The PS5 storage expansion slot will allow players to download more games, but a new issue has emerged: Sony has confirmed that the PS5 expansion slot won't be working at launch.
Back in October, Sony released a teardown video that showcased the internals of the PlayStation 5. We knew that the PS5 had expandable storage for some time and the video showed us exactly how it would work: players would have to take off the console's outer cover to access a port and install an SSD.
PS5 Lead System Architect Mark Cerny talked about the tech behind the PS5 back in March. In it, he revealed that there would be a PS5 storage expansion slot that would allow specific SSD models to be inserted and expand the storage space for games on the console.
At the time, he stated that he expected compatible drives to launch before the end of the year. This lead some people to assume that any compatible drive would work from day 1 (assuming that they existed), but Sony has confirmed that this is not the case: the SSD expansion slot is going to be disabled at launch.
Why the PS5 Storage Expansion Slot Won't Work on Launch Day
The PS5 storage expansion slot won't work on launch day for one simple reason: the software that allows it to function won't be enabled at launch.
"[T]his is reserved for a future update," Sony told The Verge (via The NPD Group's Mat Piscatella).
That same report from The Verge goes on to mention that the site contacted several SSD manufacturers. Not a single one of them was able to say with confidence whether or not their upcoming SSDs would work with the PS5, although some of the drive manufacturers were optimistic about their prospects.
Furthermore, two of the SSD manufacturers have suggested that Sony has not yet started the compatibility testing process. While there are drives on the horizon that can likely meet the required speed, there is a not-insignificant concern that other aspects of the PS5 hardware — such as Sony's custom I/O controller — might not play nice with new hardware.
Sony did not specify why it won't enable the PS5 storage expansion slot at launch; presumably, this is to prevent consumers from putting an incompatible drive into the slot and risking the loss of any data or poor performance. Hopefully, Sony will have firm details on compatible drives in the near future.
What do you think about the PS5 storage expansion slot being disabled at launch? Are you disappointed that you will likely have to wait to add to your PS5's storage capacity? Let us know in the comments below!
