Best SSD for PS5 Storage Expansion Under $100 (2026)

The best SSD for PS5 storage expansion under $100 in 2026 is the Crucial P310 500 GB: a name-brand PCIe Gen4 NVMe drive rated at 6,600 MB/s sequential read — comfortably above the 5,500 MB/s Sony recommends in its PS5 internal M.2 SSD requirements — built on Micron NAND and backed by a five-year warranty. If you want the fastest rated drive in the bracket, the KingSpec XG7000 512 GB (7,400 MB/s, TLC NAND) is the spec-sheet leader; the Fikwot FX991 500 GB is the QLC value alternative; and the fanxiang S660 500 GB is the only pick here that ships with a heatsink in the box, at the cost of falling short of Sony's recommended read speed.

One honest caveat up front: NAND pricing has moved, and in 2026 this budget bracket is a 500 GB bracket. The 1 TB Gen4 drives that used to land under $100 now sit well above it. If you need 1 TB or more, jump to our no-price-cap PS5 SSD guide.

The PS5 reads game data largely in small random-access patterns, not long sequential bursts, so the headline "MB/s" number is a floor to clear rather than a predictor of load times. Clear Sony's recommendation, fit the height limit, add cooling, and any drive below will load games very close to the internal SSD.

How we picked

Every pick had to meet the requirements Sony publishes for the PS5's M.2 expansion bay (the slot under the white plate, not USB-attached external storage — see Sony's official install guide for the procedure):

• Interface. PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe, M.2 M-key. Gen3 and SATA drives were excluded.
• Sequential read. Sony recommends 5,500 MB/s or faster. We favored drives rated above it and flag the one pick that isn't.
• Form factor. M.2 2280 (the slot also takes 2230–22110), with total height including any heatsink of no more than 11.25 mm.
• Cooling. Sony requires a cooling structure such as a heatsink. We note which drives include one and which need an aftermarket low-profile heatsink.
• Endurance and warranty. NAND type (TLC vs QLC) and warranty length, taken from each manufacturer's listing.
• Budget. Drives whose street price sits at or under the $100 line in our catalog when this guide was updated.

We have not run these drives in a PS5 ourselves; the comparisons below are spec-based, drawn from manufacturer ratings.

Top 4 picks under $100

#1 — Crucial P310 500 GB: the name-brand pick

The P310 is Crucial's current mainstream Gen4 line, rated at 6,600 MB/s read and 5,000 MB/s write — about 20% above Sony's recommended read speed, so the PS5's post-install speed check has plenty of margin. It's built on Micron's G8 NAND and carries a five-year limited warranty, the longest in this guide alongside Fikwot and fanxiang.

It's also the most-reviewed drive in this bracket by a wide margin. The P310 is a bare single-sided 2280 drive (about 2.3 mm thick), so it pairs cleanly with almost any low-profile heatsink while staying far under the 11.25 mm limit. Its street price tends to sit right at this guide's budget line, so check the current listing before you buy.

Critical caveat: the P310 needs a heatsink in the PS5. Sony requires a cooling structure on the drive, and the P310 ships bare. Budget for a low-profile M.2 2280 heatsink and confirm the combined height stays at or under 11.25 mm.

#2 — KingSpec XG7000 512 GB: the spec-sheet leader

On paper, the XG7000 is the fastest drive under $100: 7,400 MB/s read and 6,600 MB/s write on PCIe Gen4, with KingSpec listing PS5 compatibility explicitly. It uses TLC NAND, which holds up better than QLC under heavy writes, and KingSpec rates the 512 GB model at 300 TBW — far more endurance than a PS5 game library will ever consume.

The trade-offs are brand and warranty. KingSpec is a smaller name than Crucial, and the warranty is three years rather than five. The graphene label on the drive is a thin heat spreader, not the heatsink Sony calls for, so plan to add a low-profile heatsink as with the P310. Pick the XG7000 if you want the most read-speed headroom above Sony's recommendation and TLC NAND at this budget.

#3 — Fikwot FX991 500 GB: the QLC value alternative

The FX991 is a DRAM-less Gen4 drive rated at 6,300 MB/s read and 3,100 MB/s write, using Host Memory Buffer (HMB) and an SLC cache to keep everyday speeds up. It clears Sony's 5,500 MB/s recommendation, ships with a mounting screw and screwdriver, and carries a five-year warranty.

Its weak spot is the NAND: QLC stores more bits per cell than TLC, which lowers cost but also lowers sustained write speed once the SLC cache is full and reduces rated endurance. That matters little for how a PS5 actually uses expansion storage — mostly reading game data — but large game installs and big transfers from the internal SSD will be slower than on the TLC drives above. Like the KingSpec, its graphite label is not a substitute for a real heatsink.

#4 — fanxiang S660 500 GB: the heatsink-included pick

The S660 is the one drive here that arrives ready for the PS5's cooling requirement: it ships with a heatsink fitted, and fanxiang's listed dimensions (about 0.39 in, or roughly 9.9 mm thick) put it inside Sony's 11.25 mm height limit. It uses TLC NAND and carries a five-year warranty.

