Oct 2026)
Prices move daily, sometimes hourly. These are what we found on 24 October 2026, so check the retailer's page before you buy.
| Drive (2TB, heatsink) | Price we found | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Crucial P310 (CT2000P310SSD5) | £247.19, in stock | Crucial UK |
| Kingston FURY Renegade (SFYRDK/2000G) | From £276 | PriceSpy listing (lowest listed UK price; Amazon UK was out of stock) |
| Crucial T500 (CT2000T500SSD5) | £323.99 | Crucial UK |
| Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink | £409.98, in stock | Scan (Amazon UK listed it as currently unavailable) |
| WD_BLACK SN850P for PS5 | £409.99 | Argos (price seen on a price-comparison listing). Amazon UK only had a marketplace seller, at £492.75 |
The 4TB versions cost a lot more: on the same day, Crucial UK had the P310 4TB at £434.39 and the T500 4TB at £586.79. If a marketplace seller is asking well above these prices, wait or try another shop.
What size to buy
- 1TB: fine if GTA 6 is the main extra game you'll install
- 2TB: the sweet spot for most people. Room for GTA 6 plus several other big games and updates
- 4TB or more: only if you keep a large library installed. It costs a lot more
GTA 6 install size: Not yet confirmed. For context, Red Dead Redemption 2 was about 99GB on PS4 and 107GB on Xbox One in 2018. Treat any GTA 6 figure you see online as a guess until Rockstar, PlayStation or Xbox publishes it.
Xbox Series X|S: expansion cards, not M.2
Xbox doesn't take M.2 drives. To play Series X|S games from extra storage, you need an official Storage Expansion Card that plugs into the back of the console (Seagate makes 512GB, 1TB and 2TB cards, and WD_BLACK makes the C50). USB drives can hold Series X|S games but can't run them. The Series S is the one to watch, with the least space of any console that plays GTA 6.
Look for the Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S or the WD_BLACK C50 Storage Expansion Card. Both are officially licensed and plug straight in.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an SSD for GTA 6 on PS5?
Not necessarily. GTA 6 runs from the PS5's internal storage. You only need an M.2 SSD if your console is too full to fit it. The download size isn't confirmed yet.
What SSD does the PS5 need?
A PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 NVMe SSD (Key M), 250GB to 8TB, with a heatsink or heat-transfer sheet, fitting within 110 x 25 x 11.25mm. Sony recommends 5,500MB/s or faster sequential read. SATA M.2 drives don't work.
Will GTA 6 run as well from an M.2 SSD?
Sony says not every game is guaranteed to run exactly as it does from the internal drive, even on fast SSDs. If you have problems, move the game back to internal storage.
Can I play GTA 6 from a USB drive?
No. On PS5, USB extended storage can hold PS5 games but not play them. On Xbox Series X|S, USB drives can't run games optimised for Series X|S.
What size SSD should I get for GTA 6?
2TB is the sweet spot for most people: plenty for GTA 6 and other big games, without the price of 4TB. The GTA 6 download size isn't confirmed, so we'd avoid anything under 1TB.
What about Xbox Series X|S?
Xbox uses Storage Expansion Cards that plug into the back of the console, not M.2 drives. They come in 512GB, 1TB and 2TB.
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Sources
- PlayStation Support, M.2 SSD requirements and installation https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/support/hardware/ps5-install-m2-ssd/
- PlayStation Support, USB extended storage https://www.playstation.com/en-gb/support/hardware/ps5-extended-storage/
- Xbox Wire, Series X|S storage (Expansion Card vs USB) https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/09/24/xbox-series-x-and-xbox-series-s-custom-storage-solution-primer/
- Seagate, Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S FAQ https://www.seagate.com/products/gaming-drives/xbox-gaming/storage-expansion-for-xbox-series-x/faq/
- Sandisk (WD_BLACK), SN850P NVMe SSD for PS5 https://www.sandisk.com/products/ssd/internal-ssd/wd-black-sn850p-nvme-ssd-for-ps5
- Samsung, 990 PRO with Heatsink 2TB https://www.samsung.com/us/memory-storage/nvme-ssd/990-pro-w-heatsink-pcie-4-0-nvme-ssd-2tb-sku-mz-v9p2t0cw/
- TechPowerUp SSD database, Crucial T500 with heatsink 2TB https://www.techpowerup.com/ssd-specs/crucial-t500-w-heatsink-2-tb.d1769
- Kingston, FURY Renegade heatsink version (press release) https://www.kingston.com/en/company/press/article/67769
- Crucial UK, P310 with heatsink 2TB (price and stock, 24 Oct 2026) https://uk.crucial.com/ssd/p310/ct2000p310ssd5
- Crucial UK, T500 with heatsink 2TB (price, 24 Oct 2026) https://uk.crucial.com/ssd/t500/ct2000t500ssd5
- Scan, Samsung 990 PRO Heatsink 2TB (price and stock, 24 Oct 2026) https://www.scan.co.uk/products/2tb-samsung-990-pro-heatsink-m2-2280-pcie-40-x4-nvme-ssd-3d-mlc-v-nand-7450mb-s-read-6900mb-s-write
- PriceSpy, Kingston FURY Renegade heatsink 2TB (24 Oct 2026) https://pricespy.co.uk/product.php?p=7323821
- GamingBible, download size not yet confirmed, 13 Oct 2026 https://www.gamingbible.com/news/gta-6-release-time-preload-download-size-editions-385283-20261012
- Mapheist, free space per console and RDR2's install size https://mapheist.com/en/guides/gta-6-file-size/
- Rockstar Support, boxed version is a download code https://support.rockstargames.com/articles/4QfG4FmZCf5W1gS8jy4UVT/grand-theft-auto-vi-platform-editions-and-versions
Facts checked on 25 October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
