We all know storage costs are through the roof right now. Supply chain pressures and the global AI boom have created a crippling shortage of NAND flash and DRAM chips, driving a substantial increase in storage prices.
A 1TB SSD that could be had for around $50-60 in 2023 now costs over $150, depending on the model. However, SanDisk seems to have abandoned all logic by launching a new PlayStation 5 SSD priced at nearly $ 3,000!
Yes, that’s right. SanDisk’s new Optimus GX PRO 850P NVMe SSD has an 8TB option that costs an eye-watering $2,959.99. To put that number into perspective, that is nearly 3.3x the price of the PS5 Pro and over 4.5x the price of the regular PS5.
Now, we get it: SSDs are generally expensive, and 8TB is a lot of capacity. However, similar NVMe SSDs can be had for almost half as much. The WD Black SN850X 8TB NVMe SSD is listed for $1,470 on Amazon, while Samsung’s 9100 PRO 8TB NVMe can be yours for a cool $2,159. That is no chump change, but it’s still nearly a $1000 cheaper than what SanDisk has just launched.
Moreover, the 9100 PRO from Samsung is a PCIe Gen 5 drive, while the SanDisk is still stuck on PCIe 4.0 speeds. Even if you look only at more reasonable capacity tiers, the situation is still not particularly favorable for SanDisk. Their 1TB option costs $380, while a Samsung 990 PRO 1TB NVMe drive costs $220 right now. From every angle, the price keeps getting more ridiculous.
And therein lies the catch. SanDisk’s new Optimus SSD is marketed as a drive for the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 PRO. It apparently has an exclusive heatsink and some performance optimizations specifically for the console. The key point is that Sony’s licensing likely costs a lot; it definitely affects the SSD’s final price. However, WD Black’s PS5-licensed 1TB SSD still costs $220, which is $160 less than SanDisk’s price.
SSDs are generally up around 60-80% from three years ago, and that is certainly a big reason for SanDisk’s high pricing. However, when competitors are charging nearly $1,000 less for the top-tier option, it makes your product a hard bargain, especially when your SSD costs nearly five times as much as the console itself.
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[PC Hardware Specialist]
Usman Saleem brings 8+ years of comprehensive PC hardware expertise to the table. His journey in the tech world has involved in-depth tech analysis and insightful PC hardware reviews, perfecting over 6+ years of dedicated work. Usman’s commitment to staying authentic and relevant in the field is underscored by many professional certifications, including a recent one in Google IT Support Specialization.
8+ years of specialized PC hardware coverage
6+ years of in-depth PC hardware analysis and reviews
Lead PC hardware expert across multiple tech journalism platforms
Certified in Google IT Support Specialization
Get In Touch: usman@tech4gamers.com
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