The 6 Best External SSD for Gaming in 2023 – Best Hard Drive and SSD, Mac, PC, PS5, PS4, and Xbox.
This data-dominated world will undoubtedly bow before you if you have one of the best external SSD for Gaming in your toolset. It allows you to carry your vital data with you more easily, which is essential for gamers, students, and professionals alike.
That way, you can have your vast game collection nearby without having to use up all of your PC’s storage space. If your hard drive fails unexpectedly, having everything backed up on a fast and large external SSD may save your life.
A cheap storage upgrade is also the best external SSD for gaming pc; it’s typically a more cost-effective option for extending storage on a Sony PlayStation 5(opens in new tab) or Microsoft Xbox Series X(opens in new tab) game console. In most situations, you can even run games straight off the external SSD drive, although we understand the skepticism.
USB Type-C drives (opens in new tab) are top-tier if you are seeking a superb External SDD. In addition, the performance of the best external SSD for gaming has vastly increased in recent years.
Some even provide raw bandwidth of 2GB/s, allowing you to upload large game files in minutes rather than hours. Internal newest PCIe 5.0 M.2 drives (opens in new tab) are still uncompetitive, although that may change shortly.
Whatever size, speed, or pricing you are looking for in an external SSD, chances are we have it listed below. We rigorously evaluated each of these submissions, putting them through our rigors of standards in order to gain the privilege to keep your prized games.
6 BEST EXTERNAL SSD FOR GAMING
1. ADATA SE900 1TB
The ADATA SE900G is the best external SSD for gaming.
With sequential read and write rates of 2,000MB/s, Adata’s NVMe-based device is one of the quickest external SSD 1TB drives we have encountered.
It uses a USB Type-C connector to connect, but Adata offers a Type-A converter in the package to accommodate additional devices. Although it’s also available in 512GB and 2TB capacities, we prefer the 1TB variant.
PROS:
+ Fast (Nonvolatile Memory Express) Technology
+ Reasonable price
+ Dust and water resistance to IP68
CONS:
– The connectivity is 10Gbps Gen2.
READ MORE: Top 7 HITCH BIKE RACKS BEST
2. WD Black P50 Game Drive 1TB
If you need quick USB-powered external storage for gaming, this is presently the best option. The 1TB WD BLACK P50 Game Drive, which is also available in 500GB and 2TB capacities, is a unique USB Type-C external SSD for laptops.
That’s because it uses the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 20Gbps interface, which allows it to read and write data at rates of up to 2,000MB/s.
In terms of peak sequential performance, the WD Black P50 comfortably maxed out our test PC’s 10Gbps connection, achieving well over 1GB/s in both directions.
However, given the correct interface, it’s certainly capable of the promised 2GB/s. After roughly 30GB of data transmission, performance drops to around 375MB/s, which isn’t really amazing. With 22MB/s reads and 40MB/s writes for the 4K QD1 metric, random access performance is adequate but not remarkable.
PROS:
+ Connectivity via USB 3.2 Gen 2×2
+ Sequential performance of up to 2GB
CONS:
– Consistently slow transfer speeds
READ MORE: 6 BEST EFFECTS OF OCULUS QUEST 2
3. Crucial X8 2TB
You’ll have to pay for everything if you want it all. As a result, it’s occasionally necessary to make a compromise. The CRUCIAL X8 2TB USB Type-C SSD is the answer.
It isn’t the quickest external SSD drive on the planet. It is, however, rapid. It has a lot of space. It’s housed in a metal housing that feels really sturdy. It’s also reasonably priced. In fact, it’s now on sale at Best Buy for $189. That’s more than $150 cheaper than the 2TB Black P50 Game Drive from WD.
So it confirms in our tests, with the Crucial X8 is capable of sequential transfers in both directions at slightly under 1GB/s. For this type of drive, 4K random performance is also respectable, with reads of 27MB/s and writes of slightly over 40MB/s at QD1.
Given the utilization of QLC NAND, one major concern is long-term performance. While the Crucial X8 does dip to 380MB/s with continuous traffic, it maintained that speed for many tens of gigabytes in our tests, putting it on pace with the more costly WD disk.
PROS:
+ NVMe’s performance is excellent.
+ DRAM cache of 2 GB
+ 2TB of storage is plenty.
CONS:
– The sustained speeds of QLC flash are reduced.
READ MORE: 6 BEST OVER-EAR HEADPHONES fOR THE GYM
4. Samsung T5 SSD
SAMSUNG PORTABLE SSD T5 is one of the slickest options out there for the power user who wants it all—speed, capacity, and portability—and is ready to pay a premium for it.
