PCIE 3.0 M.2 SSD also performs well on PS5
In the latest beta system upgrade of the PS5, Sony opened the M.2 SSD expansion slot in the machine. Players can expand the storage space for the PS5. However, Sony claims that it needs an M.2 SSD with a continuous read and write speed of 5500MB/s. In order to ensure the best gaming experience, this performance index can only be met by some high-end PCIE 4.0 M.2 SSDs, and their large-capacity versions can be worth the price. The price of their large-capacity version can be matched, and it is not what most players are willing to spend, so can the much cheaper PCI-E 3.0 M.2 SSD be used?
The Verge recently did this test. They used a mainstream performance level M.2 SSD with a nominal continuous write speed of 3200MB/s and a read speed of 3900MB/s. That one is actually PCIE 4.0 SSD, but the speed level is PCIE 3.0. After installing into PS5, compared with the built-in SSD in the fuselage and the high-speed SSD that reads and writes at 5000MB/s. It is found that in many games, their performance on file loading speed is almost the same, even if there are some slight pauses during the game running. This M.2 SSD, which did not meet Sony’s requirements, also showed a similar experience to the built-in SSD.
Image: theverge
At present, it may be because the game has not fully optimized the PS5’s high-speed SSD, and it may also be because most games are now cross-platform. Game developers have to take care of Xbox Series X. The built-in SSD of Microsoft’s next-generation console is actually only 2500MB/s, so the game cannot be fully optimized for Sony. In fact, in many tests of the impact of SSDs on game loading speeds, let alone the difference between 5000MB/s and 3500MB/s SSDs, in most games, NVMe and SATA SSDs perform similarly.
Of course, this result also means that players do not actually say that they must equip the PS5 with a high-end PCIE 4.0 M.2 SSD. The current more affordable high-capacity PCIE 3.0 SSD can also be considered, but since Sony requires a higher-speed SSD, there should still be their reasons.
