Sony's eagerly awaited PS5 update with M.2 SSD support will drop on 15 September

Sony’s PlayStation 5 continues to sell like gangbusters since its launch ten months ago. At the time Sony said that its dormant M.2 SSD internal storage expansion bay would be activated in a future update without providing a date. The company has confirmed that its second major system software update will drop on September 15 with the wait all but over.

The PS5 ships with an ultra-fast SSD with a 825 GB capacity. This is further reduced by the OS, leaving users with around only 667 GB of usable storage space. Microsoft’s Xbox Series X sports a 1 TB SSD with 802 GB available to users as a point of comparison. While Microsoft has teamed with Seagate for its own ultra-fast external expansion drive solution, Sony is allowing users to choose their own SSD on the proviso that it meets strict performance specifications. 

The M.2 SSD feature has been in beta testing since July but now all PS5 owners will be able to open up the console themselves and make the upgrade. Also being added in the new update is support for 3D audio support (also known as spatial audio) for in-built TV speakers. Up until now, this feature has only been supported through the PS5 Pulse 3D headset. Users will also notice UX enhancements with additional customization options. Sony’s instructions for installing your own M.2 SSD is embedded in the video below.

Buy the Sony PS5 Pulse 3D Wireless Headset for US$97 from Amazon.