External hard drive for ps5: Best PS5 external hard drives 2023 – easily expand your console’s storage

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The best PS5 external hard drives in July 2023

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The best PS5 external hard drives are a great investment for anyone with the latest PlayStation. Because although we love this console, it has to be said: it has less storage than gamers would like. 

The PS5 comes with an inbuilt sold state drive (SSD) for quick transfer speeds. But that accounts for only 825GB of storage, including the 158GB occupied by the PS5’s operating system. Given the average PS5 game is about 50GB large (with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II at over 200GB), most of us will benefit from some extra storage.

Below, we’ve brought together the best external hard drives on the market today. Alternatively if you’d prefer to splash out on an internal drive (and open up your console to install it), see our roundup of the best SSDs for PS5. Also check out our guides to the best monitors for PS5 and best PS5 controllers.

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01. WD Black P50 Game Drive

The best PS5 external hard drive for most people

Capacity: 500GB-4TB
SDD or HDD: SSD

This NVMe SSD can manage fast read speeds of up to 2,000MB/s, reducing the time it takes to get your games on and off the drive. It comes at a cost, and there are cheaper options  (see number 02), but this is a premium drive that earns its price tag.

02. Toshiba Canvio Advance

The best PS5 external hard drive if you’re on a budget

Capacity: 1TB-2TB
SDD or HDD: HDD

This is a standard external hard drive, so it’ll be slower than an SSD, and you probably won’t want to use it to play your PlayStation games off. But for an affordable price, it’s a great option for storing all your extra games, freeing up the hard drive of your PS5. 

03. Samsung T7 SSD

The best PS5 external hard drive at a compact size

Capacity: 500GB-2TB
SDD or HDD: SSD

Short on space? This SSD is suitably tiny (so small, you might lose it). But it’s still well-built, very fast, and offering a great balance of features. Capacity goes up to 2TB and we can highly recommend this for a quick, discrete external option for use with the PS5. 

04. Seagate Game Drive

The best PS5 external hard drive that’s Sony approved

Capacity: 2TB-4TB
SDD or HDD: HDD

This hard drive has an official licence from Sony guaranteeing it to work with the PS5 (and the PS4). It’s easy to install and get it up and running, and it provides plenty of storage with 2TB and 4TB models to choose from. It’s solid, reliable and looks the part too.

05. OWC Envoy Pro Elektron

Small, tough and pretty speedy too

Capacity: 240GB-2TB (8TB with Pro Ex)
SDD or HDD: SSD

This miniature drive is very portable, built tough, and it’s waterproof and dustproof. 1011MB/s transfer speeds are pretty impressive, too. And it comes with a USB Type-A adapter, which means that you can plug it into a PS4 as well as a PS5. 

06. WD Black D10 Game Drive

The best PS5 external hard drive for capacity

Capacity: 8TB
SDD or HDD: HDD

This one’s a hard drive, so it’s slower, but it offers 8TB of capacity, making it the perfect choice if all you want is somewhere to stash your enormous pile of old PS4 games and load them at PS4 speeds. It should easily be able to store all your favourites with room to spare.

07. Seagate FireCuda

The best PS5 external hard drive for lighting

Capacity: 500GB-2TB
SDD or HDD: SSD

Want fast storage and colourful RGB lighting? This SSD offers transfer speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s and a little notch around its casing can be lit up in any colour you want. The five-year warranty’s another plus; you should be covered by the time the PS6 comes.

08. WD My Passport

Great value hard drive for the PS5

Capacity: 1TB-5TB
SDD or HDD: HDD

Here’s another good option if you want a stack of storage for a decent price and don’t object to the slower speeds of an HDD. It’s one of the most popular external hard drives out there, comes in a range of capacities from 1TB to 5TB, all at reasonable prices.

HDD vs SSD: which is better for PS5?

Short answer – an SSD is better for PS5 if you can afford it.

Hard disk drives (HDD) and solid-state drives (SSD) are both storage devices that can be used to safely hold a large volume of digital data. An HDD is an  older form of technology that uses a mechanical spinning drive to store and read data. A hard drive is a metal platter that stores data on a magnetic coating, which a read/write head can access when directed.

An SSD, meanwhile, uses interconnected flash-memory chips to store its data. This makes them faster and more reliable than HDDs, as there are fewer moving parts. SSDs run fast enough that you can download games at lightning speed, and even run them directly off a PS5’s internal SSD (though not an external one). They’re the fastest, most capable choice for the majority of PS5 owners.

But don’t count HDDs out completely. As you might have guessed, they’re a cheaper option than an SSD. In terms of storage capacity, an HDD gives you a lot more bang for your buck, and if storing your library somewhere accessible is a higher priority than being able to load things in a flash and play them instantly, an HDD might well be the more cost-effective choice. 

Overall, an SSD is almost certainly going to be the better choice for PS5 users, as it’s just a faster and more efficient way to handle the large volumes of data that gaming involves. But if you need a lot of storage on the cheap, an HDD might be the way to go.

Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.

