Sony might rely on the latest generation of Samsung SSDs with PCI Express 4.0 for the PlayStation 5, which is not yet available in stores. However, the top model might turn out to be too expensive for the PS5. How could this affect the touted loading times of the next-gen PlayStation?
Things are getting more exciting around Sony’s next-gen console PS5: Things are slowly moving into the hot phase. Sony is skipping the big event E3 2020, but rumors suggest there will already be a reveal event in February, where the PlayStation 5 will be presented in more detail. Just a few days ago, the official PS5 website went live.
Furthermore, experts from the tech site Let’s Go Digital from the Netherlands have stirred up even more discussion with their assessment of the touted SSD, the console’s storage medium.
By the way, the trailer for a fictional DualShock 5 controller for the PS5 from Let’s Go Digital is currently causing a stir. Have you seen it? Sony, please make the new PS5 controller just like this one!
Sony will likely rely on the latest Samsung SSD
How reliable is the information? These are currently unconfirmed details. So take this with a grain of caution for now.
However, Let’s Go Digital is considered a reputable source, their assessment is well-founded and aligns with previous statements from alleged insiders.
Which SSD could the PlayStation 5 use? Although Sony has touted the SSD of its next-gen console several times, official details are still scarce. It is only known that it is a special SSD that is supposed to be significantly faster than currently available models, potentially eliminating loading times in games.
Let’s Go Digital has narrowed down the possible range to the latest SSD generation from Samsung. Specifically, it is mentioned that Sony could use the Samsung NVMe SSD 980 QVO for the PS5.
Why this particular SSD? Insiders have reportedly already stated that Sony’s PS5 will use a NVMe SSD from Samsung. Other factors also support the Samsung NVMe SSD 980 QVO. Here are the details:
In April 2019, Sony mentioned that the SSD of the PS5 will have a higher bandwidth than any SSD available for PCs. Therefore, it is assumed that the SSD was not yet available at that time. At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020, Samsung then recently presented its “980 PRO NVMe” SSD – the top model of the latest family with extremely strong values – but more on that later.
However, for the PS5, it is not this top model, which is estimated to be priced at $350 as a standalone component, that is likely too expensive, but another one. Because two other models are expected to complement the new SSD family:
- NVMe SSD 980 EVO
- NVMe SSD 980 QVO
Samsung has trademarked both names, and they are not yet available on the market and are expected to be released later this year. There haven’t been any details on these two drives so far.
The QVO is the cheapest variant, estimated to be around $150. The EVO is the mid-range model, which is expected to be priced and perform somewhere between the Pro and the QVO.
Both drives are suitable for the PS5, but with the 980 QVO, Let’s Go Digital assumes that it could be the most likely option to see in the new Sony console. Because even in previous PlayStation generations, Sony has always opted for the most cost-effective solution, according to experts.
By the way, Samsung has also trademarked the phrase “Unstoppable Speed,” which experts see in direct relation to the latest SSD family. It sounds very much like a slogan that could be effectively used for marketing a new console.
Moreover, it is assumed that Samsung is keeping the details of the other two drives secret for a specific reason – so that Sony can reveal these details about the SSD of the new PS5 themselves.
What does this mean for the loading times of the PS5?
What do we know so far from Sony? According to Sony, the special SSD of the PS5 is supposed to be up to 19x faster than common models (as of April 2019). Does this match with the NVMe SSD 980 EVO and the NVMe SSD 980 QVO?
What can the SSD of the PS5 do? What we know so far about Samsung’s new SSDs: Samsung’s upcoming SSD family will use the latest PCI Express 4.0 standard.
The top model, the 980 PRO NVMe, achieves a sequential read speed of up to 7 GB per second – an extremely high value that outshines all current consoles and even high-end PCs.
Common models currently have a read speed of just under 560 MB per second, while expensive top models exceed just over 3 GB. For comparison, the hard drive of a PS4 Pro is around 116 MB per second.
What the EVO and QVO can do in detail is currently unknown. But experts estimate that the EVO will likely have a read speed of 5.5 GB or 6 GB per second. Although this is below the level of the Pro model, it would still be twice as fast as previous SSDs with PCI Express 3.0 standard. The QVO is estimated to be slightly slower than the EVO.
Conclusion: If this assessment turns out to be true and Sony chooses one of the two mentioned drive options for the PlayStation 5, one thing is certain – even with a slightly slower QVO, the leap from the current PS4/Pro will be enormous, and the previously known loading times will be taken to a whole new level – or rather lowered.
The SSD is just one of many components of the PS5. You can find more details and features of Sony’s next-gen console here:
