Memory manufacturer Lexar today released the Lexar Play 2280, a new SSD designed specifically for the PlayStation 5.
The drive, which is intended to meet the needs of most gamers, has a sequential read speed of up to 7,400 MB/s and a sequential write speed of up to 6,500 MB/s. This is well above the 5,500 MB/s sequential read speed recommended by Sony.
It also comes with a pre-installed heatsink, so you don’t have to worry about installing your own, in addition to a limited five-year warranty. It weighs in at a mere 1.82 oz / 51.5 g and, as a standard PCIe 4.0 SSD in the 2280 form factor, is fully compatible with desktop PCs and laptops that also offer the interface.
It is currently available in 2TB and 4TB capacities, with an 8TB model coming later this year. The 2TB model can be found on Amazon for around $230 / £174.99, while the 4TB model will set you back $379.99 / £329.99. It’s a little more expensive compared to the myriad similar drives currently on sale, but still not a bad starting price considering the specs.
Looking at Lexar’s other products, I wouldn’t be surprised to see this model see some deep discounts throughout the year, especially around big sales events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. In fact, with the right discount, this model seems like it could easily become the best SSD for PS5 for a wide range of gamers.
Elsewhere, Western Digital has unveiled a new 8TB PS5 SSD, though it’s priced at about the same as two PS5s. While there’s no pricing information yet, I’m certainly curious to see how much the upcoming 8TB Lexar Play 2280 will cost. If it can undercut its rivals, it could become the go-to model for those looking for such a big storage upgrade.