The PS5 has 825GB of storage space, but there's a catch - here's a guide to how storage works on the PS5

Both versions of the PS5 come with 825GB of storage, but only 667GB of it can be used due to system files.
You can connect an external hard drive to your PS5, but only PS4 games can be moved onto it.
PS5-compatible external hard drives will be available at some point in the future.
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Months after its chaotic release, retailers and Sony are still struggling to keep the PlayStation 5 in stock. If you’re looking into getting one for yourself, one stat that you should be aware of is the PS5’s storage space.

Every game, app, video, and picture you save to your PS5 takes up space, just like on a computer. And as games get more advanced, each one of these files grows bigger.

PS4 console owners know that the standard edition offered just 500GB of storage – around 100 of which you couldn’t actually use, since it was taken up by required system files. Meanwhile, the PS4 Pro offered 1TB of storage with an additional 2TB external hard drive option.

Both the standard and digital-only editions of the PS5 have more storage capacity, but there are some notable catches.

The PS5’s storage capacity

BI PS5 — You can't use all of the storage space on your PS5.
Business Insider Japan / 西田宗千佳

Gamers who have managed to get their hands on either version of the PS5 console have access to 825 GB on a solid-state drive. That’s an upgrade from its predecessor’s standard 500GB, but less than the PS4 Pro’s capacity.

In addition, there are some downsides you should consider. Like on the PS4, not all of the space is available to you. While on paper you have 825GB, you're only able to use about 667GB because of the operating system, updates, and other console features.

While that's still more than what the PS4 offered, consider how much space you'll need to support not just your games but your apps, media gallery, saved data, and more.

The 105GB size of "Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Launch Edition" or the 133GB needed for "Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War" are evidence enough that you'll need to manage your storage space carefully.

The difference between the PS5 digital and disc editions

While some might assume the disc edition of the PlayStation 5 offers more space than the digital edition, that's not true. They both have the same amount of storage space.

The main difference between the two is their weight, the ability to play physical discs, and the disc edition's built-in 4K Blu-ray player.

Gamer playing PS5 — Both versions of the PS5 have the same amount of storage space.
YELIM LEE/AFP via Getty Images

How to expand your PS5's storage space

If you're planning to play PS4 compatible games on the PS5, you should think about using a portable SSD to help manage space. At present, you can't move your PS5 games onto one, but you can store PS4 titles there.

Using a portable SSD drive will keep transfers fast while taking up less physical space. You can alter your settings to have any PS4 title played on your PS5 installed on your external drive to help save your internal storage for PS5 games only.

For those looking to expand their PS5 storage, that's still very much in the works. There is an SSD storage expansion slot on the PS5, but Sony's lead system architect Mark Cerny has confirmed that it's disabled until a future update comes out.

Once that update is released, you'll need to make sure that your external drive has a PCIe 4.0 interface with at least 5.5GB/s transfer speeds - this'll take full advantage of the PS5's hardware speed.

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