Cyber Monday PS5 SSD and hard drive deals 2021: what to expect
We reckon that the Cyber Monday PS5 SSD and external hard drive deals that we're steamrolling our way towards are going to be some of the hottest of hot tomatoes in all of Sales Season Land this year. Such is the solution they provide and the growing range available, we actually think that these will make up some of the best, wider Cyber Monday PS5 deals.
When Sony finally unleashed the internal storage slot for use by all players, suddenly a whole market of gear and storage tech was now available to PS5 owners - on top of all the great external hard drives that are around. However, the internal PS5 SSD candidates now opened the door to actually playing more games from an extra bit of storage - rather than the storage-only policy affecting externals. Given the timing of the rollout of the firmware, and the increasing size of the PS5's library at this traditionally buy time of year, 2021's Cyber Monday PS5 SSD and external hard drive deals come at the perfect time.
These sales will see a whole host of the best PS5 SSDs and the best PS5 external hard drives come crashing down in price, giving you a suite of options and great-value products. The internal SSD market is likely to be very hot stuff indeed. Given that, in their own right, the top PS5 SSDs are also up there for best SSD for gaming contention, the quality on offer will be superb, with premium drives coming down to prices that are usually reserved for mid- or even entry-level units.
Externally, SSDs are also fast becoming the default storage solution when picking up a drive. An external drive is a great option for keeping your PS4 game library at hand while on your PS5. If you haven't been able to get on the new-gen train yet, fear not - we expect to see some of the best PS4 external hard drive contenders and the best PS4 SSD units on sale for those with a last-gen setup as well. Remember, like the internals, some of these external PS5 SSDs are also, genuinely, some of the best external hard drives you can get too, such is their quality.
What makes this sales season a bit more of an exciting unknown is that it will be the first time that we've properly seen specific Cyber Monday PS5 SSD deals - with more options than ever, and the internal slot now being open, there's going to be something for everyone. Many of the biggest offers will also cross over with this year's wider Cyber Monday SSD deals, too.
Where will the best Cyber Monday PS5 SSD deals be?
We'll keep a constant bird's eye view of all the Cyber Monday PS5 SSD and hard drive deals on this page as we progress through the sales event, but, of course, we do know the best places to have a look already. These are the retailers that we'll be visiting to search every nook and cranny, and you'll find them all below.
US:
Amazon: has enormous variety and ranges of stock
Best Buy: also offers a vast amount of stock and will also price match
Newegg: the PC specialist is a great source of internal and external drives
Walmart: often price matches with plenty of stock
UK:
Amazon: the mega-retailer should always be your first stop
Very: often has good stock and decent prices
Argos: can sometimes get you same-day delivery
Currys: always reliable for having stock either online or to reserve in-store
ebuyer: the PC specialist will be a valuable source for drives this year
Overclockers: always well stocked and often runs deals
When will the Cyber Monday PS5 SSD deals start?
This year's Black Friday occurs on November 26, so this is when we expect to see the biggest cuts and offers. However, we've been down this road before. For years now. So it's likely that retailers will go early and start to roll out deals (of some description, if not the actual Black Friday PS5 SSD deals), from mid-to-late October.
Is it worth waiting for the Cyber Monday PS5 SSD deals?
Given the demand that SSDs have been this year already, and with this likely to reach fever pitch over the Black Friday sales period, it's probably just as well that we have the Cyber Monday PS5 SSD deals as a backup. The Friday's deals - and week of that Friday,l to be honest - is likely to have the biggest and baddest deals on PS5 SSDs, but should stock hold, we could also be in for some excellent Cyber Monday offerings too. If you miss out, CYber Monday can often come to the rescue, and if you're open to surprises then the Monday can often throw them up too.
Cyber Monday PS5 SSD deals: what to expect
If an internal drive is going to be target number one for you in this year's Cyber Monday PS5 SSD deals, then we think you'll be in for some lowest ever prices - if stock holds. The big brands' models and series will definitely be worth a look. WD's SN850, and Seagate's FireCuda 530 are going to be near the top of any most-wanted lists and should see deep cuts.
But the most important thing to remember when looking at internal options among the Cyber Monday PS5 SSD deals is that a drive needs to meet Sony's criteria and recommended specs. Here they are again for reference:
- PCIe Gen4 interface
- 250GB - 4TB capacity
- 5,500MB/s read speed or faster
- 22mm width (do not go for 25mm units)
- Heatsink required (built-in or DIY)
Cyber Monday PS5 external SSD and hard drive deals: what to expect
External SSDs and HDDs have always been excellent console companions, and they are likely to be heavily discounted in the Cyber Monday PS5 SSD and external hard drive deals when the time comes.
External models like Samsung's T5 and T7 units, and the WD_Black Game Drive SSDs are going to be ones to watch and perennial favourites like WD's My Passport and Seagate's licensed HDDs are well worth keeping abreast of when the price drops come raining down. Just as another reminder, remember that you can only play PS4 games from an external drive - but you can store PS5 games on one, which is still a great improvement on not being able to use them at all with PS5 software.
Today's best deals
However, if you're on the lookout for the best prices going now on some top internal PS5 SSDs, or if you just want to get your eye in ahead of the sales period, then check out the list of price below.
Cyber Monday PS5 external hard drive deals, on the other hand, are going to be worth a serious look - particularly if the heights of the internal SSD prices are a bit too, well, high. They will come down in the Cyber Monday deals but they still hold a premium compared to external PS5 SSDs or hard drives. Here's a bunch of our favourites and their current prices.
Which brand makes the best PS5 SSD?
Well, that's the million-dollar question when preparing to buy such a potentially premium and important item. And it's not clear cut - it's nigh-on impossible to pick one brand or make.
However, of course, it's likely that most folks will gravitate toward the big guns, and that's what we'd suggest doing too. Western Digital's WD_BLACK range, and the SN850, in particular, is an early, premium favourite: even, PS5 architect, Mark Cerny has given this one his stamp of approval by acquitting it personally for his own console. The same goes for Samsung's 980 Pro stick which will have its own heatsink edition by the time we get to Cyber Monday too; given Samsung's pedigree in storage and drives, this will undoubtedly be one of the top dogs. Seagate - synonymous with console storage solutions - will have its say too with the FireCuda 530. But other PS5 SSDs that might not be seen as 'premium' are still worth a look: Gigabyte's Aorus 7000s is a great drive that should go below $200 this sales season, and the same goes for Patriot's Viper VP4300 drive. And we haven't even mentioned Crucial, ADATA, and more...
So, while there's not one particular standout brand, there's going to be a good handful to choose from.
Of course, SSDs and hard drives won't be the only new-gen console-shaped deals in town this sales season: check out the latest on the Cyber Monday PS5 headset deals, and for those across the console aisle, check out our Cyber Monday Xbox Series X deals page.
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