Samsung 990 Pro SSD Review for PS5 and PS5 Pro

The Samsung 990 Pro is a premium PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD with impressive read and write speeds, a dedicated DRAM cache, and excellent rated endurance. It comfortably meets Sony’s requirements for PS5 storage expansion and offers more than enough performance for demanding PS5 and PS5 Pro games.

But there is an important question: Do you actually need an SSD this fast for your PlayStation 5? In my view, the 990 Pro is an excellent choice if you want premium hardware, but its impressive PC benchmark numbers do not automatically translate into noticeably better gaming performance than a good, more affordable PS5-compatible SSD.

Samsung 990 Pro: Ratings at a Glance

Samsung 990 Pro Specifications

Here are the main specifications worth knowing before choosing this SSD for your console.

These are manufacturer-rated maximum figures, not guaranteed speeds in every system. Actual performance varies with workload, free space, firmware, and system configuration.

PS5 and PS5 Pro Gaming Performance

The PS5 requires a compatible PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe SSD and recommends a sequential read speed of at least 5,500 MB/s. The Samsung 990 Pro comfortably exceeds that recommendation, making it a suitable performance-oriented expansion option.

Its high bandwidth and dedicated DRAM cache help it handle game data efficiently, including large textures and other assets used by modern titles. Once installed and formatted, it can store and run compatible PS5 games directly, as well as PS4 games.

However, raw speed is only part of the story. The PS5 uses a custom storage and decompression architecture, and loading times depend on the game, its data structure, and the console’s processing pipeline. A faster SSD does not automatically make every game load proportionally faster.

Samsung 990 Pro PS5 Load Times: Reported Results

Specifications are useful, but most gamers want to know how quickly they can get into a game. The following reported measurements show the time taken to move from the main menu to active gameplay on a PS5 equipped with the Samsung 990 Pro.

Testing note: These are supplied reported measurements, not independently verified, standardized benchmarks. Actual times may vary with game updates, save files, console software, and the precise start and end points used in testing. Nine game results were supplied.

These examples illustrate how quickly PS5 games can reach active gameplay. They do not, on their own, prove that the 990 Pro loads games faster than competing SSDs. A fair comparison would require testing the same titles on the same console, using identical conditions and different drives.

Cooling and Heatsink Requirements

High-performance NVMe drives generate heat during intensive operations. If temperatures become excessive, an SSD can reduce its operating speed to protect its components. Proper cooling is therefore an important part of installing an M.2 drive in a PS5.

The Samsung 990 Pro is available with or without a factory-installed heatsink. The heatsink-equipped model is convenient because it removes the need to choose and fit a separate cooling solution. If you buy the bare version, you must install a suitable compatible heatsink before using it in the console.

The factory heatsink version also has RGB lighting, but this is largely irrelevant once the SSD is installed inside the closed console. Cooling, compatibility, and price are much more important when choosing the right version.

Reliability and the Early Firmware Issue

The Samsung 990 Pro received attention after some early drives reported unusually rapid declines in their S.M.A.R.T. health percentages. This raised concerns among owners who had invested in a premium SSD.

Samsung released firmware updates to address the reported health-monitoring anomaly and other stability issues. The early health reporting problem was not, by itself, proof that the NAND flash had physically worn out at the rate shown by the reported percentage.

There is one practical consideration for PS5 users: the console does not offer a built-in way to update the 990 Pro’s firmware. If you purchase older stock that needs an update, you may need a compatible computer and Samsung’s supported update utility or another supported update method.

I would buy from a reputable retailer and pay particular attention to the drive’s condition and firmware if purchasing old stock. This history is worth knowing, but it does not mean that every Samsung 990 Pro is defective.

Endurance and Expected Lifespan

The 990 Pro has high rated write endurance, making it suitable for regular game installations, updates, downloads, and gameplay capture. Samsung rates its capacities as follows:

TBW means terabytes written. It is a manufacturer-rated endurance limit, not a prediction of exactly when a drive will fail. For most gamers, the 990 Pro’s rated endurance is more than adequate for years of regular use. The warranty remains subject to Samsung’s terms and applicable endurance limits.

What PS5 Owners Should Know Before Buying

Pros and Cons

Is the Samsung 990 Pro Worth Buying for PS5?

The Samsung 990 Pro is an excellent option if you want premium storage hardware and find it at a competitive price. It offers ample performance for PS5 and PS5 Pro games, strong rated endurance, and a factory-heatsink version that makes installation more convenient.

However, if your main priority is expanding your storage without overspending, I would compare its price with other reputable PCIe 4.0 SSDs that meet Sony’s requirements. In many cases, you can save money without giving up a meaningful amount of gaming performance.