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How to fix PS5 M.2 SSD slow reading speed

After your PlayStation 5 or PlayStation 5 Digital Edition has formatted the M.2 solid state drive, you will see the sequential reading speed of the expansion storage.

If the read speed is slower than expected, then you can take a look at this troubleshooting article at Seeking Tech to see what you can do.

1. The first step we recommend taking is to make sure that the sequential read speed is above the minimum requirement of 5,500 MB per second.

As long as the read speed is more than 5,500 mb per second, then you most likely have nothing to worry about when it comes to performance as the PS5 is unlikely to take advantage of the excess speed.

2. If the sequential reading speed is below 5,500 MB per second, then we recommend that you try reformatting the M.2 solid state drive.

In order to do so, you need to take the following steps:

  • Turn on your ps5 if you haven’t done so already.
  • On the home screen, select the gear icon located on the top right side to get to the Settings menu.
  • From the first page of Settings, select Storage.
  • Inside the Storage menu, select M.2 SSD Storage from the left column.
  • On the right side of the same menu, select the Reformat option.
  • After the M.2 drive has been reformatted, you should see its sequential reading speed.

3. If reformatting the expansion solid state drive of your PlayStation 5 does not work, then you can try updating the firmware of the drive.

To do so, you need to do the following:

  • Remove the M.2 SSD from the PS5 or PS6 Digital Edition console and then insert it to a computer with compatible M.2 slot.
  • Next, you need to follow the instructions from the manufacturer of your solid state drive in order to update its firmware.
  • After updating the firmware of your M.2 storage drive, remove it from your PC and then insert it back into your PlayStation 5 console
  • Afterwards, format the drive for PS5 to see if the sequential read speed is faster after you update the firmware of the SSD.

4. You can also make sure that the solid state drive isn’t running too hot as a high temperature can reduce its read speed.

To see what you can do when the PS5-compatible SSD is overheating, you can take a look at this guide.

5. If you are still experiencing issues with the slower than expected read speed, then you might want to consider getting another M.2 solid state drive that is compatible with the PlayStation 5.

If you are looking for a specific product recommendation, then you might want to consider picking up the WD_BLACK 1TB SN850 NVMe Internal Gaming Solid State Drive with Heatsink, which you can find on Amazon with this link. (#CommissionsEarned).