What is the raw data transfer rate of the PlayStation 5's SSD?

The PlayStation 5’s SSD has a raw data transfer rate of 5.5 GB/s. This figure refers specifically to raw read bandwidth from the console’s custom 825 GB solid-state drive, rather than to storage capacity or compressed data throughput.

Sony built the SSD as part of a broader custom input/output system. Its 12-channel design connects directly to the console’s memory architecture, while dedicated hardware handles data decompression. That combination lets the PS5 stream game assets quickly and reduces the long loading pauses associated with traditional hard drives.

The often-quoted 5.5 GB/s figure is not the same as the practical rate delivered to a game after compression. Sony has described typical compressed throughput as roughly 8–9 GB/s, because the system can read compressed data and decompress it in hardware while it is being transferred.

Another common mix-up is comparing the PS5’s SSD speed with its 448 GB/s system-memory bandwidth. Memory bandwidth describes communication with GDDR6 RAM; 5.5 GB/s describes raw SSD reading. Later PS5 models changed storage capacity, but the published raw SSD bandwidth remained 5.5 GB/s.