SanDisk's PlayStation 5 SSDs Cost More Than the Console Itself SanDisk has launched a new line of officially licensed NVMe SSDs designed for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro consoles, with prices exceeding the cost of the consoles themselves. The Optimus GX PRO 850P series includes four models, each offering varying storage capacities. The 1TB version starts at £339 ($380), while the highest-capacity 8TB model is priced at £2,639 ($2,960). Even the 2TB option, at £678 ($760), surpasses the cost of a standard PS5, and the 4TB model, priced at £1,337 ($1,500), is more than the price of a PS5 Pro. These prices are currently discounted, though some models lack a visible purchase button on SanDisk’s website. The SSDs are based on the PCIe 4.0 standard, delivering sequential read speeds of up to 7,300MB/s and write speeds of 6,600MB/s. They feature an integrated heatsink with the PlayStation logo, emphasizing their compatibility with the console’s hardware. Despite their high cost, these drives are marketed as expandable storage solutions for PS5 users, also compatible with PCs. However, the pricing reflects a broader industry trend driven by surging demand for memory and storage, exacerbated by the growth of AI-driven datacenters. This surge has forced console manufacturers and consumer electronics companies to raise prices multiple times over the past 14 months. Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo have all increased their product prices, with Sony recently raising the cost of its PS5 models in March. The trend suggests further price hikes may be inevitable to offset rising production costs. The crisis has rendered affordable computing—across PCs, consoles, and hobbyist projects like the Raspberry Pi—unattainable for many consumers. Industry experts warn that this pricing dilemma is unlikely to resolve soon.#playstation_5 #sony #san_disk #playstation_5_pro #nvme_ssd
