PS5

Published on October 4th, 2022 | by Andrew Bistak

Western Digital and Sony Interactive Entertainment Release First Officially Licensed M.2 SSD for the PlayStation 5 Console

Western Digital Corp. and Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (“SIE”) teamed up to deliver the industry’s first official PlayStation®-licensed M.2 SSD for PlayStation® 5 (PS5™) to gamers across the globe. The WD_BLACK™ SN850 NVMe™ SSD for PS5 Consoles1 enables players to expand the high-speed storage capacity of their PS5 console and gives them peace of mind knowing that their new and favorite titles are stored on a drive that’s been battletested to take on the most intensive PS5 gameplay.

Optimized for the newest-generation console, Western Digital validated drive performance through multiple scenarios to ensure the drive has been fully tested for the PS5. This process included hundreds of hours spent rigorously testing some of the most graphic-rich titles across various genres to ensure that with games stored on the drive, gameplay is fast, smooth and visually immersive.

“We’re excited for this new journey with Sony Interactive Entertainment and the opportunity to bring the officially licensed drive to PS5 gamers,” said Susan Park, vice president of Consumer Solutions Product Management, Western Digital. “Western Digital’s WD_BLACK brand was created to bring high-performance products to gamers everywhere. Combined with this innovative partnership, we aim to deepen our current commitment to developing storage solutions that enhance the gaming experience for all gamers.”

With the WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD for PS5, gamers can store and play both PS5 games and PS4™ games directly from the drive. The drive’s attached heatsink also makes installation quicker with its all-in-one design. Gamers can cut down on long load times with PCIe® Gen4 technology, reaching up to 7000MB/s2 read speed to get them in the game fast so they can focus more on gaming.

The WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD for PS5 will be launched at the upcoming PAX Aus event in Melbourne, Australia on 7th October, 2022. At PAX Aus, Western Digital will be showcasing the latest WD_BLACK storage solutions for PC and Console gaming, selected SanDisk products, including the SanDisk Nintendo®-Licensed Memory Cards For Nintendo Switch™and range of portable SSDs including the WD My Passport SSD, SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD and SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD. All Western Digital products on display at the booth, will be on special for the duration of PAX and can be purchased from stand partner, PLE. These products will be on display alongside fun skill tester arcade machines, where prizes are up for grabs. The Western Digital booth is located at stand 1850 at PAX Aus and visitors can play to be in the running to win 1-2 WD_BLACK Branded arcade machines.

Products that will be showcased at this year’s PAX Aus event include:

  • WD_BLACK gaming range including:
    • For PC Gaming:, WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe™ SSD, WD_BLACK SN770 NVMe™ SSD, WD_BLACK™ AN1500 NVMe™ SSD Add-in-Card, WD_BLACK D50 Game Dock NVMe™ SSD
    • For Console Gaming: WD_BLACK™ SN850 NVMe™ SSD for PS5 Consoles, WD_BLACK D30 Game Drive SSD
    • For both PC & Console Gaming: WD_BLACK P50 Game Drive SSD, WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive
  • SanDisk Nintendo®Licensed Memory Cards For Nintendo Switch

Availability

The WD_BLACK SN850 NVMe SSD for PS5 retails for $339.00 AUD (1TB3) and $599 (2TB3) and will be available for purchase at Amazon (online) and JB Hi Fi (in stores and online).

For more information on these products, or to learn more about the full WD_BLACK portfolio of gaming solutions, please visit www.WDBLACK.com or follow the brand on TwitterInstagramFacebook and Twitch.


About the Author

When he's not trying to save the world, Andrew enjoys travel (although loathes turbulence), going to the movies, reading and being a dad to his two dogs (and now twins) with his wife.



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