You finally got your hands on a console, or maybe you're just about to pull the trigger on one, and the first thing you're probably wondering is how many games you can actually fit on it. It’s a fair question. Games are getting massive. Honestly, seeing a 150GB download for a single title is pretty much the norm now. If you're looking for a quick number, it depends on which version of the machine you're staring at in the store.
The short answer to how much GB does a PS5 have
Basically, there are three main tiers of storage right now in the PlayStation 5 family. If you have the original "fat" model that launched back in 2020, you’re looking at 825GB. If you bought a PS5 Slim more recently, Sony bumped that up to a clean 1TB. And if you went all out for the PS5 Pro, you've got a beefy 2TB to play with.
But here’s the kicker. You don't actually get to use all of that.
The "advertised" space and the "usable" space are two very different things. Think of it like a closet where the landlord already stored a bunch of their own boxes before you moved in. You can’t move those boxes; they’re part of the house. On a PS5, those boxes are the operating system, the UI, and all the "under the hood" stuff that makes the console actually run.
The real usable space breakdown
- Original PS5 (825GB): You only get about 667GB for games and apps.
- PS5 Slim (1TB): This leaves you with roughly 842GB to 848GB of actual room.
- PS5 Pro (2TB): You’ll see about 1.8TB available for your library.
That 667GB on the launch model is kind of tight. By the time you download Call of Duty, NBA 2K, and maybe Grand Theft Auto, you’re already sweating. You'll find yourself playing "storage tetris," constantly deleting one game just to try out another one. It’s a bit of a headache, but Sony did give us a way out.
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Why did Sony pick 825GB in the first place?
It sounds like such a random number. Why not 500GB or 1TB? It comes down to the architecture. Mark Cerny, the lead architect for the PS5, explained that they prioritized speed over raw capacity. The custom SSD they built uses a 12-channel interface. To get the specific throughput speeds they wanted—which are incredibly fast—the math just worked out to 825GB.
They wanted to eliminate loading screens. They succeeded, mostly. But the trade-off was that we started with a drive that felt a little small from day one.
Expanding your horizons (and your storage)
The good news is that you aren't stuck with what’s in the box. You can actually open up your console and pop in a new drive. It sounds scary, but it’s really just one screw. You need an M.2 NVMe SSD. Specifically, it needs to be a PCIe Gen4 or better with a read speed of at least 5,500 MB/s.
If you're shopping for one, look for names like the Samsung 990 Pro or the WD_BLACK SN850X. These are the gold standards. Most experts recommend getting at least a 1TB or 2TB expansion. In 2026, you can even go up to 8TB if you have the cash, though that's usually overkill for anyone who isn't trying to host the entire PlayStation library at once.
One thing people often forget: The heatsink. These drives get hot. Like, really hot. If you buy a "bare" SSD without a metal cover on it, it might throttle or even crash your system during a long session of Cyberpunk 2077. Always buy the version with the heatsink pre-installed, or buy a separate one and stick it on yourself.
What about external USB drives?
You can use them, but there's a catch. You can store PS5 games on an external USB hard drive, but you cannot play them from there. The USB port just isn't fast enough. If you want to play a PS5 game, it has to be on the internal SSD or the M.2 expansion you installed.
USB drives are great for:
- Storing PS5 games you aren't playing right now (shuffling them back and forth is faster than redownloading).
- Playing PS4 games. Since PS4 games weren't built for SSD speeds, they run perfectly fine off a standard external drive.
Dealing with the "Other" storage mystery
If you go into your settings right now, you’ll see a category called "Other." Sometimes it’s 20GB. Sometimes it’s 100GB. It’s frustrating because you can’t delete it.
Mostly, this is "caching" space. When you're downloading a patch or running a PS4 game through backward compatibility, the system uses this space to store temporary data. If your "Other" section is massive, try rebuilding your database in Safe Mode. It usually clears out the junk.
Making the most of your GBs
If you’re stuck on a base model and don't want to spend money on an upgrade yet, start by managing your captures. The PS5 loves to record a video every time you get a Trophy. Those 15-second clips add up fast. Turn that feature off in the "Captures and Broadcasts" menu.
Also, check for "Partial Installs." Some games let you delete the campaign after you've finished it while keeping the multiplayer. It’s a lifesaver for those 200GB shooters.
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Ultimately, the question of how much GB does a PS5 have is less about the number on the box and more about how you manage it. Whether you have 667GB or 2TB, the modern gaming landscape demands a bit of planning.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check your current usage: Go to Settings > Storage > Console Storage to see exactly how many GBs you have left.
- Audit your "Captures": Delete those automatic Trophy videos to claw back a few extra gigabytes immediately.
- Evaluate an upgrade: If you have less than 100GB free, look into a PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSD with a heatsink (1TB is currently the best value for money).
- Move PS4 titles: If you have an old external HDD lying around, move all your PS4 games to it to free up the "Ultra-High Speed" internal space for native PS5 titles.