The best hard drives, memory cards and SSDs for Xbox Series X

Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles take visual performance to the next level, but internal memory capacity can become an issue for many users over time.

Especially since many of the most popular Xbox games have very large file sizes. So, it’s time to solve this problem with an advanced storage solution like an external SSD.

Although the Xbox Series X has a 1TB SSD and the Series S has a 512GB drive, this becomes less usable storage space after each console takes up a portion for its operating system. For the X Series, that means only around 802GB of usable storage remains, while the S Series only has 364GB.

That’s why we’ve rounded up some great external SSDs to make sure your game collection won’t be wiped out when needed.

While expandable memory for both Xbox consoles is still in its infancy and official options are scarce, we also suggest you check out our tips on how to choose the right expandable memory for your exact console.

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The best Xbox Series X/S memory in 2022

1. Seagate 1TB Gaming Hard Drive
2. Samsung T7 Touch
3. Sandisk Extreme Portable SSD
4. Gtech G-Drive Mobile SSD
5. WD_Black 1TB P50 NVMe SSD

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Our top picks:

for

• surprisingly small
• Great capacity
• It is very easy to install

against

Only Seagate offers official expandable storage for the Xbox Series X and S, not just external storage.

This means you can plug it into the devices expansion slots and play games directly from that drive. This 1TB drive is therefore perfect for most people’s needs.

It’s especially useful for the S Series with its smaller storage capacity, and to be honest, it’s really reasonably priced compared to the high-end components it packs.

If you don’t plan to play your games directly from your disc, you may not be happy with this price.

for

• Great biometric security
• Slim waist
• Reasonable price

against

Samsung’s SSD is easy to recommend—so good, in fact, that we consider it the ideal drive for everyone, not just Xbox gamers.

It’s reasonably priced for its storage capacity, and while it’s not the cheapest on the market, it does come with a fingerprint scanner, meaning your games will be protected by biometric security.

for

• Very fast
• Great capacity

against

• Again, very expensive

If you want to go a step further, this drive from WD_Black is aimed more clearly at gamers and offers a full terabyte of very, very fast storage.

However, it is also expensive. It’s a great, luxurious way to store your games, and you won’t get faster transfer speeds anywhere else, but its price may be a bit steep for some.

for

• It resists shocks
• friendly and small

against

• It is a bit expensive considering the capacity

SanDisk holds its own with the Extreme Portable when it comes to pricing, which is significantly lower than Samsung. It also has its own USP – the ‘Extreme’ in the name is about how tough it is.

Sure, your gaming collection may not come with you on a mountain or hike, but it’s always nice to know it’s safe from moisture and drops, making it useful for moving or transporting.

for

against

• A little ugly (if you care about that)
• A bit expensive

Gtech also managed to make its drive impressively stable, especially on drops, so if you’re particularly clumsy, you might find it works well for you.

It’s also reasonably priced, and you’ll get pretty good speed when you’re moving games back and forth at will.

Choosing the right SSD can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. So here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you narrow down the possibilities.

How much space do you need?

This, we think, is the first big question: how often do you delete games? How many games would you ideally like to download at once? If you have a single monster like Call of Duty Warzone taking up all your space, you might need a little extra drive.

If you think a 250 GB drive is enough, this will reduce both your costs and options and make your work easier. Likewise, if you’re looking for 1TB or more, this will also have a ripple effect. Anyway, it’s worth thinking about!

Is speed important to you?

You might think that an SSD slower than the competition isn’t worth it, but that’s not always the case. If you’re just saving your games, then transfer speeds will matter, but won’t make much of a difference to your game. Deciding on a slower speed than the market leader can be another good way to limit your costs.

What is your budget?

As with almost every tech guide we write, we want to make sure you think about your budget before you buy – you might regret it if you don’t! This will help you narrow down your scope and ensure you stick with options you can afford, rather than skimping on small upgrades.

Is security or robustness important to you?

One of the other big variables between the different SSD hard drives you can choose from for your Xbox Series X or S is in the form of their security features – meaning some have the ability to lock your collection with a password, while others can go even further. fingerprint scanning technology.

Additionally, other drives claim to be weather and drop resistant, ensuring you won’t lose your collection to moisture. However, how important these features are to you is a matter of personal preference, and you may find that none of these features are very important for a set of games that don’t move around much.

We also recommend Xbox storage solutions

Here are four other SSDs that are great choices for your Xbox Series X or Series S.

Other products are considered

We’ve put in hours of testing and research to determine what we think are the best external SSDs currently available for the Xbox Series X and Series S. We consider a number of factors when recommending storage solutions – and we apply the same criteria when considering a new device. We don’t just rely on our tests, we also try to consider consumer reviews, brand quality and value for money.

There are many products we test in all our iterations that just don’t make the cut. However, we have listed them below as they may be suitable for some people.

Choosing the right SSD can be like finding a needle in a haystack. So here are some questions you can ask yourself to help you narrow down the possibilities.

How much space do you need?

This, we think, is the first big question: how often do you delete games? How many games would you ideally like to download at once? If you have a single monster like Call of Duty: Warzone that takes up all your space, you may only need a small extra drive.

If you think 250 GB will be enough, this will reduce both your costs and options, making things easier. Likewise, if you’re looking for 1TB or more, this will have a ripple effect. Anyway, it’s worth thinking about.

Is speed important to you?

You might think that an SSD slower than the competition isn’t worth it, but that’s not always the case. If you only store your games, then transfer speeds are important, but they won’t make much of a difference to your game. Deciding on a slower speed than the market leader can be another good way to limit your costs.

What is your budget?

As with almost every guide we write, we want to make sure you’ve thought about your budget before you jump in and shop – you might regret it if you don’t. This will help you narrow down your scope and make sure you’re sticking to the features you really need instead of overlooking small improvements.

Is security or robustness important to you?

One of the other big variables between the different SSD hard drives you can choose from for your Xbox Series X or S is in the form of their security features – meaning some have the ability to lock your collection with a password, while others can go even further. fingerprint scanning technology.

Additionally, other discs boast weather and drop resistance to ensure you don’t lose your collection to moisture. However, how much you value these features will depend on personal preference, and you may find that none of these features are very important for a set of games that won’t change much.