Our tests revealed that it’s not only quicker than any USB flash drive on the market, but it also has the capacity of a hard drive, and it’s small enough to fit in your pocket (it’s just 76 x 58 x 10mm).
Speed isn’t sacrificed at the price of storage capacity. While it’s easy to reach the storage limit of a 32GB, 64GB, or even 128GB USB flash drive, you’ll discover there’s a lot more capacity when dealing with terabytes of storage, which the T5 provides.
Samsung increased the maximum capacity of the T5 from 32 to 48 stacked layers of V-NAND flash memory cells for a denser configuration, compared to the prior generation T1’s maximum capacity of 1TB.
PROS:
+ Much quicker than hard disk drives (HDDs).
+ It’s tiny enough to carry about with you in your pocket.
+ Storage capacity of up to 2TB
CONS:
– You will pay more for the same capacity offered elsewhere if you choose premium pricing.
READ MORE: 5 BEST VR FOR PC GAMING HEADSETS
5. Seagate Barracuda Fast SSD 1TB
The Seagate Storage Expansion Card is the finest SSD for Xbox Series X.
The Xbox Series X / S will not let you install and play current-gen games on any random best external SSD for gaming; instead, you’ll have to utilize the console’s expansion port on the back.
Seagate’s NVMe is the only type that fits into Microsoft’s custom connector now, and it delivers read and write speeds that are similar to the console’s inbuilt NVMe solid-state drive.
However, since there is no USB port, this is just the best external SSD for gaming and the current Xbox consoles and not for your PC.
PROS:
+ Excellent software bundle
+ Chassis with a slim profile
CONS:
– A mediocre showing
READ MORE: 10 BEST LAPTOPS FOR ROBLOX GAMING
6. Samsung T7 SSD 500GB
If you’re looking for super-fast external storage but don’t want to spend a fortune, the SAMSUNG T7 SSD is a 500GB external SSD that costs around 79$.
With up to 1,050 Megabytes per second read speeds, you won’t be left behind when it comes to getting into the action.
You’ll have no issue transporting this gadget since it’s lightweight, small, and robust. The Type-C USB connection ensures durability, ensuring a long-lasting drive.
The Samsung T7 even has the option of adding a password to further secure your data.
This pocket-sized device is a superb all-rounder for a daily high-performance SSD since it is compatible with gaming consoles, PCs, and Macs.
PROS:
+ Extremely rapid speeds (Double T5 speeds)
+ Excellent construction.
+ Encryption using AES-256
+ The fingerprint sensor is quick.
+ Cables for USB-C and USB-A are supplied.
+ Android is simple to use.
CONS:
– An IP68 rating would be a good addition.
– There are no bundles. Samsung’s cloud service
– Aluminum is prone to scratching and may be scrapped.
– For maximum performance, USB 3.2 is required.
READ MORE: 6 BEST GOLF BALLS FOR BEGINNERS
Best External SSD for Gaming FAQs
Should I get the best External SSD for Gaming that is NMVe or SATA?
In terms of performance, you may choose between a disk with a SATA interface and a USB bridge, or an NVMe interface with a USB bridge. SATA-based USB Type-C drives have a maximum transfer rate of roughly 540MB/s, whereas NVMe drives have a maximum transfer rate of 2GB/s.
They do, at least in principle. A USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port with a 20Gbps capacity is required to attain such top rates. That’s something that’s still uncommon on PCs and laptops, and it’s not accessible on any console, including Sony’s new PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series X. Instead, most high-speed USB connectors are limited to 10Gbps.
It’s doubtful that USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 will ever gain widespread use. Instead, USB 4 is expected to take over, doubling the capacity to 40Gbps. The good news is that USB 4 and USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 are backward compatible. As a result, utilizing a USB 4 interface, maximum performance from USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 20Gbps SSDs will be attainable in the future.
Which kind of NAND memory should I get?
When it comes to performance, the interface standard isn’t the sole decisive element. Features such as controller specifications and the kind and grade of NAND memory utilized are also significant, however, the finer nuances aren’t always simple to see.
Many companies are hesitant to provide detailed specs. Those with four-level QLC NAND memory, for example, would often have lower underlying performance than drives with triple-layer TLC memory.
Form factor and other extras should be included in your calculations as well. Some drives are engineered to be very durable, while others have security features like hardware encryption, status LEDs, and even fingerprint scanners.
Some of those capabilities aren’t directly related to the core mission of offering high-performance storage for a games library. However, you could be seeking a drive that can do many functions.