Xbox Series X vs. PS5 storage expansion: Which solution do you prefer?

Xbox Series X, Series S, PlayStation 5 size comparison
Xbox Series X, Series S, PlayStation 5 size comparison (Image credit: Windows Central)

Recently, there's been a big flare-up on the internet over which gaming console is doing storage expansion the "right" way. PlayStation and Xbox have two very different approaches to this debacle.

The method Microsoft is using for the Xbox Series X and S is straightforward, though it's also expensive and devoid of freedom of choice. In short, if you want to expand your console's storage to fit more of the best Xbox games, you buy a pre-approved expansion card that's guaranteed to work with the system. That guarantee comes with a premium price tag, though.

Meanwhile, Sony's take is a little more radical: Go out and buy an SSD yourself, and maybe it'll work with the PS5. On the one hand, this allows you to pick whichever model and brand suits you (within Sony's provided parameters, that is) and fits your wallet's needs. However, not only do you not get a guarantee that the thing will work, but you also have to do some minor disassembly work on your PS5 to get the SSD in there. It's not a plug-and-play operation, which is what consoles are most famous for being.

We've already discussed the topic over here on Windows Central and, at least in the case of editor Richard Devine, have taken Microsoft's side. But that's not to say there's not a perfectly valid argument to be had for Sony's side of the debate. After all, many Sony employees had to sign off on what has ultimately become the PS5's storage expansion solution method, so there has to be logic behind it.

With that said, would you rather Sony put a stamp on pre-approved SSDs and sell them for a jacked-up price like Microsoft is doing? Do you prefer proprietary solutions (like what Sony did with its beloved PS Vita), or do you like the risk and reward of choice? Comment below and let us know.

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Robert Carnevale

Robert Carnevale is the News Editor for Windows Central. He's a big fan of Kinect (it lives on in his heart), Sonic the Hedgehog, and the legendary intersection of those two titans, Sonic Free Riders. He is the author of Cold War 2395. Have a useful tip? Send it to robert.carnevale@futurenet.com.