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Beren has worked on creative tech magazines and websites at Future Publishing for 13 years. He started this journey as Staff Writer on the digital art magazine ImagineFX, and in 2012 found himself bridging the magazine/website divide as Commissioning Editor on the newly launched Creative Bloq. Since then he took the editor role on ImagineFX, was Launch Editor of the fine art magazine Paint & Draw, moved to Canon Pro Europe website as Deputy Editor, and then edited the graphic design magazine Computer Arts. In 2020 he moved back to Creative Bloq, the biggest global art and design website, and as Deals Editor has applied his expertise in creative tech to help digital creatives get the best deals on the kit that they need and love.  Outside of work, Beren likes nothing better than to climb himself a bit of rock.  

With contributions from

  • Tom May

Best PS5 external hard drives in 2023

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The best PS5 external hard drives are the most efficient way to store games on your console, making them far easier to access and redownload without costing you too much. Since the console ships with limited storage from the get-go, it’s important to expand your space wherever you can to help make gaming more streamlined. 

However, even the best PS5 external hard drives are not capable of running some of the best PS5 games natively. That’s because these external options are simply too slow for the job to safely keep up with the internal drive inside the console itself. As far as the best PS5 accessories are concerned, going external certainly has its place.

If you’re solely in the market for drives that can provide on-par performance with what’s already inside the PS5 then we recommend going internal. Fortunately, installing a PS5 SSD is easy to do with our illustrative step-by-step guide. 

Best PS5 external hard drives in 2023

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1. Crucial X8

The best PS5 external hard drive

Specifications

Capacity: 1TB – 2TB

Interface: Thunderbolt 3/USB-C

Dimensions: 53mm x 110mm x 11.5mm (WxDxH)

Weight: 97g

Warranty: 3yr RTB

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Tough relatively compact exterior

+

Affordable pricing

+

Good speeds

Reasons to avoid

–

More pace available elsewhere

–

Some smaller drives available 

The Crucial X8 uses an NVMe SSD, which means it’s got more speed than older and more affordable SATA SSDs. Its pace gets close to saturating the PS5’s USB ports – it’s not the fastest option when it comes to portable SSDs, but the Crucial is easily good enough to tackle console use. 

The Crucial X8 is a beautifully made device that blends functionality with style and even sports abuse resistance

Crucial X8 review

The Crucial X8 drive withstands shocks, vibrations, 7.5ft drops, and extreme temperatures, so it’ll survive life on the road and around the house, and its robust design joins with impressive dimensions and impressively low prices.

Be aware, though, that there are lighter or slimmer drives available elsewhere, and more pace can be found on rivals, although you’ll have to pay for it. The Crucial may not be the slimmest, lightest, or fastest, but it’s never far off and it’s always pretty affordable, making it a good choice. 

  • Read more: Crucial X8 review

(Image credit: Future)

2.

Samsung T7 Touch

The best premium PS5 external hard drive

Specifications

Capacity: 500GB – 2TB

Interface: Thunderbolt 3/USB-C

Dimensions: 57mm x 85mm x 8mm (WxDxH)

Weight: 58g

Warranty: 3yr RTB

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Tiny chassis

+

Consistently fast performance

+

Cheaper than some rivals 

Reasons to avoid

–

Outperformed by some newer drives

Samsung has proven itself to be the modern master of the SSD, so it’s no surprise that its latest portable drive is impressive. It’s available in capacities between 500GB and 2TB, and there’s plenty to like: it’s barely longer than a bank card, and its 8mm thickness and 58g weight make it the smallest and lightest portable SSD in this group. 

The Samsung T7 Touch is an exquisite piece of technology

Samsung T7 Touch review

If you want to use this drive for secure functions alongside your consoles, it has AES 256-bit encryption.  The T7 is quick enough to nearly saturate the PS5’s USB ports, although Seagate and LaCie’s drives are faster. That speed advantage isn’t essential for PS5 use, but it could be a dealbreaker if you want to use the drive with PCs and laptops too. 

Also, bear in mind that while the Samsung T7 has reasonable build quality, but it doesn’t have the drop, shock, and temperature certifications of its rivals. The price is lower than most rivals, and the Samsung combines decent speeds with tiny dimensions. It’s ideal if you want good pace at a lower price than most other portable SSDs. 

  • Read more: Samsung T7 Shield Touch review

(Image credit: Western Digital)

3. WD Black P50

The best high capacity PS5 external hard drive

Specifications

Capacity: 500GB – 4TB

Interface: Thunderbolt 3/USB-C

Dimensions: 62mm x 118mm x 14mm (WxDxH)

Weight: 115g

Warranty: 5yr RTB

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Extremely fast

+

Robust, good-looking exterior

+

Five-year warranty 

Reasons to avoid

–

Pricier than most portable SSDs

–

Larger size than some

WD Black products are usually bold, and the P50 portable SSD is no different thanks to an exterior made of ridged, black metal.  

The exterior is rock-solid and withstands drops and bumps, so it’ll withstand everyday life. Beyond the design, you’ll find an NVMe drive that tops out at a mighty 2,000MB/s. That pace is far beyond what the PS5 can handle, but it does mean that the P50 saturates the console’s USB ports and deliver maximum speed. It also means that you can use that pace on devices with future-proofed USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 or Thunderbolt 3 ports.

There are downsides to this drive. It’s heavier and thicker than most portable SSDs, and it’s more expensive than most. If you’ve got the cash and need a product that’s great for the PS5 and ideal for the future, though, the WD Black P50 is a tremendous, future-proofed choice. 

