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GamesRadar
GamesRadar
Technology
Duncan Robertson

Western Digital launches a new PS5 SSD: The WD Black SN850P

WD_Black SN850P PS5 SSD pictured above an open PS5 ready for installation

Following on from the success of Western Digital's WD_Black SN850 and SN850 X, the storage company has launched the new SN850P, a brand new SSD which is officially licensed for the PlayStation 5. This new drive promises faster read and write speeds than both previous models, and even features a refreshed heatsink design.

Available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities, the drive launches today for $149.99, $249.99, and $549.99 respectively in the US. In the UK, the 1TB drive will set you back £123.99, 2TBs will cost you £198.99, with the gargantuan 4TB version costing £415.99. 

The previous models of WD_Black's internal drives have both been among the best PS5 SSDs money can buy, offering break-neck speeds and reliable build qualities. Thanks to the SN850 line's integrated heatsinks, they require little to no faff during installation, too.

“Continuing to team up with Sony Interactive Entertainment to drive innovation, allows us to keep delivering on our commitment to create solutions that enhance the gaming experience for gamers,” said Western Digital VP of global strategic partnerships Susan Park.

(Image credit: Western Digital)

The WD_Black SN850X is one of the best SSDs for gaming on a PC as well, in our opinion. Although it didn't have massive performance boosts over the SN850 non-x model, in many ways that was to be expected. These drives very much hit the speed ceilings of Gen 4 PCIe drives. In our testing, the SN850X reached a sequential write speed of 7,300MB/s, while reads were up to 6,300MB/s. This is up there with the very best on the market inside of the Gen 4 selection.

The SN850P is also a Gen 4 drive, so we'll need to get our hands on it to determine just how much faster than the SN850X it is.

This news comes after yesterday's long-awaited launch of the WD_Black C50, which is only the second official expansion card for the Xbox Series X and S.


Let's give your PlayStation storage a boost with the best PS5 external hard drives, the best PS5 heatsinks, and the best PS4 SSDs.

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