SanDisk prices an 8TB licensed PS5 SSD at $2,959.99
SanDisk’s new officially licensed PS5 NVMe drive reaches 8TB, but its top model carries a nearly $3,000 sale price amid a memory shortage.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
SanDisk has announced an officially licensed PlayStation 5 storage upgrade with a top capacity of 8TB. The price is the main story: SanDisk’s store lists the 8TB Optimus GX PRO 850P NVMe SSD at $2,959.99, down from a stated $3,699.99.
The new drive is aimed at PS5 and PS5 Pro owners who want far more room for installed games. SanDisk says the largest model can hold up to 200 PS5 games, based on average installation sizes.
The Optimus GX PRO 850P is being offered in capacities from 1TB to 8TB, according to SanDisk. The company says the SSD includes a heatsink designed for the M.2 slot in the PS5 and PS5 Pro, and says it has tested the drive for both consoles.
High prices across the lineup
SanDisk’s 8TB listing says the drive will be sold through the company’s online store, with availability still pending. The Verge reported that the price comes against the backdrop of a global memory shortage that has pushed storage and RAM costs higher.
The smaller models are also priced well above typical console accessory territory. SanDisk lists the 4TB version at $1,499.99, marked down from $1,874.99, while the 2TB version is listed at $759.99, reduced from $949.99.
Those figures put the 2TB model above the price of a standard PS5, according to The Verge. The publication also noted that even after Sony’s recent PlayStation price increases, three PS5 Pro consoles would cost less than the listed price of one 8TB Optimus GX PRO 850P.
Comparison with other 8TB drives
The new SanDisk model is not the only 8TB SSD with PS5-compatible-style specifications on the market. The Verge pointed to a Western Digital 8TB SSD with similar specs available on Amazon for $1,470.
VGC also cited PC Part Picker pricing data showing that the same Western Digital drive sold through retailers such as Best Buy and Newegg for about $640 last year. Compared with SanDisk’s $2,959.99 sale price for the new 8TB model, that is an increase of more than 360% for the same storage capacity, according to The Verge’s comparison.
SanDisk is pitching the drive as a straightforward capacity upgrade for PlayStation owners who keep large game libraries installed. For buyers, the launch also shows how sharply high-end consumer SSD prices have moved as the memory shortage reaches gaming hardware.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.