MSI has launched a new PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 2280 SSD designed specifically to fit the limitations of the PlayStation 5 expansion slot with an integrated heatsink.
The Spatium M480 Play is the company’s first compatible SSD, with capacities ranging from 500 GB to 4 TB and offers a maximum transfer speed of 7.0 GB/s. However, it’s not just for PlayStation 5 owners, MSI is keen to point out that the Spatium M480 Play is also a good choice for PC gamers and content creators.
Specially designed grooved double-finish aluminum heatsink helps prevent thermal throttling. One of the important design considerations for PS5 SSDs is that an efficient heatsink maintains the transfer performance of the device, but it also should not be too large due to the thickness restriction of 11. 25 mm imposed by the hardware of the PS5. Other than this design consideration, Sony is quite open to using any standard length PCIe 4.0 x4 interface NMVe M.2 drive, as long as it can maintain a 5.5 sequential read speed. GB/s or better.
For PC tinkerers, there’s already an MSI Spatium M480 SSD, but this design doesn’t feature a heatsink. MSI also manufactures the Spatium M480 HS, in which the HS suffix refers to a large bundled heatsink that makes it incompatible with the PS5 design. (At 20.40 mm thick in total, it’s too bulky for the console).
Here are the technical specifications of the MSI Spatium M480 Play, which are similar to previous non-PS5 compatible versions:
|
MSI Spatium M480 Play 2TB |
|
|---|---|
|
Controller |
Phion E18 |
|
NAND |
2TB micron 176 layers 3D TLC NAND flash |
|
Hidden |
2 x 1GB SK Hynix DDR4-2666 |
|
Durability |
1,400 TBW, 1.6 million hour MTBF, 5 year warranty |
|
Performance |
Sequential read up to 7.0 GB/s, write up to 6.8 GB/s and up to 1 million IOPS |
|
Other Features |
TRIM, SMART, LDPC, APST plus AES256/TCG OPAL2.0/Pyrite encryption |
One difference the Spatium M480 Play offers beyond PC drives is greater storage capacity. While its predecessors were only available in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB capacities, the new PlayStation 5 compatible drive debuts with an additional 4TB option. It remains to be seen if PC-only designs will follow suit with larger capacity models.
The MSI Spatium M480 Play will be available soon. The 2TB version, with its specs tabulated above, has an MSRP of $329. Although this is MSI’s first PS5-compatible M.2 SSD, several other companies have launched products for this same segment. We’ve already reported on the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX family, for example, as well as the TeamGroup T-Force Cardea A440 Pro Special, and we’ve created a roundup of the best late 2021 PS5 SSD options, if you’re in the market for this type of device.
