Sony takes the PlayStation 5 apart in a video and shows all parts. It explains how the console works and what you are allowed to modify yourself.
In an official video from Sony the individual components of the PS5 are shown. One of the hardware designers explains the thoughts behind each part and how far you can go yourself.
You can remove the foot to place the console horizontally and even remove the side panels. Behind it is a slot for an M.2 SSD, which you can use to expand your storage space. The fact that you can remove the cover so easily will probably allow many different colors and special covers in the future.
The SSDs and their pitfalls
But there is a catch with the whole thing: Not all SSDs are compatible with the console. The PS5 initially comes with 825 GB of SSD memory, which is permanently installed in the motherboard and is controlled by a Sony proprietary controller to guarantee maximum performance.
If you consider that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare alone eats up about 200 GB together with Warzone, the storage space can quickly reach its limits. But you may only install a PCI-E-4.0-compatible hard disk, which must be fast enough.
Sony hasn’t announced yet which hard drives are qualified for this. But the developer will issue a separate certification for certain hard disks. If you buy one of them, you are on the safe side.
This is also in the console
Besides the SSD, the video also shows the Blu-Ray drive, the AMD-Zen 2 processor and the console’s cooling system. Unlike previous consoles and PCs, the PS5 is not cooled with air or water, but with liquid metal.
This allows the console, despite the same waste heat system as the PS4, to cool much better and thus to run at higher power. But you should not open your console that far: As soon as you remove the stickers on the screws behind the covers, your warranty will expire.
