Storage · Comparison

WD_BLACK SN850P vs Samsung 990 PRO

Not really a fair fight on paper — the Samsung is double the capacity and faster — but it also costs roughly $80 more. The real question isn't which drive is better, it's whether 1TB officially licensed for $99.99 is enough for your library, or whether GTA VI plus everything else you own needs the extra room more than it needs the officially-licensed reassurance.

Last updated 2026-07-29.

Setting up for GTA VI? This comparison is part of our GTA VI setup collection — every guide we’ve published for the launch, in one place.

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Quick comparison

Ranked by Picksights Score. Prices are approximate and change frequently.
Product	Picksights Score	From	Best for
#1 · Samsung Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink 2TB	8.4/10	$180	Best performance
#2 · WD_BLACK WD_BLACK SN850P 1TB	8.2/10	$99.99	Best officially licensed

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Top pick

Samsung

Number 1: Samsung 990 PRO with Heatsink 2TB

PS8.4/10

Best performance

The fastest option here and the least fiddly of the non-licensed drives, because the heatsink is already the right shape for the bay. Whether it is worth the premium over the SN850X depends entirely on what each is selling for the week you buy — the performance gap is real but small.

Pros

7,450 MB/s sequential read — the fastest drive in this comparison
Heatsink preinstalled and dimensioned for the PS5 expansion bay
Samsung states PS5 compatibility directly, so there is no guesswork about fit

Cons

Costs meaningfully more than the WD_BLACK SN850X at the same capacity
Pricing has been volatile — it swings widely between sales

From $180Approximate — prices change

See current price

Sources: Tom's Hardware (2026-06-23) · TechRadar (PS5 SSD review coverage) (2025)Last checked by Picksights 2026-07-29

WD_BLACK

Number 2: WD_BLACK SN850P 1TB

PS8.2/10

Best officially licensed

The zero-thinking option — officially licensed, heatsink included, guaranteed to fit. If 1TB of extra space is enough for you, this is the least risky way to spend $99.99.

Pros

Officially licensed for PS5 — heatsink fit is pre-verified, zero guesswork
7,300 MB/s read speed, comfortably above Sony's requirement
Currently around $99.99 — the officially-branded PS5 SSDs have gotten much cheaper

Cons

Only available at 1TB in this price range — GTA VI plus your existing library may need more
Our source notes it's functionally the same drive as the non-PS5-branded SN850X, just with PS5 packaging and a different heatsink

From $99.99Approximate — prices change

See current price

Sources: GamesRadar+ (2026-01-15) · Tom's Hardware (2026-06-23)Last checked by Picksights 2026-07-29

How we rank

Same formula as the full SSD ranking these two come from: speed, ease of setup, price-to-value and capacity-to-value, weighted identically for every drive in that category.

Capacity-to-value is where the SN850P loses the most ground here — it is only sold at 1TB in this price bracket, per our source, while the Samsung starts at 2TB. If you already know you need 2TB, that gap is the whole decision.

Full ranking: Best SSD for PS5 and Xbox Series X →

WD_BLACK SN850P in depth: Full WD_BLACK SN850P review →

Samsung 990 PRO in depth: Full Samsung 990 PRO review →

The Xbox-side equivalent: WD_BLACK C50 vs Seagate Storage Expansion Card →