If you added an M.2 SSD to your PS5 or an expansion card to your Xbox Series X or Series S, that upgrade has its own resale value separate from the console itself. You can keep it for your next console, sell it on its own, or leave it installed as part of a bundle. The right call depends on whether your specific drive is still in demand, what a buyer will actually pay extra for it, and how much the console’s price changes with the upgrade left in versus pulled out.
None of those options is automatically better. A PS5 M.2 SSD that’s a well-known model with a heatsink attached might sell faster apart from the console than it adds to a bundled price. An Xbox expansion card, by contrast, is a sealed proprietary part with less of a resale market on its own, so the math often points a different way.
This matters more with the specific hardware in hand. A PS5, a PlayStation 5 Pro, and an Xbox Series X all handle expandable storage differently, and getting the removal and reset steps wrong can cost you buyer trust or even damage the drive. Getting them right protects both your data and your payout.
When Is Upgraded Storage Worth More Sold Separately?
Whether to keep, bundle, or separately sell your storage comes down to compatibility and demand. An M.2 SSD standard across PS5 models has a real secondhand market of its own, while an Xbox Series X or Series S expansion card is tied to Microsoft’s proprietary format and tends to move differently.
Should You Keep, Bundle, or Separately Sell Your PS5 M.2 SSD?
A PS5 M.2 SSD you plan to reuse in a future console is worth keeping, since it slots into any compatible PS5 without reformatting if you’re moving it between your own consoles. If you’re not buying another PS5, selling the drive separately usually makes sense when it’s a known brand with a heatsink already attached, since those details are what buyers search for.
Sony’s own spec sheet sets the bar for what counts as compatible: PCIe Gen4 x4 NVMe, 250GB to 8TB, and sequential read speeds of 5,500MB/s or faster recommended. A drive that meets those specs holds value whether it’s installed or sold loose, including in a PS5 Pro, which uses the same expansion slot.
Should You Include Your Xbox Storage Expansion Card?
Including a Seagate Storage Expansion Card or WD_BLACK C50 with your Xbox Series X or Series S sale is often the simpler path, since these cards are proprietary and have a thinner standalone resale market than a PS5’s standard M.2 SSD. Buyers shopping for a used Xbox frequently want the extra storage already in place rather than sourcing a separate card.
That said, if your card is a high-capacity model and your console would sell fine at base storage, pulling it to sell individually can still make sense. Weigh it against the console’s own listing, since bigger storage rarely adds its full retail value on the used market, whether that extra space lives inside the console or on a card you’re including.
How Do Separate Sale Prices Compare with the Bundle Premium?
There’s no fixed formula here, and prices for both standalone drives and bundled consoles shift with condition, capacity, and what’s currently in demand. What’s consistent is that a bundle premium needs to be compared against your real net proceeds from a separate sale, not its sticker price.
A separate SSD or card sale usually means listing fees, a buyer paying shipping or you absorbing it, and the time spent packaging a small item carefully. A bundle skips all of that but may only nudge your console’s price up a modest amount. Before deciding, check how storage capacity affects resale value so you’re comparing your specific capacity against realistic expectations instead of guessing.
What Storage Capacity Should You Advertise After Removal?
Once you remove an upgrade, your listing needs to reflect the console’s original built-in capacity, not the expanded number you’d grown used to. A PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition reverts to 825GB, a PS5 Slim to 1TB, and a PS5 Pro to 2TB. On Xbox, a Series X reverts to 1TB and a Series S to either 512GB or 1TB depending on your model.
These are the console’s internal numbers, not what’s usable after system files. A PS5 has 825GB with about 667GB usable, and an Xbox Series X has 1TB with about 802GB usable, so advertise the honest internal figure and let buyers know system software takes a cut, which is standard across the model line. Listing the wrong capacity after removing a drive is one of the fastest ways to trigger a buyer dispute.
How Do You Safely Remove Storage and Reset Each Console?
Removing storage safely means protecting the drive from static damage, backing up what you want to keep, and resetting the console only after your data is secured. The order matters: back up first, remove hardware second, reset last.
Back Up Saves, Sync Trophies, and Disable Console Sharing
PS5 saves should go to PlayStation Plus cloud storage or a USB drive, not copied game-by-game, since that’s the method Sony actually supports for a full backup. Before wiping anything, sync your trophies manually so recent progress isn’t lost, and disable Console Sharing and Offline Play under Settings so your account isn’t still tied to hardware you no longer own.
Xbox handles this differently. Saves sync to your account automatically whenever the console has been online recently, so confirm a recent connection before you reset.
How Do You Remove a PS5 M.2 SSD Without Damaging It?
Touch a grounded metal object before handling a PS5 M.2 SSD to discharge static, since electrostatic discharge can damage the drive or the console if you skip it. Power down the console fully, disconnect every cable, and let it cool before opening the cover.
The process differs slightly by model, but the core steps hold across a standard PS5, PS5 Slim, and PS5 Pro: remove the side cover, take out the single screw securing the expansion slot cover, then carefully lift the drive at its notched edge before sliding it free. Handle it by the edges and set it somewhere static-safe once it’s out.
How Do You Remove an Xbox Expansion Card?
An Xbox expansion card comes out by pulling it straight from the port on the back of the Series X or Series S, with no screws or internal access needed. Make sure the console is fully shut down first, and store the card somewhere it won’t get bumped or bent, since the connector pins are exposed once it’s removed.
Does Retained or Bundled Storage Need Formatting?
A PS5 M.2 SSD you’re keeping for another console generally doesn’t need reformatting, since moving it between two PS5 consoles skips the format step entirely. If you’re bundling the drive with the console sale instead, wipe the game data off it yourself beforehand so a new owner isn’t inheriting your library and account traces.
Xbox expansion cards work similarly: data stays on the card until it’s reformatted or erased, so clear anything personal before handing it over with the console.
How Do You Factory Reset a PS5 or Xbox After Storage Removal?
On PS5, go to Settings > System > System Software > Reset Options > Reset Your Console, and let it restart fully to the setup screen. This process can’t be undone, and Sony is explicit that deleted data can’t be recovered, so confirm your backups succeeded first.
On Xbox, go to Profile & System > Settings > System > Console Info > Reset Console, then choose Reset and Remove Everything, not the option that keeps your games and apps. Wait for the console to reach its own setup screen before disconnecting it, and if you’re selling a Series S or Series X, a dedicated Xbox reset walkthrough covers the account removal step in more detail.
Prepare Your Accessories and Get a Gizmogo Cash Offer
Before boxing up your console, gather the controller, power cable, and HDMI cable, along with any stand that came with your specific model. Eject any disc and remove personal USB drives, and double check the setup screen actually appeared after your reset rather than assuming it worked.
A clean reset and complete accessory set tend to prepare a used PS5 for a faster, smoother sale, and the same preparation applies to Xbox consoles. Gizmogo buys PS5 and Xbox consoles in any storage configuration, whether you’re parting with a base PS5, a PS5 Pro, a Series X, or a Series S, and gives you an instant cash offer once you’ve confirmed your console’s accurate storage and condition.