(Image credit: Lacie)

4. LaCie Rugged SSD Pro

The best heavy duty PS5 external hard drive

Specifications

Capacity: 1TB – 2TB

Interface: Thunderbolt 3/USB-C

Dimensions: 65mm x 98mm x 17mm (WxDxH)

Weight: 100g

Warranty: 5yr RTB

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Rock-solid build quality

+

Very fast

+

Five-year warranty 

Reasons to avoid

–

Paying a premium on the chassis 

–

Gets expensive in higher capacities 

Most portable SSDs have shock and drop-resistant designs, but few drives go as far as the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro. It’s officially rated for water resistance, three-meter drops, two tons of crush resistance and dust resistance, so it’s virtually indestructible – perfect if you need a gaming drive to take on the road. It’s even got a flap that closes to protect the USB-C port. 

This tough hardware sits inside a smart and subdued rubber casing, and a generous five-year warranty protects the LaCie. The rugged design doesn’t come at the expense of speed. This is another drive that saturates the PS5’s USB ports and heads beyond 2,000MB/s if you’ve got the right hardware, which makes it ideal for console use now and other devices in the future. 

The design means that the LaCie is a little heavier and thicker than most SSDs, and it’s very expensive. But if you need a drive with lashings of speed and tough design, it’s worth the outlay. 

(Image credit: Seagate)

5. Seagate Game Drive

The best officially licensed PS5 external hard drive

Specifications

Capacity: 2TB – 4TB

Interface: USB 3. 2 Gen 1

Dimensions: 76mm x 114mm x 9.6 – 12mm (WxDxH)

Weight: 135g – 149g

Warranty: 2yr RTB

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Official PlayStation license

+

Middling pricing

+

Light and slim 

Reasons to avoid

–

Other drives are faster 

The Seagate Game Drive is the only external hard disk officially licensed by Sony. While it’s technically licensed for PS4 devices, these drives will work with the PS5, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the licensing extended to Sony’s latest machines.

It’s available in capacities of 2TB and 4TB and is also available in The Last of Us and Marvel’s Avengers designs if you’d like something to represent your favorite game. Both capacities are solid options for ample storage, and both are cheaper than the WD drives – only the Toshiba Canvio Basics is more affordable. In terms of speed, it’s mid-range: fine, but not particularly impressive.

Seagate’s drive is lighter and slimmer than most rivals, and it has a robust aluminum exterior that’s stronger than the plastic Toshiba. It’s not fast or feature-packed, but it’s a good-looking, affordable, and official option. 

Best portable PS5 external hard drives

(Image credit: Toshiba)

1. Toshiba Canvio Basics

The best option for external storage on a budget

Specifications

Capacity: 500GB – 4TB

Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1

Dimensions: 78mm x 109mm x 14 – 19.5mm(WxDxH)

Weight: 140g – 218g

Warranty: 2yr RTB

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Very cheap

+

Loads of capacities available 

Reasons to avoid

–

Middling speeds

–

Mediocre build quality 

Toshiba’s drive is the cheapest portable hard disk here by some distance, and it’s the only one available here that drops down to a 500GB capacity. If you’re on an extreme budget and you know that you only need a drive for a handful of key games, then that makes the smallest Canvio appealing.

The low price, broad range of capacities and no-nonsense design pair with reasonable weight and dimensions, but the Canvio also has compromises. It’s not particularly fast, so it’s not suitable if you want the quickest hard disk available to play your old PS4 library or transfer PS5 games to the console’s SSD. Its plastic exterior has mediocre build quality, so it’s admittedly not the best option for tossing into a bag. Still, this is a solid choice if you need external storage on a tight budget. 

(Image credit: Western Digital)

2. WD Black P10

Not cheap, but it’s got good design and performance throughout

Specifications

Capacity: 2TB – 5TB

Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1

Dimensions: 88mm x 118mm x 12.8mm – 20.8mm (WxDxH)

Weight: 140g – 230g

Warranty: 3yr RTB

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Solid hard disk speeds

+

Good design and build quality

+

Decent warranty 

Reasons to avoid

–

Pricier than many hard disks

–

Not slim or light 

The WD Black P10 is the most expensive portable hard disk here, and the P10 tries to justify the cost in several important ways. It’s got a robust metal exterior that offers rock-solid build quality for frequent transport, and its ridged design makes it eye-catching.

The P10’s internal hard disk is the fastest out of the quartet of portable hard disks here. While it’s still a long way behind the PS5’s internal SSD, it means slightly faster loading times for PS4 games and quicker PS5 game transfers. The P10 also has a three-year warranty, which is an extra year of protection when compared to the cheaper Toshiba and Seagate drives.

Hard disks may not compete with SSDs when it comes to speed, but the WD Black P10 offers good performance and design, and it’s still far more affordable than an SSD – and with bigger capacities. If you’d like reasonable performance and rock-solid design, the P10 is the top choice.

(Image credit: Future)

3. WD My Passport

The best mid-range option

Specifications

Capacity: 1TB – 5TB

Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1

Dimensions: 75 x 107 x 11mm – 19mm (WxDxH)

Weight: 120g – 210g

Warranty: 3yr RTB

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Decent speeds

+

Slim and light design

+

Versatile specification 

Reasons to avoid

–

SSDs are faster

–

Some hard disk rivals are quicker 

The WD My Passport drives occupy the middle ground in the portable hard disk market. These products offer reasonable speeds that sit between the quicker WD Black P10 and the slower Toshiba Canvio, which is reflected in the mid-range pricing.

