Out of space on your Xbox Series X or S? Expand it with these SSD external hard drives.
Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S video game consoles may take visual performance to the next level, but internal storage capacity is likely to become an issue for many users over time. Especially since many of the best Xbox games have very large file sizes, it’s time to counter this with a superior memory solution such as an external SSD drive.
After all, even though the Xbox Series X comes with a 1TB SSD and the Series S comes with 512GB (with a 1TB version coming very soon), this actually translates to a lot. less usable storage after each console has taken up a share of its operating system. In the case of the Series X, this means there’s only about 802GB of storage left to play with, while the Series S only has 364 GB.
That’s why we’ve rounded up some great external SSD drives to make sure your game collection doesn’t have to be erased in a moment of need.
Also, see the best Xbox accessories on the market right now.
The best SSD external hard drives for Xbox Series X and S
Don’t you think there’s nothing more frustrating than deleting a game earlier than planned? These days, it is very common for gamers to have to make space on their hard drives when a new game is released.
Therefore, it is important to know that you can store hundreds of games on an external hard drive to be able to use them without having to download them again.
If you need more space, an SSD is more efficient and is recommended if you have the Xbox Series S or Series X.
If you want to have more space, then buy the best SSD external hard drives for Xbox.
Seagate 1TB Game Drive
This is the best and only direct expansion drive officially available. This is a superb little kit. For a long time, Seagate was the only company that offered official expandable storage for Xbox Series X and S, not just external storage. This means you can plug it into the expansion slots of your devices and play directly from it. So this 1TB drive is perfect for the needs of most.
It’s especially useful for the S-Series, with its smaller amount of storage, and to be fair, the price is actually reasonable compared to the higher-end components that the unit packs.
However, it’s still pretty expensive for the amount of extra space, so if you don’t mind playing your games directly from the drive, you might not like the cost.
Pros
- Incredibly small
- Great capacity
- Excellent loading and transfer speeds
- Very easy to install
Cons
- Very expensive
- Not quite as fast as an internal SSD
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WD Black C50 Expansion Card for Xbox
Hard drives like the WD Black C50 are great for expanding storage capacity quickly. This expansion card is just as good as Seagate’s, making them the two best options. It matches Seagate’s option in every important way. It looks slightly different but still sticks out of the back of your Xbox in a way that makes its design almost irrelevant, and the two cards are generally fairly priced.
This SSD for Xbox Series S and X maintains the temperature even after a long time of use and works without causing any noise. Its portable format allows you to take it wherever you go, and thanks to its large capacity, you can save hundreds of games without worrying about deleting any. The best thing about this hard drive is that it offers several storage capacity options. This allows users to choose the one that best suits their needs.
Pros
- Easy installation
- Works with Quick Resume
- Great capacity
- It comes with a 1-month Xbox Game Pass code
Cons
- High Price
- Locked to Xbox Series consoles only
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Crucial CT1000, the cheapest
Among the best cheap SSDs for Xbox Series X|S, the Crucial CT1000 model is certainly the least expensive solution. It is available in two versions, the X6 and X8. Both models are versatile and are well suited to game storage for next-gen consoles due to their versatility. As for the X6, also make sure you get a USB-A adapter, but in case you haven’t, be careful as some products are sold bundled with it.
The reading speed of the Crucial CT1000 is between 540 MB/s (x6 model, the cheapest) and 1050 MB/s (x8 model, the fastest), and their compactness makes the devices useful on the go. Precisely to support this handy function, the body is able to withstand falls from about 2 meters in height and extreme temperatures.
Pros
- Small and sturdy.
- Attractive cost per gigabyte.
- Solid performance.
- It includes a USB-C cable and a USB-C-to-USB-A adapter.
- Three-year warranty.
Cons
- No activity light.
- There is no backup utility.
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Samsung T7 Portable SSD
Samsung’s SSD is easy to recommend. In fact, it’s so good that we think it’s basically a unit for anyone, not just Xbox gamers.
It’s priced right for the amount of storage. It has a great price and is extremely easy to use. Of course, it’s not an onboard expansion, so it won’t perform as impressively as previous cards.
This portable hard drive is so compact that you can literally carry it in your pocket. It’s powered by USB 3.2 Gen 2 technology, so it’s much faster than USB 2.0 devices. This SSD unit stands out for its fast data transfer speed, portability, lightness, and very comfortable and resistant design to carry from one place to another. Undoubtedly, it is best for you if your idea is to always carry it with you to have all your favorite games always available.
Pros
- Slim size
- 256-bit AES hardware encryption
- On-par speed for its class
- Decent price
Cons
- Not the most robust
- Three- rather than five-year warranty
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SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
A great unit that is safe even in difficult situations. SanDisk holds its own very well with the Extreme Portable, especially when it comes to price, which is much lower than Samsung’s. It also has its own competitive advantage; the “Extreme” in the name refers to its strength.
Obviously, your game collection may not accompany you when climbing mountains or hiking, but it’s still nice to know that it’s safe from moisture and drops, making it useful for moving or transporting.
This SSD unit stands out for its fast data transfer speed, portability, and lightness. It comes with a very comfortable and resistant design to carry from one place to another. Undoubtedly, one of the best SSD hard drives for Xbox Series S and X.
Pros
- Take a beating
- Solid speed compared with its peers
- Nice and small
- Five-year warranty
- IP55 water- and dust-resistance rating
Cons
- A little expensive considering its capacity
- Unprotected USB Type-C port
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WD_Black D30
The WD Black Desktop D30 SSD is another very cheap and fast solution in terms of reading (900 MB/s), but it is also the model that best suits next-gen game storage. In fact, the D30 has been specifically designed for next-generation console gaming, with enhanced read speeds to reduce loading times. Western Digital WD Black D30 is a functional SSD that is solid and also has a beautiful design that never hurts.
Available in multiple versions, even an Xbox-branded one with a slightly different color, this external drive looks like a compact and resistant product. Furthermore, this solid-state drive offers excellent security and reliability to all types of users, even gamers who always need more storage space at their disposal. The cost is also slightly reduced compared to Seagate’s expansion. It is also available in multiple memory sizes to meet the needs of each individual user.
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Samsung T5 SSD
The Samsung T5 SSD is a great external solution if you need to expand storage space and improve load times. Considering that not all current games are optimized for the new consoles, the Samsung SSD is perfect for saving Xbox Game Pass games, with speeds of up to 540 MB/s thanks to Samsung’s V-NAND technology.
While optimized games can’t be run from this device, it’s still a good alternative,, either as a backup drive or to optimize load times on games that suffered from that on previous-gen consoles.
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Conclusion
What features should you look for in your new gaming SSD? Make sure to buy one that has enough space for your gamer. If you only buy two or three games a year, 1TB may be enough for you. If you regularly download games with Gold and buy one game per month, then you will need at least 2 to 4TB. And if you play games in 4K, you will definitely need 4TB for all the 4K assets that go with these games. Fortunately, if you do things right, you can get a good 4TB hard drive at an affordable price.
Although you cannot go wrong with SSD external hard drives, especially if you have a few units lying around and you just need to buy a case, we think the best option for Xbox Series S and X is Seagate. Not only does it add a lot of storage to the console, but it also offers great reliability and portability.