Best SSD for Gaming UK 2026
Last updated: 18 February 2026
An SSD is the single biggest upgrade for a gaming PC. Games load 2-5x faster from an SSD compared to a hard drive, and open-world games with large maps benefit from the faster asset streaming. In 2026, NVMe SSDs have become affordable enough that there is almost no reason to game from a hard drive. Here is what to buy and what to pay.
NVMe vs SATA SSD for Gaming
| Feature | SATA SSD | NVMe Gen 3 | NVMe Gen 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read speed | ~550 MB/s | 3,500 MB/s | 7,000 MB/s |
| Game load times | Fast | Faster | Fastest |
| DirectStorage support | Limited | Yes | Yes (full benefit) |
| Interface | SATA (2.5" or M.2) | M.2 PCIe 3.0 | M.2 PCIe 4.0 |
| Cheapest per TB | £66.75/TB | — | £82.50/TB |
For gaming in 2026, NVMe Gen 4 is the recommended choice if your motherboard supports it (most boards from 2020 onwards do). The price difference over SATA is now minimal, and you get future-proof speeds for DirectStorage-enabled games. If you have an older motherboard with only SATA or PCIe 3.0 slots, a SATA SSD or Gen 3 NVMe is still a huge upgrade over a hard drive.
Best Value NVMe SSDs Right Now
How Much SSD Storage Do Gamers Need?
1TB fits your OS, key applications, and 5-10 large games. Modern AAA titles regularly exceed 100GB — Call of Duty, for example, takes over 150GB on its own. 1TB is a workable starting point if you are happy rotating games in and out.
2TB is the ideal gaming SSD capacity in 2026. You get room for 15-20 installed games alongside Windows and your applications, without worrying about what to delete. The price per terabyte is better than 1TB drives, making this the best value choice for most gamers.
4TB suits serious gamers with extensive libraries who do not want to manage space. Content creators who edit video on the same machine will also benefit from this extra headroom. The price per TB at 4TB NVMe is significantly lower than 1TB drives.
Gen 4 vs Gen 5 NVMe: Is Gen 5 Worth It for Gaming?
Gen 5 NVMe SSDs reached speeds of 10,000-14,000MB/s in 2024, roughly double the best Gen 4 drives. However, for gaming in 2026, the honest answer is: Gen 5 is not worth the premium.
- Real-world gaming gains are minimal. Game load times on Gen 5 vs Gen 4 are measured in tenths of a second. DirectStorage, the technology that benefits most from faster storage, does not yet push past Gen 4 speeds in shipping games.
- Gen 5 drives run hot. Most Gen 5 SSDs require a heatsink and can throttle under sustained load, negating the speed advantage in some scenarios.
- Gen 5 costs significantly more. You pay a large premium for a marginal gaming improvement. That money is better spent on a larger Gen 4 drive or other components.
Verdict: Buy the best value Gen 4 NVMe SSD. Revisit Gen 5 in 2027-2028 when games are actually designed to use it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is NVMe better than SATA SSD for gaming?
NVMe SSDs offer faster game load times and better asset streaming in open-world games. Gen 4 NVMe is recommended if your motherboard supports it. Both are dramatically faster than a hard drive, so even a SATA SSD is a massive upgrade for gaming. The price difference between SATA and NVMe has narrowed significantly, making NVMe the better value for new builds.
How much SSD storage do I need for gaming?
2TB is the recommended minimum in 2026. A single modern AAA game can take 100-150GB. With Windows (~20GB) and a few applications, a 1TB drive fills up quickly. 2TB gives you comfortable room for 15-20 games. Serious gamers with large libraries should look at 4TB NVMe SSDs, which now offer competitive price-per-TB.
Is Gen 5 NVMe worth it for gaming?
Not in 2026. Gen 5 speeds (10,000-14,000MB/s) do not translate to meaningful gaming improvements over Gen 4 (5,000-7,000MB/s) in current games. Gen 5 drives also run hotter and cost significantly more. The best gaming value is a large Gen 4 NVMe drive at the lowest price per terabyte.
What SSD speed do I need for gaming?
Any NVMe SSD with sequential reads of 3,000MB/s or higher (Gen 3) handles all current games well. Gen 4 (5,000-7,000MB/s) is recommended for future-proofing with DirectStorage games. SATA SSDs (550MB/s) are still perfectly fast for gaming and represent a massive improvement over HDDs.
Compare gaming SSD prices
Browse all NVMe and SATA SSDs sorted by price per terabyte.