The My Passport is one of the slimmest portable hard drives around, and its weight levels aren’t bad either – it’s lighter than the WD Black and Toshiba Canvio products. At smaller capacities, it’s the lightest drive in this group.

A fast, compact portable SSD with a large capacity and a very long warranty

WD My Passport review

Elsewhere, the My Passport has a three-year warranty, which means it’s got one more year of coverage than the Toshiba and Seagate products. You’ll also find it available in blue, black, and red shades. The 5TB capacity option also makes this product a little more versatile than its cheaper rivals.

The My Passport is unfussy but effective. With solid specification, reasonable speed, and decent mainstream performance, it makes for a very good mid-range choice.

  • Read more: WD My Passport review

Best PS5 desktop external hard drives

(Image credit: Western Digital)

1. WD Elements Desktop

Not fast or flashy, but it’s affordable and reliable

Specifications

Capacity: 2TB – 18TB

Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1

Dimensions: 48mm x 135mm x 169mm (WxDxH)

Weight: 910g – 950g

Warranty: 2yr RTB

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Huge capacities available

+

Cheaper than the competition 

+

Good price-per-gigabyte 

Reasons to avoid

–

Not particularly fast 

The WD Elements range isn’t flashy and doesn’t include future-proofed features, but it does offer a huge amount of versatility: Capacities range between a modest 2TB and a vast 18TB, and prices remain sensible, with the cost regularly undercutting the other desktop drives mentioned here.

The Elements drive looks good, with a sleek and sturdy exterior, although this drive is a little larger and heavier than some of the other desktop options. The performance levels on offer are not spectacular, either: the Elements delivers similar speed to the PS4’s hard disk. That’s fine for playing and storing games, but don’t expect the levels of pace you’ll find on an SSD.

As usual, though, a hard disk sacrifices speed to deliver affordability and capacity, and the WD Elements drive offers lashings of space at solid prices. If you’ve got a huge game collection to store and don’t want to spend loads of cash, this is a great choice. 

(Image credit: Western Digital)

2. WD Black D10

Another Western Digital drive worth considering

Specifications

Capacity: 8TB

Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1

Dimensions: 125mm x 195mm x 44mm (WxDxH)

Weight: 980g

Warranty: 3yr RTB

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Decent hard disk speed

+

Rock-solid design

+

Extra USB ports 

Reasons to avoid

–

Pricier than competitors

–

Not small or light 

As with other WD Black products, the D10 places a big emphasis on bold design, and build quality is superb. Handily, the D10 has a couple of USB ports that can charge controllers and peripherals, which is a handy extra on a gaming drive.

The D10 is only available in an 8TB capacity, and it’s a little more expensive than the equivalent size on the WD Elements. The design accounts for some of that, but the price increase is also justified by a 7,200rpm hard disk. That’s quicker than the 5,400rpm drives used in rivals, and it helps bring a little extra speed to the D10.

Happily, that means the D10 is a little quicker than the PS4’s internal hard disk, so you’ll experience better loading times on the PS5 if you’ve got a hefty collection of old games, and this drive is the fastest way to transfer PS5 games without shelling out more cash for an SSD.

So, while SSDs offer more pace, the D10 serves up great design and loads of capacity. It’s an ideal choice if you want a good-looking and capacious external drive. 

(Image credit: Future)

3. G-Technology ArmorATD

A great option for those in transit

Specifications

Capacity: 1TB – 5TB

Interface: USB 3. 2 Gen 1

Dimensions: 87mm x 130mm x 21mm – 30mm (WxDxH)

Weight: 230g – 350g

Warranty: 3yr RTB

Today’s Best Deals

Reasons to buy

+

Great, robust design

+

Relatively affordable

+

Not particularly large 

Reasons to avoid

–

Mediocre speeds 

The G-Technology ArmorATD has a rugged exterior that can withstand dust, water splashes, loads of pressure, and drops from a decent distance. It achieves this feat with an aluminium shell, a rubber bumper, and internal shock mounting.

It’s impressive given that hard disks have moving parts, and protecting them is far trickier than safeguarding SSDs. It makes the ArmorATD ideal if you need a drive to use with your PS5 and sling inside a backpack. The ArmorATD uses a 3.5in desktop hard disk, but it’s designed for portability, so its weight and dimensions sit between larger desktop drives and smaller portable options. 

On the inside, the 5,400rpm hard disk means mediocre speeds, so don’t expect great loading and transfer times here – it’s reasonable, but not outstanding.  

This drive is not great for speed, but it provides tremendous protection and high capacities, and it’s much cheaper than rugged SSDs. If you need storage and stability on a budget, it’s top-notch. 

  • Read more: G-Technology ArmorATD review 

Best PS5 external hard drives – Frequently asked questions

We’ve put our knowledge of all things hard drive and SSD related to do with PS5 hardware together to bring you answers to some of the internet’s most burning questions. 

Can I play PS5 games from an external hard drive?

Unfortunately, no, you cannot run PS5 games from an external hard drive regardless of how fast it is. The main appeal of having an external hard drive is having the ability to store games rather than downloading them directly onto the console. If you’d rather have instant access to the games you download, it’s worth looking into the best SSD for PS5.

Is it better to have an external HDD or SSD for my PS5?

