The recent PS5 breakdown gives us a look at the internal SSD expansion slot, though upon further examination it would appear that the system might support different sizes (length) of M.2 NVMe SSDs.

In the recent PS5 breakdown video, we see Yasuhiro Ootori, VP of the mechanical design department at Sony remove the cover for the storage expansion slot. not much else is elaborated other than this is where users can install a supported M.2 NVMe SSD drive. However, if you pay close attention to the shot you’ll notice that there are different screw holes with a numbers by each of them. 

For those unaware, these represent the different length that a M.2 NVMe SSD can come in, though there are more depending on the type device. 

As detailed on SanDisk official site concerning M.2 sizes

M.2 Module Sizes
M.2 Cards and Motherboard slots vary in sizes, both in the width and length of the card. Compatibility will depend in part with a Motherboard’s ability to fit that specific card’s size, in the same way other PCIe devices do. The current available sizes for M.2 modules are as follow:

• Widths: 12, 16, 22, and 30 mm

• Lengths: 16, 26, 30, 38, 42, 60, 80, and 110 mm

We ourselves aren’t too knowledgeable when it comes to potential benefits that the different length can provide, so here’s an excerpt from FaceofIt that goes over a couple of the difference between a M.2 2242 (42 length) and 2280 (80 length).

Well, the significant difference between the M.2 2242 and M.2 2280 lies in the measurement of the SSD drives. Of course, this difference translates into further differences ahead. We will have a look at them as well.

The length of the SSD drive has a significant bearing on the performance characteristics of the SSD. Given this fact, since the M.2 2242 is smaller than the M.2 2280, the performance of the latter will be a little better placed in comparison to the M.2 2242.

Another area that the M.2  2280 takes the lead over the M.2 2242 is on the heat dissipation. The limited length of the M.2 2242 may not provide adequate heat dissipation. The M.2 2242 SSD drives are used in laptop motherboards, while the M.2 2280 drives find themselves being used in tablets.

So what this means for PS5 owners is that there may be more available options from third-party to go with when looking for some expandable storage. Do mind however that Sony has yet to officially announce whether the console will actually support different length M.2 NVMe SSDs, so for now take this with a rumor despite what the image may suggest. 

We’ve reached out to Sony for clarification on the matter, though expect them to go into further details later once they reveal a supported list of M.2 NVMe SSDs.