In this article we have reviewed 9 Best PS5 external hard drive.
The PS5 only offers 825 GB of storage. With just 667GB of usable space when formatted with the operating system and other essential files, which means that even just a few massive next-gen games can quickly eat up your entire SSD. A new PS5 update has finally allowed us to move PS5 games to an external hard USB storage.
It is to be understood that any PS5 games shifted to an external hard drive cannot be played and can only remain there for storage purposes. You’ll need to transfer them back to internal storage and apply any new updates if you want to play them again. It’s not a perfect solution, but this process will generally be a lot quicker than installing or downloading the game fresh every time.
Sony has come up with a new option for players to search their library of purchased games, as well as the option to hide games in their library, which should help the organization. Also, there is a new feature for developers that will allow games to pre-download updates when the console is in rest mode for faster updates. Below is mentioned Buying Guide, to know how to select a Best PS5 external hard drive.
We have curated the best PS5 external hard drive for you to make the best choice.
| Rank | Name | Rating | Best Offers |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | WD_Black P50 Game Drive
| Best Offer | |
| #2 | Samsung SSD T5 500GB
| Best Offer | |
| #3 | Crucial X8
| Best Offer | |
| #4 | Seagate Expansion 6TB HDD
| Best Offer | |
| #5 | Crucial X6
| Best Offer | |
| #6 | Seagate FireCuda Gaming SSD
| Best Offer | |
| #7 | Toshiba Canvio Basics
| Best Offer | |
| #8 | SanDisk Extreme Portable
| Best Offer | |
| #9 | WD Black P10
| Best Offer |
Full review of PS5 external hard drive:
1. WD_Black P50 Game Drive
Capacity: 1 TB | Storage Type: SSD
It has incredible performance for an external SSD, and the advertised speeds of ‘up to 2000MB/s’ were accurate in our tests.
Pros
- Excellent speeds
- Great design
- Robust build
- Purpose-built for gaming
Cons
- A little pricey
The P50 is currently one of the best external drives for any system, particularly in a world where SSDs are slowly but steadily taking over. It is, however, the best PS5 external hard drive available right now, with speeds and performance comparable to those found in the best gaming PCs and on the best SSD for gaming lists. All of this is contained inside a high-quality, cool design and a robust build.
The P50 is military metal-styled on the outside, rectangular in shape, and features slick molded metal in black, as well as the standard WD Black aesthetics and markings. Its USB-C port can be used as a USB-A or USB-C link on your computers, and we got the same speeds across both ports in our testing, so it shouldn’t matter which one you have free or usable, or if you switch devices it’s used with during its lifetime. One of the short ends has a tiny but transparent LED indicator, which is always useful, but one minor drawback is that it gets a little warm while in use, so keep that in mind when positioning it.
When it comes to speed rates, what you’re told and what actually happens are almost identical. It has incredible performance for an external SSD, and the advertised speeds of ‘up to 2000MB/s’ were accurate in our tests.
2. Samsung SSD T5 500GB
Capacity: 500GB | Storage Type: SSD
It is compact as well as durable making it ideal for carrying games and files to other locations.
Pros
- Very reliable
- Speedy
- Solid, robust, and compact design
Cons
The Samsung T5 series is one of the top SSDs for gaming in terms of capacity. Samsung surely retains a higher cost for its premium nature, pedigree, finish, and performance. It is certainly worth it.
Samsung is considered a technical beast for its best performance for a ps5 external hard drive hands down. It is compact as well as durable making it ideal for carrying games and files to other locations.
3. Crucial X8
Capacity: 500GB | Storage Type: SSD
It offers speeds up to twice as fast as the Samsung T5. It might be a bit excessive if you want something for PS5 game storage.
Pros
- Attractive cost per gigabyte.
- Solid performance.
- Includes a USB-C cable and USB-C-to-USB-A adapter.
- Compatible with a wide range of devices.
- Three-year warranty.
Cons
- No backup utility.
- USB-A dongle is less elegant than a dedicated cable.
If you want to own yourself the fastest PS5 external hard drive then it’s Crucial X8. It offers speeds up to twice as fast as the Samsung T5. It might be a bit excessive if you want something for PS5 game storage.
The value of an external SSD is somewhat limited on the PlayStation 5 considering you can’t run PS5 games from extended storage. That said, you’ll gain some benefit if you think you’ll be doing a lot of back-and-forths transferring. Any PS4 games you decide to play from external storage will benefit from fast loading times, though this drive won’t really be noticeably faster than the cheaper SSD options.
4. Seagate Expansion 6TB HDD
Capacity: 6TB | Storage Type: HDD
It maintains a slick and slim finish and size. It is a simple plug-and-play setup. It has to be plugged into mains powers as well as the USB 3.0.
Pros
- Great price
- Great storage capacity
Cons
- Again, HDD speed
At a ridiculously well-priced Seagate comes with a 6TB Expansion. You won’t have to worry about your storage with its sheer capacity. Also It maintains a slick and slim finish and size. Though storage capacities of 2TB upwards are available, 6TB represents the best value for money.
This is a simple plug-and-play setup. However, due to its thickness, it has to be plugged into mains powers as well as the USB 3.0. The latter connections offer greater HDD transfer speeds. We may easily fit about 80-100 PS4 games in a 6TB drive.
5. Crucial X6
Capacity: 1-2TB | Storage type: SSD
Crucial X8 offers an even faster version with the same look and feel. It comes with a USB-C connection.
