Technology
Sony to allow PS5 storage upgrades ‘this summer’ after gamers max out memory
SONY is reportedly plotting to hand a lifeline to gamers who’ve already maxed out the storage on their PlayStation 5s.
According to Bloomberg, the Japanese tech titan will open up its new console to internal memory upgrades in the coming months.
The PS5’s 825GB memory drive leaves players with 667GB of usable space on which to store games and other files – and that fills up pretty fast.
Gamers on social media have reported that their drives are maxed out after downloading just a handful of marquee titles.
That could all be about to change, according to Bloomberg.
The site reported on Friday that a firmware update released by Sony this summer will add support for additional internal drives.
Sony’s PlayStation 5 is wildly popular but its internal storage runs dry pretty quickly[/caption]
That will allow gamers to drastically expand their storage, releasing the bottleneck that stops them from having too many games on the go.
The update will also unlock higher cooling-fan speeds to ensure the console doesn’t overheat, people close to the matter said.
Unlike previous consoles, the PS5’s memory is expanded using an additional internal drive, rather than plugging in an external one.
It means players wanting to upgrade will have to remove the machine’s plastic covering before attaching extra storage.
A memory boost will prove vital to gamers as major titles eat through more drive space than ever before.
The latest Call of Duty game needs 133GB of installation space, while most marquee titles take up at least 40GB each.
Sony showed gamers how to add an additional drive to the PS5 in a console teardown video released last October.
Once the console is opened up, the drive can be plugged in to the spare NVMe slot on the console.
Inside the PS5, there’s a slot designed for an additional memory drive. The slot is currently deactivated but could be reactivated with a software update[/caption]
The functionality is turned off for now but will be activated following the update.
Sony launched two versions of the PlayStation 5 in the US on November 12, and in the UK on November 19.
The full PS5 costs £449/$499, while a Digital Edition without a disc tray is priced at £359/$399.
They’re up against the Xbox Series X (£449) and Xbox Series S (£249), which hit shelves worldwide November 10.
All four consoles have been sold out around the world, with stock seesawing in and out of availability over the past few weeks.
The PS5 launched with major exclusive games like Spider-Man Miles Morales and a revamped version of Dark Souls for players to enjoy.
Xbox gamers, on the other hand, have a new Halo title to look forward to later this year.
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In other news, The Sun’s favourite alternative to a games console is the Oculus Quest 2 VR headset.
Grab a VR headset and you’ll be able to play the legendary Beat Saber – like Guitar Hero, but with lightsabers.
And Dell’s Alienware R10 Ryzen Edition is a gaming PC powerhouse that crushes both the new consoles.
What do you make of Sony’s plans? Let us know in the comments!
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