This may sound a bit crazy, but I recently bought the RGEEK SATA HDD adapter for my PS2 and a 480GB SATA SSD.
The PS2 won't be able to take full advantage of the SSD. I mainly wanted the SSD to reduce noise & vibration from the console. The SSD is silent.
For what it's worth, this is the SSD I bought. It works in my fat PS2 from 2001.
This is what I have. SSD: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01N0TQPQB?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title&th=1
Enclosure: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06XWRRMYX?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Grand total of $46. That $9 difference is definitely worth having an open USB port, it’s quieter, and it will most definitely last longer.
How much does it often cost?
Depends on how much space you want. You can get a 120gb ssd for 20$ though I recommend going with a 500gb one for around 50$ instead.
120gb: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6JQS8C
480gb: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0TQPQB
I recommend sticking to Samsung, Micron (Crucial) and Kingston SSDs. Some of the cheaper off brand ones have reliablity and/or other problems.