The PS5 Pro ships with a 2 TB SSD and still fills, because its games are enormous, and Sony gives it an M.2 expansion slot for that reason. The error you meet when the drive is full is CE-100028-1, which means there is not enough free storage, and the fixes are to delete unused games, move PS4 games to USB extended storage, or add an M.2 SSD. There is a catch that owners reported: an M.2 drive that is not suited, or a faulty one, can itself cause crashes, and one owner solved the problem by copying games back to the internal storage. Keeping at least ten to fifteen percent of the internal SSD free also reduces heat, because a full drive makes the system work harder.
Differential
Likely causes of “PlayStation 5 Pro storage is full or games will not install”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A full internal SSD
What separates it CE-100028-1 appears when installing
How to confirm Delete unused games or move PS4 games to USB extended storage
- 2
An M.2 drive that is not suitable
What separates it Crashes began after the drive was added
How to confirm Check the drive meets Sony's requirements, or copy games back to internal storage as a test
- 3
PS4 games on the internal drive
What separates it Space is taken by older titles
How to confirm Move PS4 games to USB extended storage
- 4
Captures and clips
What separates it Media Gallery holds many gigabytes
How to confirm Delete or upload captures
- 5
Update downloads
What separates it Space is taken by pending updates
How to confirm Settings, Storage, delete downloaded update files
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Free space on each drive
- Whether an M.2 drive is fitted and its model
- The error code and when it appears
- Which games are largest
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedOpen Storage and read the list
ReversibleSettings, Storage shows the internal SSD, any M.2 drive and USB extended storage, with games, media and saved data listed by size.
Delete or archive what you do not play
ReversibleChoose Games and Apps, select the largest titles you have finished and delete them; you can reinstall later, and cloud saves keep your progress.
Move PS4 games to USB extended storage
ReversiblePS4 titles run from a USB drive, so move them there and keep the SSD for PS5 games.
Keep ten to fifteen percent free
ReversibleA full internal SSD makes the console work harder and warmer, so keep headroom even if the console says there is space.
Test without the M.2 drive if crashes began after fitting it
ReversibleCopy games back to the internal SSD and remove the extra drive; one owner's crashes ended there.
Contact PlayStation support if CE-100028-1 persists with space free
ReversibleThe code means not enough storage; if it appears with plenty free, the drive needs a check.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Why 2 TB still fills
- A single modern PS5 game can exceed 100 GB with updates, so a 2 TB drive holds fewer than twenty large titles.
- The M.2 requirement
- The expansion slot takes a Gen 4 drive with a heatsink; a drive that does not meet Sony's requirements is a likelier cause of crashes than the console.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the console crashes with an M.2 drive fitted, test without it and copy games to internal storage
- !If the SSD is not recognized, contact PlayStation support
- !If errors persist with free space, contact PlayStation support
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Where do captured clips go?+
They sit in the Media Gallery and count against the SSD; upload or delete them.
Can I install PS5 games on USB storage?+
PS5 games must be on the SSD or M.2; USB is for PS4 games.