Pros
- Super compact design
- Cheaper than the competition
- Much quicker than a traditional HDD
Cons
- ‘Only’ 540 MB/s (still feels quick though)
- The cable is very short
External SSD options have been a pricey option even for smaller devices. Crucial X6 is a great pick at a cheaper price with a decency capacity yet clocks the speeds beating traditional HDD.
The Crucial X6 is fantastic for storing and playing PS4 games. Compared to running games on a standard external HDD, while testing we could reduce loading time from 90 seconds to just 1 minute. It took just 3 Min 48 Sec to move 30 GB compared to 7Min 16 Sec when using an HDD.
It comes with a USB-C connection. That would mean you’ll have to plug it into the front of the PS5 and the Crucial X6 is left hanging. It will only reach the table due to its short cable length. Crucial X8 offers an even faster version with the same look and feel.
6. Seagate FireCuda Gaming SSD
Capacity: 500TB – 2TB | Storage Type : SSD | Interface: Thunderbolt 3/USB-C
It offers a band of customizable RGB LEDs that can display hundreds of colors and can be synchronized with Razer peripherals.
Pros
- Customizable RGB LEDs
- Great speeds
- Generous warranty
Cons
- Relatively expensive
The most expensive SSD around is The Seagate FireCuda drive. It offers a band of customizable RGB LEDs that can display hundreds of colors and can be synchronized with Razer peripherals.
It has a great build quality and offers a five-year warranty. In terms of performance, it is at par with the likes of Samsung, WD, and LaCie drives. The Seagate saturates the PS5’s USB ports and offers even better speeds on devices compatible with USB or Thunderbolt ports.
7. Toshiba Canvio Basics
Capacity: 1TB | Storage Type : SSD
The low price, a broad range of capabilities, and no-nonsense design paired with reasonable weight and dimensions make Canvio appealing.
Pros
- Very cheap
- Loads of capacities available
Cons
- Middling speeds
- Mediocre build quality
One of the cheapest portable hard disks as well as the only one that is available with a 500GB capacity is the Toshiba’s drive. The low price, a broad range of capabilities, and no-nonsense design paired with reasonable weight and dimensions make Canvio appealing. However, it is not the quickest hard disk available to play the old PS4 library or transfer PS5 games to the console’s SSD. Its plastic exterior build is mediocre. Still, this is a solid choice if you need external storage on a tight budget.
8. SanDisk Extreme Portable
Capacity: 1 TB – 4TB Interface: USB-C, USB 3.1
It is water and dust-resistant to the IP-55 standard. It has got a shock-resistant core for extra durability and retains a really compact design as well.
Pros
- Very hardy and durable
- Neat and tidy design
- Small profile
- Rapid transfer speeds
- Inexpensive
Cons
- Short cables
SanDisk Extreme Portable is the one for you if you wish to have the best-protected SSD to keep the drive extra safe. If you want to travel around more and take your game data with you to your friends and families, then this rugged drive will be able to withstand any sorts of accidents.
It is water and dust-resistant to the IP-55 standard. It has got a shock-resistant core for extra durability and retains a really compact design as well.
9. WD Black P10
Storage Size: 5 TB | Storage Type: HDD | USB-C: No | External Power: No
The WD Black P10 is probably the best traditional HDD for external PS5 storage.
Pros
- Lots of space
- Solid design
- Reasonable price
Cons
- Middle-of-the-road transfer speed
- Doesn’t load PS4 games that fast
The WD Black P10 is probably the best traditional HDD for external PS5 storage. While the P10 isn’t exactly cheap, for a whopping 5TB of storage space it also doesn’t cost all that much money. It’s entirely conceivable that a P10 could last you for the PS5’s entire lifespan.
The P10 has very few drawbacks. It copied Returnal is a respectable 11:41, and Mass Effect Andromeda in 8:30 — both very good times for an HDD. However, it took 53 seconds to load Mass Effect, so you may not want to play PS4 games directly from this drive.
Buying Guide for PS5 external hard drive:
SSDs are significantly faster than HDDs in many instances but can grow very expensive. HDDs are cheaper, but also larger, slower, and more easily damaged. For external drives, it’s usually best to choose an SSD except in particular circumstances. You need to consider these while choosing a PS5 external hard drive-
Storage capacity:
Arguably the most essential specification to consider when buying an external drive is storage space. While the largest of those can stretch up to 2TB of storage space, they get costly and are unnecessarily big for simple transfers.
Gaming:
You can only play Sony PlayStation 5 games on its internal SSD for now, though you can play PS4 games on an external SSD or HDD. They load far faster on an SSD, so it’s worth using one over the PS5’s faster USB-C connection, if possible.
Transfer speed:
Transfer speed is incredibly important. If you transfer files back and forth to an enormous drive regularly, you don’t want to wait forever for the transfer to complete.
Connector:
In terms of the connector between your external drive and your PC or mobile device, there are several standard options to consider. Most drives today use a USB interface, but the most recent generations have some distinct differences — most notably with transfer speed.
Things to consider while choosing a PS5 external hard drive:
- Storage Capacity
- Storage Type
- Transfer Speed
- Compatibility with devices
- Connector type
- External Power
- Durability/Build
Conclusion:
If having a good storage device for your games while gaming with a compact solution is your primary requirement, PS5 external hard drives are the best choice. A good PS5 external hard drive with the above-mentioned features would contribute to all the major requirements for a PS5 external hard drive. Though everyone has their priority and requirements, just select the one which matches your requirements and make sure that you would not regret it later. However, our best pick is WD_Black P50 Game Drive.
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