Depending on your budget, an external SSD is much faster, but they do run up slightly more expensive than your standard hard drive. In addition, you’ll be able to launch and play PS4 and PS5 games directly off an SSD rather than an HDD.

Is it worth getting an external hard drive for PS5?

An external hard drive for your PS5 is a great additional storage option for the console as it allows you to store native PS5 games and play PS4 games from them. Given that they are typically cheaper and easier to use than an internal PS5 SSD, we think they are worth considering as a solid secondary storage option behind a dedicated NVMe. 

  • PS5 vs Xbox Series X: which console should you choose?

Round up of today’s best deals

Crucial X8 1TB

$69.99

View

See all prices

Samsung T7 Touch

See all prices

Western Digital WD_Black P50

$129.99

View

See all prices

LaCie Rugged SSD 1TB

See all prices

Seagate 4TB Game Drive for PS4

$126.07

View

See all prices

Toshiba Canvio Basics 1TB

$49.99

$44.99

View

See all prices

WD Black P10

$74. 99

View

See all prices

WD My Passport

$100.50

View

See all prices

WD Elements Desktop 8TB

$149.99

View

See all prices

WD Black D10 (8TB)

$168.21

View

See all prices

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Mike has worked as a technology journalist for more than a decade and has written for most of the UK’s big technology titles alongside numerous global outlets. He loves PCs, laptops and any new hardware, and covers everything from the latest business trends to high-end gaming gear.

Top 10 Best PS5 External Drives in 2023

Want to cheaply expand your console’s storage? Here we have collected the best external drives for PS5 and ranked them.

The best PS5 external hard drives and SSDs are a tried and true way to increase your console storage space. As the best PS5 games keep coming, the PS Plus library grows, and the PS5 itself has limited storage to begin with, an external drive will definitely be worth the cost. Installing a better internal SSD can be intimidating for some people, so an external option is a great plug and play alternative.

03/28/2023 Update

New models have been added to the best external HDD and SSD for PS5.

The great news is that you can store and play PS4 games from an external drive. Why, you ask? This is most likely because PS5 games are designed to run from SSDs with much faster sequential read and write speeds. The PS5 has perhaps one of the best SSD drives for gaming, the read and write speeds of which are simply beyond the power of an external HDD. On the other hand, one of the biggest selling points of PS5 external hard drives is that they tend to be significantly cheaper than the best PS5 internal SSDs.

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Although you won’t be able to run PS5 games from an external drive, you can store them on external media. It’s still not ideal, but if you choose between uninstalling, downloading and installing again, or simply transferring to and from an external device, it becomes clear which to prefer. This is especially handy if you have slow Internet speeds, as transferring from external to internal storage won’t take as long as downloading. All you have to do is transfer your games to your PS5’s internal hard drive and you’re done.

1

Samsung T5

Best PS5 External Drive Overall

WATCH IN Y.MARKET

Storage Size: 250GB – 2TB
Type Storage: SSD
USB-C: Yes
External power: none

Pros

  • Fast transfer rate
  • Compact design
  • Affordable

900 02 Cons

  • Some slowdown in PS4 transmission

The best PS5 external hard drive we reviewed was the Samsung Portable SSD T5. This 250 GB – 2 TB external drive features a mini size, discreet design and quiet operation. But what really draws you to the SSD T5 is the data transfer speed.

Copying Returnal to disk took just 7 minutes, the fastest transfer rate of any disc we’ve found, while copying Mass Effect: Andromeda took just 2 minutes 30 seconds. Loading Mass Effect Andromeda from the T5 SSD took 35 seconds, four seconds faster than the PS5’s internal SSD.

2

Toshiba Canvio Advance

Best Budget External Hard Drive for PS5

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Storage Size: 1 – 2 TB
Storage type: HDD
USB-C: no
External power: no

Pros

  • Affordable price
  • Good data transfer rate
  • Different case colors available

Cons

  • Speed ​​can’t compare to SSD

Canvio Advance replaced Cavio Basics last year. It outperforms the Basics model in every way and performs just as well as most other hard drives, and can often be found at a lower price.

Advance costs about the same as Basics, but has a few extra bells and whistles. Read and write speeds are slightly faster, there’s a two-year warranty, and if you want to turn the Canvio Advance into a PC drive, it has password protection and automatic backups that the Basics model doesn’t.

In any case, it’s just as easy to use. Simply plug it into your PS5 and format it as extended storage. Thanks to this, Advance does not require an external power supply and works only via USB.

3

SanDisk Extreme Portable V2

Best Budget External SSD for PS5

WATCH IN Y.MARKET

Storage Size: 250GB – 2TB 9003 4 Storage type: SSD
USB-C: yes
External power: no

Pros

  • High transfer rate
  • Compact
  • Inexpensive

Cons

  • Short cables included

SanDisk Extreme portable SSD is a great storage option data at low cost. Yes, you can get a cheaper hard drive, but an external SSD really makes a lot of sense, especially if you plan on moving PS5 games back and forth a lot or downloading them to PS4 directly from the drive. This nifty little machine offers 250GB – 2TB of storage. It’s not much, of course, but it’s enough for 10 big games or a lot of other medium and indie games.

The big advantage is not so much the amount of memory as the data transfer speed. The Extreme Portable SSD brought Returnal from PS5 in just 7 minutes and 12 seconds, and Mass Effect Andromeda in 2:06. What’s more, Mass Effect Andromeda took just 36 seconds to load, which is faster than the PS5’s internal SSD.

