How to add more storage to your PS5 for GTA 6

To add space you can play GTA 6 from, fit an M.2 SSD in the PS5’s expansion slot. Confirmed PlayStation says PS5 games can be downloaded to, and played from, a compatible M.2 SSD. A USB drive set up as extended storage is still useful, but only as a place to park PS5 games: they have to be copied back before you can play them.

Not announced Rockstar hasn’t published GTA 6’s install size. Kotaku reported a 210 GB download on PS5, and our file size guide explains what that means for each console.

Your two options at a glance

All of this is from PlayStation’s support pages, linked in the sources below.

Check your PS5 model

The install steps depend on your model group. PlayStation says the model number starts with CFI and is printed on the bottom of the console when it stands upright; take the base off first if one is attached.

• CFI-2000 and CFI-7000: the Slim and Pro models, as PlayStation Support’s install video names them.
• CFI-1000: the earlier model group, with its own steps below.

PlayStation says M.2 storage works on both the disc and Digital Edition consoles.

What M.2 SSD the PS5 needs

Sony lists these requirements. A drive that doesn’t meet them may not work, and Sony notes it can’t guarantee every drive that does meet them.

A few more points from the same page:

• Single-sided and double-sided drives both work, and Sony says a single-sided drive is easier to fit with cooling.
• Some drives come with a heat sink already on them. Sony says not to add a second one, as it may cool less well.
• Check that the heat sink fits within the size limits before you buy. If the slot cover won’t close, the cooling is probably too big.
• The PS5 doesn’t support Host Memory Buffer (HMB), so drives that rely on it may run slower than you expect.
• Sony notes some games may not perform as well from an M.2 SSD as from the console’s own storage, even with a faster drive.

Analysis For GTA 6, size matters more than speed beyond Sony’s recommended 5,500 MB/s. At the 210 GB reported, a 1 TB drive would hold the game with room for several others.

How to install an M.2 SSD

Before you start: turn the console off, unplug every cable and let it cool. Work at a table in a well-lit room with a #1 Phillips screwdriver. Sony says to touch a grounded metal object first to discharge static, and never to switch the console on with the cover off.

CFI-2000 (Slim) and CFI-7000 (Pro)

1. Remove the triangle cover.
2. Unscrew the expansion slot cover and lift it off.
3. Remove the screw and the spacer, then move the spacer to the hole that matches your drive’s length.
4. Hold the drive by its edge, line it up with the notch on the connector and push it in firmly at an upward angle.
5. Press the drive down and fasten it with the screw.
6. Put the expansion slot cover back and screw it in, then refit the triangle cover.
7. Attach the feet, reconnect the cables and turn the console on.

PlayStation Support’s own video shows the same steps on these two models:

CFI-1000

1. Take off the base. Lay the console with the PlayStation logo facing down and the power button facing you.
2. Grip the top left corner of the cover, lift it slightly and slide it off towards the right.
3. Unscrew the expansion slot cover and take it off.
4. Remove the screw, then move the spacer to the groove that matches your drive’s size.
5. Hold the drive by its edge, line it up with the notch and push it in at an upward angle until it is fully seated.
6. Check the board sits flat on the spacer with nothing from the heat sink in the way, then fasten it with the screw.
7. Refit the slot cover. Put the main cover back about 2 cm from the top edge and slide it until it clicks.
8. Reconnect the base and cables and turn the console on.

Format the drive and use it

When the PS5 starts with a new drive, it shows a formatting guide. Follow it to the end.

• Formatting erases everything on the drive, and the whole drive is formatted at once.
• Don’t turn the console off while it is formatting.
• A drive already formatted on another PS5 doesn’t need formatting again.

Download new games to it: go to Settings > Storage > Installation Location and pick the M.2 SSD. Do this before the GTA 6 preload if you want the game to go straight there.

Move games you already have: open Game Library from the games home screen, highlight a game, press the Options button and choose Move Games and Apps. If you also use USB extended storage, pick the Movable to M.2 SSD Storage tab, select the games and choose Move.

Check space on it: Settings > Storage > M.2 SSD Storage.

Sony says all of a game’s data has to sit in one place, so a single game can’t be split between console storage and the M.2 SSD.

USB extended storage: storage, not play

A USB drive won’t let you play GTA 6 from it, but it can free up internal space for it. Confirmed GTA 6 is a PS5 game, and PlayStation says PS5 games can be moved to USB extended storage but have to be copied back to console storage or an M.2 SSD before you play them. PS4 games are different: they install to and play from USB.

What the drive needs: SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps or faster, 250 GB to 8 TB, connected directly (not through a hub). Only one extended storage drive can be active at a time.

Set it up:

1. Connect the drive straight to a USB port on the PS5 that PlayStation rates SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps.
2. Go to Settings > Storage > USB Extended Storage > Format as USB Extended Storage. This erases the drive.

Move games to it: in Game Library, highlight a game, press Options, choose Move Games and Apps, use the Movable to USB Extended Storage tab if you have an M.2 SSD too, then Move.

Bring a game back to play it: Game Library > Installed, highlight the game, press Options and choose Copy.

To unplug it safely, go to Settings > Storage > USB Extended Storage > Safely Remove from PS5.

Analysis A USB drive is an easy way to keep games you’ll come back to without downloading them again. Copying a big game back takes time, so it suits games you aren’t playing this month.

Which to choose for GTA 6

Analysis If your console is close to full and you want to keep your other PS5 games playable, an M.2 SSD is the only way to add space that PS5 games run from. If you mostly need room for GTA 6 and can live without other games for a while, moving them to a USB drive is enough, and you don’t have to open the console. You can also do both: GTA 6 on the console or M.2 SSD, the rest parked on USB.

Whichever you pick, set it up before the November 12 preload so the download isn’t held up. Our preload and download guide has the steps for that day, and GTA 6 launch day setup covers the rest of the console settings.

Common questions

Will GTA 6 run slower from an M.2 SSD?

Not announced Rockstar hasn’t said. Sony’s general note is that some games may not perform as well from an M.2 SSD as from the internal one. If GTA 6 stutters from the M.2 SSD, Sony suggests pausing other downloads, and if that doesn’t help, moving the game to console storage.

Does fitting an M.2 SSD void my warranty?

PlayStation says the warranty is generally not affected if you fit a drive that meets the requirements and follow its instructions. Damage caused by fitting it wrongly isn’t covered. Sony also asks you to take the drive out before sending the console for repair.

Can I move my M.2 SSD to another PS5?

Yes. Remove it safely, fit it in the other console and sign in with the same account to reach the games on it. It doesn’t need formatting again.

How do I see how much space I have left?

Go to Settings > Storage. If you need to clear space rather than add it, PlayStation says you can delete games from Console Storage > Games and Apps and download them again later from your library.

Related pages

• GTA 6 platforms and requirements
• GTA 6 preload starts November 12
• Best TV settings for GTA 6
• GTA 6 on PS5 or Xbox: which should you buy?

Sources

• PlayStation5
• YouTube
• Kotaku

All 7 links

• PlayStation12345