Seagate FireCuda 530 SSD Review: 'One of the few SSDs compatible with the PS5'

The PlayStation 5 recently received its 2.0 firmware update that finally brought expansion SSD support to the console. It took a year, but we can finally get more storage space for PS5 games. However, because of the console’s drive speed requirements, only a small amount of SSDs are compatible with the PS5. Fortunately, a few have recently hit the market, including the Seagate FireCuda 530.

Seagate sent us a 2 TB version of the FireCuda 530 to use with the PS5, and we’ve been impressed with its performance so far. Unfortunately, the PS5 only has 667GB of storage available on the console, and we started running out of space months ago. Sony somewhat alleviated the issue by allowing users to back up PS5 games to an external hard drive, but copying them over and back takes almost as much time as it does to just delete and redownload them. So, it’s hard to oversell the convenience of being able to install over 2.5TB of PS4 and PS5 games on high-speed storage and play them at will.

Unfortunately, the PS5 doesn’t have an extensive suite of testing software, so we don’t have any fancy stats to report. However, when we installed the drive, the PS5 reported that it met the requirements and allowed us to format it. Games that we downloaded to the FireCuda 530 launched as quickly (maybe even a touch faster) than they did from the console storage and played flawlessly.

It’s worth noting that the Seagate FireCuda 530 comes in two variations, with and without a heatsink. Those buying the drive for use in the PS5 should pay the extra small amount for the heatsink version. The reason being is that it’s guaranteed to fit in the PS5 (which might not be the case when fitting a third-party heatsink to an SSD). Installation is enough of a pain without finding your SSD doesn’t fit correctly, and it’s not worth the risk to install one without some form of heat dissipation.

The only downside to the FireCuda 530 SSD is the cost. The 2TB model we reviewed retails for $509.99, but there are some lower-cost models. The 1TB version can be had for $259.99, and a 500GB drive is only $169.99. Pricing is steep, but even getting the lowest capacity drive will almost double your PS5 storage space. On the flip side, those that want the most storage possible can drop $1,000 for the 4TB version of the FireCuda 530.

Seagate FireCuda 530 SSD Review: The final verdict

The FireCuda 530 is an excellent drive that can double, quadruple, or octuple the PS5’s high-speed storage capacity. It’s on the expensive side, but most PCIe 4.0 m.2 drives are. As time goes on, the price of drives compatible with the PS5 will decrease, but you’ll have to decide whether going through the frustration of constantly deleting or moving games to make room for others is worth saving some change.