SanDisk Launches Expensive PS5 SSDs Amid Memory Shortage

SanDisk has announced an expensive way to boost the PlayStation 5’s storage capacity. The company’s new Optimus GX PRO 850P NVMe SSD is an officially licensed PS5 accessory in capacities ranging from 1TB to 8TB. The largest option can store up to 200 PS5 games (based on average installation sizes) SanDisk claims, but thanks to the global memory shortage, it will cost you $2,959.99 when it’s eventually available through the company’s online store, discounted from $3,699.99.

Even after you take into account Sony’s recent console price hikes, you can buy three PS5 Pro consoles for the price of just one of these 8TB sticks. But the smaller capacities are similarly expensive. The 4TB version is $1,499.99 (discounted from $1,874.99), while the 2TB option is $759.99 (down from $949.99) — still $100 more expensive than the standard PS5.

The new SSD features an “optimized heatsink built specifically for the PS5 and PS5 Pro M.2 slot” and has been tested for both consoles so gamers can “store more and play more with confidence,” according to SanDisk. A Western Digital SSD (SanDisk’s parent brand) with similar specs to the new $3,000 option is currently available on Amazon for $1,470. And as VGC points out, according to the price comparison site PC Part Picker, that Western Digital SSD sold through retailers like Best Buy and Newegg for around $640 last year. When compared to this new SSD, that’s over a 360 percent price increase for the same capacity. So while AI is potentially making games worse, it’s also making them more expensive to play.