The catch is speed. It's rated up to 5,000 MB/s read — below Sony's 5,500 MB/s recommendation. The PS5 will still accept a Gen4 drive under that line, but Sony doesn't guarantee that every PS5 game will perform as it would on the internal SSD, and you'll see the console flag the lower speed after installation. Choose the S660 if a single box with no heatsink shopping appeals to you, or if the drive will mostly hold PS4 backward-compatible titles, which don't benefit from Gen4 throughput at all.

Spec comparison

Rated sequential speeds against Sony's recommendation (manufacturer figures):

What you need to add before installing:

Write speed is the number that shows up most in day-to-day PS5 use, because it governs how quickly games install or move over from the internal SSD. The P310 and XG7000 lead there; the QLC-based FX991 is the slowest writer of the drives that meet Sony's read recommendation.

Common pitfalls

Buying a SATA SSD by mistake. The PS5 expansion slot is M.2 NVMe only — it has the M-keyed connector. SATA M.2 (B-keyed or B+M-keyed) drives don't fit electrically. Drives like the Samsung 870 EVO and Crucial MX500 are SATA, not NVMe — they cannot be installed in the PS5 internal slot. Use SATA SSDs in a USB enclosure if you must, but PS4 BC titles only — PS5 games can't run from USB storage.

Skipping the heatsink. Sony's spec requires cooling on the drive. Without it, a Gen4 drive is far more likely to heat-throttle during long writes such as game installs and system updates. Only the fanxiang S660 in this guide includes one; for the others, add a low-profile M.2 2280 heatsink. The drive's total height including heatsink must not exceed 11.25 mm — measure before you buy.

Buying a Gen4 with a tall heatsink. Many drives marketed "for PS5" ship with chunky heatsinks (e.g., the Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus pre-installed heatsink is 15 mm tall, which won't fit). Look for "low-profile" or "PS5-compatible heatsink" in the listing.

Choosing on rated sequential read alone. The PS5 cares more about random reads than sequential bursts. Clear Sony's 5,500 MB/s recommendation, then weigh NAND type, write speed and warranty — a 7,400 MB/s rating over a 6,600 MB/s one won't translate into visibly faster loads.

Putting it in the M.2 slot intended for PCIe x16 slot 1 instead of the expansion bay. No — the PS5 only has one M.2 slot (the dedicated expansion bay under the white shroud). Don't open the main chassis looking for a "spare" slot; you'll void the warranty.

Filling the drive past 80%. DRAM-less drives in particular slow down as their SLC cache shrinks on a nearly full drive. Keep at least 20% free. On a 500 GB drive, that's about 100 GB headroom — roughly two PS5 game installs.

When NOT to expand

If your gaming library is short (3-5 active games rotating), and you've never seen the PS5's storage-full warning, you don't need an expansion drive at all. Sony's 825 GB internal (effective ~667 GB after the OS) holds 9–12 modern AAA games. The expansion drive becomes essential at the 8+ game library mark or if you keep a "permanent" library (sports games, MMOs you boot weekly).

Verdict

For under $100, buy the Crucial P310 500 GB and a low-profile heatsink. It clears Sony's recommended read speed with room to spare, is built on Micron NAND, and carries a five-year warranty.

If you want the most headroom and TLC NAND, the KingSpec XG7000 512 GB is the spec-sheet leader. The Fikwot FX991 500 GB is a sound value pick if you mostly play rather than install. The fanxiang S660 500 GB is the easiest install thanks to its included heatsink, provided you accept that it falls short of Sony's recommended read speed.

Sources

• Sony PS5 M.2 SSD requirements — PlayStation.com — official 5,500 MB/s recommendation, 11.25 mm height limit, cooling requirement
• Crucial P310 manufacturer specifications — product listing — 6,600/5,000 MB/s rated, Micron G8 NAND, 5-year warranty
• KingSpec XG7000 manufacturer specifications — product listing — 7,400/6,600 MB/s rated, TLC NAND, 300 TBW, 3-year warranty
• Fikwot FX991 manufacturer specifications — product listing — 6,300/3,100 MB/s rated, QLC NAND with HMB and SLC cache, 5-year warranty
• fanxiang S660 manufacturer specifications — product listing — up to 5,000 MB/s rated, heatsink included, 5-year warranty

Related reading

• Best SSD for PS5 / Xbox storage expansion in 2026 — full-range guide including premium drives
• Best SSD for PS5 storage expansion (no price cap) — flagship recommendations
• Best gaming headset for PS5 under $80
• Best 4 TB SSD for Steam library under $250

Bottom line: the Crucial P310 500 GB is the right answer under $100. The KingSpec XG7000 512 GB is the right answer if you want the fastest rated drive and TLC NAND. The Fikwot FX991 500 GB is the right answer for a lighter-use library at the lowest cost. The fanxiang S660 500 GB is the right answer if you want the heatsink in the box and can live below Sony's recommended speed. And if 500 GB won't hold your library, this is the year to step up to the no-price-cap guide rather than settle for a Gen3 drive.

Products mentioned

• Crucial P310 500GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD
• KingSpec XG7000 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD
• Fikwot FX991 500GB PCIe Gen 4x4 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD
• fanxiang S660 500GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD with Heatsink