Western Digital has launched the WD Black SN850P PCIe 4.0 SSD series, specifically designed for use with the PlayStation 5. This product mirrors the already existing SN850X SSD for Sony's gaming console, with the key differences lying in the heatsink design and PlayStation 5 licensing.
This development comes on the heels of Western Digital's release of the WD Black C50 expansion cards for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
The SN850P SSD, licensed officially for the PlayStation 5, showcases an aesthetically refined heatsink that prominently features the PlayStation logo. The device measures 3.15 x 0.96 x 0.39 inches (80 x 24.4 x 9.9 mm), a slight size increase over the SN850X, which has dimensions of 3.15 x 0.92 x 0.35 inches (80 x 23.4 x 8.9 mm).
Adopting an M.2 2280 SSD configuration, the SN850P uses a PCIe 4.0 interface. Western Digital has not disclosed specific details regarding the internal components, although the company is expected to use an in-house SSD controller, as seen in its other SSD models.
Similar to the SN850X, the SN850P is available in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacity options. Western Digital suggests that the 4TB version can accommodate roughly 100 games, based on an average game size of 36GB, although actual storage requirements may fluctuate depending on the specific game. The SN850P SSDs have endurance ratings of 600 TBW, 1,200 TBW, and 2,400 TBW for the 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB models, respectively. This aligns with the endurance ratings of the SN850X, suggesting that the SN850P may employ the same grade NAND. Notably, the pricing of the SN850P diverges significantly from that of the SN850X. The SN850P's pricing indicates a significant premium, particularly for the 4TB variant, which even surpasses the PlayStation 5's price point. SN850P 2TB for $229.99, 53% higher than the SN850X 2TB's $149.99 price tag.
The SN850P 4TB, priced at $549, may come as a surprise considering its cost surpasses that of the PlayStation 5, which is priced at $499. In contrast, the SN850X 4TB, lacking a heatsink, is priced at a more modest $299 (!)