4

WD Black P50

Fast but Expensive SSD Drive

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Storage Size: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
Storage Type: SSD
USB-C: Yes
External Power: No

Pros

  • High Transfer Speed ​​
  • Stylish design
  • Loads PS4 games fast

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Not optimized for PS5

The P50 is one of the best external drives for any device right now, especially in a world that is slowly but surely moving towards SSDs. However, it’s arguably the best PS5 external hard drive right now, offering the speed and performance often found on the best gaming PCs. All this is enclosed in a device with a high-quality, stylish design and reliable construction.

Talking about this unit, the outside of the P50 has a military metal style, rectangular shape and sleek black cast metal with traditional aesthetics and WD_Black markings. Its USB-C port can be used on devices as USB-A or USB-C, and in independent testing, the same speeds were obtained through any of these ports, so it does not matter which one is free or available. There is a small but clear LED indicator on one of the ends, which is always useful, but one small drawback is that it does get a little warm in use, so you should be aware of this when placing it.

When it comes to speeds, everything that is promised, you get, and what happens is practically true. That’s incredible performance for an external SSD, and claimed speeds of “up to 2000MB/s” were up to par in testing. In the real world, the P50 delivers everything a high-quality external SSD should do: games load blazingly fast, files are retrieved with a click of your fingers, and performance levels are incredibly consistent.

5

Samsung T7 Shield

Best Reliability Solid State Drive for PS5

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Storage Size: 1 – 4TB
Storage Type: SSD
USB-C: Yes
External Power: N/A
Sequential Read: Up to 1050 MB/s
Sequential Write: Up to 1000 MB/s

Plus

  • straight performance
  • Small form factor
  • Tactile, durable design

Cons

  • Cable – not the longest in the world

Samsung T7 Shield – latest in line high-speed portable external SSDs focused on performance and with emphasis on reliability. The brand claims that the T7 boasts twice the performance of the T5, and independent testing has proven this to be true.

While the 1050MB/s read and 1000MB/s write speeds are not quite on par with NVMe counterparts, among external drives, the Samsung T7 Shield certainly excels in terms of consistent performance. For the price, it’s far from the cheapest PS5 external drive out there, but those speeds and tank-like chassis might justify the extra expense.

The stated figures mostly came true when transferring games, such as Demon’s Souls (53.73 GB) moved from the internal storage of PS5 to Samsung T7 Shield in 4 minutes 30 seconds. This roughly equates to maximum sequential performance as well as solid performance from an external drive connected via USB 3.2 on the back of the console. The package also includes a USB C to USB C cable.

Another benefit of this drive, like the others in the range, is the rugged outer casing. Samsung claims that the T7 Shield is capable of withstanding any harsh environment, having been tested four times to drop from a height of three meters in the air onto hard concrete with no signs of physical damage to the case or internal components.

6

WD Black P10

Huge storage at a reasonable price

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Storage Size: 2 – 5TB
Storage Type: HDD
USB-C: Yes
External Power: No 03

  • Lots of space
  • Stylish design
  • Reasonable price

Cons

  • Average transfer speed
  • Not so fast for PS4

The WD Black P10 is probably the best traditional hard drive for PS5 external storage. It strikes an enviable balance between price and performance. While the P10 can’t be called cheap, it also doesn’t cost too much for a whopping 5TB of storage. That’s enough for dozens of big-budget games or hundreds of smaller ones. It’s entirely possible that the P10 could last the life of the PS5.

If you don’t necessarily want SSD speeds, the P10 has very few downsides. He copied Returnal in a respectable 11:41 and Mass Effect Andromeda in 8:30, both very good for an HDD. However, Mass Effect took 53 seconds to load, so you may not want to play PS4 games directly from this disc. At least it won’t take long to copy them.

7

Seagate Expansion

Large volume and power consumption

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Storage Size: 4TB, 8TB, 10TB
Storage Type: HDD
USB-C: N/A
External power supply: no

Pros

  • Lots of storage space
  • Fast transfer times
  • Long cables

Cons

  • External power supply required bulky

If you need a lot of storage space and sockets are not problem, check out the Seagate Expansion drive. This device is not only heavy in one sense: it provides 4-10 TB of data storage, but it is also quite large and heavy. What’s more, this external hard drive requires its own power outlet; for a USB connection, it is too demanding on power.

However, the Seagate Expansion makes good use of its extra capacity. It’s one of the fastest hard drives out there, moving Returnal from PS5 in 9:15 and Mass Effect Andromeda in 4:46. He also downloaded Mass Effect Andromeda in 52 seconds. However, this is still far from the PS5’s internal SSD boot time of 39 seconds, so Expansion should be used primarily for long-term data storage.

8

WD Elements Desktop

Not fast or flashy, but affordable and reliable.

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Storage Size: 2-18TB
Storage Type: HDD
USB-C: N/A 9003 4 External power: no

Pros

  • Large volumes
  • Cheaper than competitors
  • Good price per gigabyte

Cons

  • Not particularly fast

WD Elements are not flashy or have cutting-edge features, but they offer tremendous versatility: Capacity ranges from a modest 2TB to a whopping 18TB, and prices remain reasonable, often lower than other desktop drives.

