Honestly im just so fed up with these console storage limits. My PS5 Pro is already screaming at me because I keep having to delete my favorite games just to try out something new and its driving me crazy. Im in the UK and my budget is like 150 quid max for now but I have no idea what works best anymore. My logic was just to grab any SSD on Amazon but ive heard horror stories about speed issues or compatibility junk. Does anyone actually use something that works for both or am I stuck buying separate drives for each? Seriously any advice would be a lifesaver because im about to lose it...
@Reply #1 - good point! tbh if you're on a tight budget, dont overthink the brand names too much. I grabbed a Lexar Professional NM790 2TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 NVMe SSD a few months back and it works perfectly in my console. Saved a decent chunk of change compared to the pricier ones. Just make sure you grab a cheap aftermarket heatsink and you'll be fine. Don't stress the speed specs too much, this one is fast enough.
Ugh, the storage struggle is real, I feel your pain. Honestly, swapping games out is the worst part of modern gaming. Just a heads up, you cant use the same internal drive for both consoles because of the proprietary slots, but for PS5 Pro, you absolutely need a fast Gen4 NVMe with a heatsink to avoid those speed warnings. For that 150 quid budget, you can snag something really solid that hits the speed requirements easily. I personally use the Western Digital Black SN850X 1TB NVMe SSD in my rig and its been flawless. It loads everything instantly and I havent had a single stutter. Another great option if you find a sale is the Samsung 990 Pro 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, which is basically the gold standard for these consoles. If you really want to save cash for the Xbox side, just grab a decent external drive for storing your older titles, but dont expect to play next-gen games directly off a cheap HDD. For Xbox specifically, the proprietary cards are pricey, so keep an eye out for discounts on the Seagate Storage Expansion Card 1TB for Xbox Series X|S. Its a bit more than a basic SSD, but it just works flawlessly. Honestly, just grab one of those internal drives for the PS5 Pro first and youll feel so much better not deleting stuff every week.
> My logic was just to grab any SSD on Amazon but ive heard horror stories about speed issues or compatibility junk. Totally get the hesitation. I learned the hard way that not every drive plays nice with the PS5 Pro, especially if you skip the heatsink. I tried a budget one once and the thermal throttling was brutal during long sessions. For the internal slot, I would suggest looking into the Crucial T500 2TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 SSD. It runs super cool and keeps read speeds consistently high, which is key since Sony is picky about that. For Xbox, you are unfortunately locked into the proprietary format, but keep an eye out for sales on the Seagate Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S 1TB. It is way easier than swapping drives. Just be careful with those cheap no-name sticks, they really arent worth the risk.