A large part of the PlayStation 5's SSD will not be usable for downloading games.
It has been found that gamers will only be able to use 667 GB of the PlayStation 5's SSD for games (via Polygon). The system carries 825 GB of onboard memory. The reason that such a large part of the system's memory is taken up is because Sony wants to make sure that there will always be room on the SSD for things like the operating system, firmware, and updates. Unlike with the PlayStation 4, gamers will not be able to install and play their PlayStation 5 games on an external hard drive.
Gamers will be able to increase their PlayStation 5's memory, though the feature will not be accessible at launch. According to PlayStation hardware architect Mark Cerny, expanding the system's memory will be "reserved for a future update." Cerny did state that gamers should hold off from buying SSDs for their PlayStation 5's until Sony gives the word. According to Cerny, the issue is that not all compatible SSDs are fast enough to keep up with the console, thin enough to fit in the system's SSD bay, or compatible with the I/O controller. Sony stated that they will be doing compatibility testing soon.
It was recently announced that gamers should not expect to pick up a PlayStation 5 physically in stores. According to Sid Shuman, Senior Director of SIE Content Communications, there will be no PlayStation 5 systems physically available at stores when the console releases next week. Shuman stated that all purchases for the console will be done online. He stated that due to this, nobody should plan on camping out or lining up at their local retailer on launch day hoping to pick up a PlayStation 5.
The PlayStation 5 releases on November 12th. You can check out a review round up for the system here.