The Elements drive looks good, has a sleek and durable appearance, although it is slightly larger and heavier than some other desktop options. The performance levels on offer aren’t impressive either, with Elements delivering speeds comparable to a PS4 hard drive. It’s fine for gaming and game storage, but don’t expect the same level of performance as an SSD.

However, as usual, a hard drive trades speed for availability and capacity, and the WD Elements drive offers a lot of space at a price that’s not cheap. If you need to store a huge collection of games but don’t want to spend a lot of money, this is a great choice.

9

WD Black D30

Famous Brand PS5 External Solid State Drive

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Storage Size: TB
Storage Type: SSD
USB-C: Yes
External power:

Pros

  • Rugged, reliable construction
  • Write speeds up to 900 MB/s

Cons

    9004 7 Not the fastest external SSD

The WD Black D30 is one of the best PS5 external hard drives for backup storage – even if you don’t get the absolute fastest speed. However, with more than decent speeds up to 900 MB / s, the WD Black D30 still holds its own when transferring large files.

In terms of overall build quality, connectivity, and solid construction, the WD Black D30 certainly lives up to the prestige of other WD external hard drives with a similar overall aesthetic and durable outer casing. The box itself is about the size of a pack of playing cards and has a decent weight. Wherever you intend to store it, you won’t have to worry about it being damaged by accidental drops, drops or scratches.

We found that the WD Black D30 was able to carry 100 GB PS4 games and loaded and played as advertised. It took just 2:13 to transfer Bloodborne (32.96 GB) from a native PS5 drive to a WD Black D30, after which it worked as it should. The same can be said for Thief (22.79 GB) and Hatsune Miku: Project Diva (13.63 GB), which were ready to go in 1:31 minutes and 48 seconds, respectively.

10

WD My Passport

Beautiful but not the fastest

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Storage size: 1-5 TB
Storage type: HDD
USB -C: no
External power supply: no

Pros

  • Beautiful design
  • Enough space
  • Not very expensive

Cons

  • Transfer and download times are slow
  • Other WD products perform slightly better

While we recommend several WD external drives in this list, WD My Passport is not one of them. This device looks quite promising: a sleek rectangular design, a small profile and 1-5 TB of storage. However, it was surprisingly slow compared to other HDDs: 13:06 to move Returnal and 12:09 to move Mass Effect Andromeda. In addition, Andromeda took 62 seconds to boot, the only external drive that took more than a minute.

My Passport has WD pedigree and you can get it in different colors so it’s not all bad. It’s also not overly expensive, especially compared to some SSDs. That said, nearly every comparable-priced hard drive we’ve reviewed has been faster. If you’re looking to purchase WD hardware for your PS5, look no further than the company’s game lineup.

Is a 1TB SSD Enough for PS5?

We think a 1TB external SSD will be the best option for most gamers. This will give your PS5 a little more than 1.5TB of usable space, and also save you from paying big bucks for 2TB and above SSD options – which is where prices can skyrocket (some 2TB models cost about the same as whole PS5!)

On the surface, you get a lot more value for your money, and we’d say the 1TB model is the bare minimum, the starting point. Especially during the sales season, you can find high-quality SSD models with a capacity of 2 TB and above, which cost the same as their smaller counterparts. Hard drives take you even further, while 4TB and 5TB models give you all the storage you need at a low price – if you’re comfortable with slower speeds.

Can any PS5 external drive be used?

PS5 external drives use a USB 3. 0 port on the back of the system for the fastest possible data transfer. This means that the vast majority of USB powered drives can work with the system. However, they will need to be properly formatted, which often means that you first need to clear them of all the data they have on them.

The first time you connect an external drive, the PlayStation 5 will prompt you to format it if necessary, so it’s a quick and easy process. Just make sure you transfer all existing data from it first.

Which external SSD or HDD is best for PS5?

We always recommend choosing an SSD over an HDD as the performance of SSDs is many times higher. Looking to the future, you’ll get more value out of SSDs, especially since they’re at their most affordable prices in years. While you can find a higher capacity HDD, we would recommend an SSD if you want the best protection for the future.

Are games running slower on a PS5 external drive?

Unfortunately, PS5 games cannot be played from an external drive, even if it is an external SSD. While you can store them on an external drive, you’ll just have to transfer them back to internal storage before you can start playing.

The good news is that you can play PS4 from an external drive, and since PS4’s internal storage is designed on HDD, you shouldn’t experience any slowdowns when playing games from an external drive. If you are using an external SSD then load times can be even faster than normal for PS4 games.

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PS5 external hard drives compatible models and recommendations

El storage This is one of the things that worries us the most when we buy a console and want to play digital games. Luckily, Sony is making it easy for us users when it comes to to expand the space of our game consoles. We know the PS5 gives us the ability to open up the case and add more internal storage with an M.2 NVMe SSD. And, of course, external support It’s still there, a feature that was released on PS4 and that’s the topic we’ll be covering in this article. If you’re looking to expand your PS5’s storage and don’t want to make things difficult for yourself, this is are the best discs you can buy for your PS5 .

Index

  • 1 Considerations before buying an external USB drive for PS5
    • 1.1 You can reuse the PS4 drive
    • 1.2 Better SSD
    • 1.3 You can do it yourself
    • 1 .4 Disc for save games, but not for games
  • 2 Best External SSDs
    • 2.1 WD_Black P50 Game Drive
    • 2.2 Samsung T5 SSD
    • 2. 3 Ultimate X6
    • 2.4 SanDisk Extreme Portable (Standard, Extreme, and Extreme Pro)
    • 2.5 WD My Passport SSD
  • 3 Our recommendations

Considerations Before Buying an External USB Drive for PS5

Before start buying a new PlayStation 5 video game storage drive, there are a number of factors to consider so that your gaming experience is not affected.

You can reuse the PS4 disc

If you have a PlayStation 4 and have already used an external drive, the PlayStation 5 is fully compatible with this drive. You will be able to use it to play your PS4 games on the next generation console without any problems, and you can also use it to play PlayStation 5 games. It is not recommended to install PS5 games on the mechanical hard drive, as we will tell you below.

Better SSD

Mechanical hard drives are obsolete as solid state drives were introduced and became cheaper. A few years ago they were a big investment, but today it’s easy to get 1TB of high-speed storage for less than 100 euros.

Even back then, it made sense to use the SSD as external storage on the PS4. However, with the PS5, this becomes a practically necessary requirement of . The next generation console is designed to enjoy the game with minimal loading times, and a return to mechanical drive will be a nightmare for those already used to the immediacy of the PS5.

you can do it yourself

Most products to expand the memory of your PlayStation 5 plug and play . You need to get it out of the box and connect it to the console. However, if you have a bit of control, can buy a disc on one side and an enclosure on the other . By doing this, you can save a lot of money. You’ll also know the quality of the disc you’re about to install on your console, as opposed to those that come pre-built. It also has another benefit: if you’re short on space, you can buy a new drive and you don’t have to buy a new case. It will be enough to install a new disk in the USB case and replace it when we want to play certain titles.

Game save disc, but not for games

Of course, the use of external drives on the PS5 has a very clear limitation imposed by the manufacturer itself, since we will not be able to install next generation (PS5) games on these USB drives and play them directly from there. In other words, if the console’s main memory is full of games and won’t let you install more games, installing them on a new USB hard drive will only serve as an external library where you can store them locally. If you try to run a game installed on a USB drive, the system will not allow you to run it due to the technical limitations of the USB 3.0 port, as it does not reach the speed offered by the console’s internal M.2 SSD. On the other hand, if you want to play PS4 games, you won’t have any problem and you can install as many games as you like on a USB drive.

However, if you have a game on an external USB drive and want to play it, you will have to move it to main memory when you want to run it. Considering that games usually take up a lot of space, we recommend that you use external SSD drives to ensure that the whole process is completed as quickly as possible. Of course, you’ll also have to evaluate what type of game storage you’re going to have, since if you’re planning on storing dozens and dozens of games, a mechanical hard drive might be more beneficial for you to be able to enjoy a few terabytes. capacity.

Best External SSDs

WD_Black P50 Game Drive

Western Digital Black P50 is the fastest external drive on the market . It has been specially designed for the next generation of consoles and has a SuperSpeed ​​USB 20 gigabits per second interface, twice that of standard USB 3.2 Gen2, which provides read speeds up to 2000MB /S

drive compact very robust and with a design thought down to the millimeter to lighten heat dissipation , with a mesh back to allow ventilation of the disc. You can connect it to PS5 with a USB Type-A or USB Type-C cable.

This model is available in 500 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB and 4 TB versions . Its price is not its strong point, as it will face a dilemma: is it better to buy one of these or go directly to the internal model for the console.

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Samsung T5 9 SSD0593

Although not intended for gaming, this external hard drive from Samsung is already well known for its versatility, and is especially used by video and photography professionals.

very small , compact and drop resistant . Its transfer rate is to 540MB/s . It is available in two colors and is sold in capacities starting at 250GB. up to 2 TB .

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Decisive X6

The Crucial bet is very similar to the Samsung bet. The speed of the device is identical, that is, it works via the SATA interface. It is sold in 1 and 2 TB formats and has a very compact design. In its category, this product is cheaper than , which gives it a certain advantage over its competitors.

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SanDisk Extreme Portable (Standard, Extreme and Extreme Pro)

With a highly innovative and attractive design, this portable Sandisk SSD is water and dust resistant. It is available in three different editions: Extreme Pro (2000MB/s), Extreme (1050MB/s) and Standard Edition with more modest speeds up to 550MB/s. You have them with capacity 1 by 4 TB . You’ll have a midpoint in the 1TB Extreme 1050 model, which has a fairly affordable price tag. However, if you want to get the most out of it, Extreme Pro .

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WD My Passport SSD

The design of the WD My Passport SSD may suspiciously remind you of the Sandisk Extreme Portable. And this would not be something strange, because the same manufacturer is behind these two products. This model is sold in capacities from 500 GB to 4 TB . You can buy it up to 5 colors different. Its read speed is up to 1.050MB/s. The fundamental difference between WD and Sandisk lies in the design. This prioritizes customization, while the model sold under the Sandisk brand focuses on product stability and reliability. Either way, these are two good options.

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Our recommendations

If you’ve come this far, you probably have some doubts about which model is more worthy than others. In general, the most interesting thing is to get Minimum disk 1 TB . 2 TB drives are also very interesting if you plan to have a good catalog of games and your finances allow. Less than a tera makes it hard to justify a purchase. On the other hand, prices skyrocket once we hit the 2TB barrier, so only buy one of these drives if you’re sure you can pay for it in the long run.