1. Seagate Game Drive Series For Xbox

Seagate Game Drive for Xbox Family Specs

# Seagate Game Drive for Xbox [Check Best Price]

Seagate’s Game Drive doesn’t just offer a storage space for games and downloadable content as it’s designed specifically for use with Xbox One and Xbox One. It’s a 2.5-inch USB 3.0 portable external hard drive that is bus-powered and doesn’t have an AC adapter. The drive is available in two capacities – 2TB and 4TB.

Another extremely useful feature is backward compatibility with Xbox 360 that very few external hard drives have. The only real downside of Seagate Xbox Game Drive is the short one year warranty.

Because of Seagate’s small form factor, you can easily carry it around, same as any other portable hard drive. All the games that you’ve stored on the drive are ready to be played on any other Xbox One console. Just take your drive to a friend’s house, plug it in, then sign in to your Xbox Gold account and you’re ready for gaming.

Also, testing with Seagate’s Game Drive showed improvement in loading times. In PC benchmarks, the standard edition of the Game Drive achieved around 120-125MB/s read/write speeds on average, with a couple benchmarks dropping down to 110MB/s but to reflect how it would benefit your gaming experience, we ran a couple tests on the Xbox One S itself.

For testing, we migrated three full games without any DLC to the drive, which took less than 15 minutes on average. Titanfall, even with its season pass DLC migrated to the new drive in just under 6 minutes.

Xbox Game Loading Times with Seagate Game Drive for Xbox

# Seagate Game Drive for Xbox SSD [Check Best Price]

Seagate has also released Seagate Game Drive for Xbox SSD with 512GB capacity. As a Solid-State Drive (SSD), it loads games a whole lot faster (transfer speeds in the ballpark of 400-430MB/s) but costs much more. It is even more compact than the base HDD version, and you can store around 15+ games on it.

However, the small capacity, coupled with the fact that Xbox One consoles can’t exactly use the super-high SSD transfer speeds to their fullest extent makes the Game Drive SSD a much more premium choice for users who can easily pay around $300-400 for 1TB of storage just to get every bit of speed boost they can. Still, almost double the speed of a regular HDD might be worth the cost if you can afford one.

You can also purchase the Halo Wars 2 and Game Pass Special Edition Game Drives, with the former featuring a black design with Halo War’s character Atriox on the case (only 2TB) and the latter featuring a white drive case and a free one-month Game Pass subscription (2TB and 4TB).

# Seagate Game Drive HUB for Xbox [Check Best Price]

But the most interesting version of Seagate’s Game Drive for Xbox is the Game Drive Hub. Although it’s much less portable, the Hub comes with a staggering 8TB capacity, enough for any gamer’s needs. However, its most notable feature is the two front-facing USB ports that can help you attach more gadgets to your Xbox One or Xbox One S, like steering wheels, keyboards, more hard drives, or just more controllers.

All versions of the Game Drive don’t cost more than their “regular” alternatives do, including the 8TB Game Hub, which roughly matches the price of WD My Book but delivers a bit more in the form of extra USB ports and max transfer speeds. This is why, in our opinion, the Seagate Game Drive Hub is the best external hard drive for Xbox One S. Other models in these series also deliver decent performance for an affordable price, but the extra USB ports give the Hub the edge over its smaller counterparts.

2. WD My Book Review [Check Best Price]

Specs

WD My Book is available in five capacities up to 8TB, which will be enough for all the games and DLC you could ever have on your Xbox One S. And even if 8TB isn’t enough for you there is a dual drive model with capacity up to 16TB – the WD My Book Duo is My Book’s big brother.

My Book is not only spacious but also pretty fast, delivering around 165MB/s read/write speeds in most benchmarks, which is pretty fast for a regular hard drive. This is most likely a 7200RPM drive benchmark, as opposed to a 5400RPM on, which makes the relatively low price of 2.5-3.2 cents per GB even more appealing.

In our testings with Xbox One S, My Book did a better job of loading games than the original internal hard drive – it took on average 24 seconds less to load games. Installation times only got a bit shorter with WD My Book, for example, it took 32 minutes and 20 seconds for the internal hard drive to install Battlefield 4, while it took just 31 minutes and 21 seconds with WD My Book. This, however, depends more on internet speeds, file sizes, and some other factors.

Xbox Game Loading Times with WD My Book

Although it’s not in any way optimized for use with consoles, the WD My Book is one of the best external hard drives for Xbox One and Xbox One S. With its competitive price of less than $32 per terabyte (6TB model) and nice performance boost over Xbox One S’s internal hard disk, this desktop external hard drive from Western Digital is an excellent choice for both hardcore gamers and beginners. Other sites like IGN and MakeUseOf also list this as one of the best external hard drives for Xbox One and Xbox One S.

3. Seagate Backup Plus Slim [Check Best Price]

Specs

Backup Plus Slim (B+S) is a drive from Seagate’s Backup Plus series, with this model combining small size with practical capacity. You can get 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB Backup Plus portable drives, however, the 4TB and 5TB options are technically not Slim (almost twice as thick as the 1-2TB models) but since they’re pretty much the same in every other metric, we’ll just avoid that technicality.

Most B+S benchmarks show the average 5400RPM hard drive sequential read/write speeds of around 115-120MB/s, which varies between systems and measurement software. Same as all other portable HDDs on our list, the B+S doesn’t need a separate adapter and draws power from your Xbox One S’s USB port. 2.9-5.8 cent per GB is pretty low in the portable hard drive market, making this one of the cheapest reliable HDDs out there.

Backup Plus Slim (as the names suggest) is slightly larger than its brother – the Ultra Slim, and also, on average, a bit slower. However, the Backup Plus Slim is still one of the most popular portable HDDs in the world because of its very affordable price and decent performance. This performance/capacity/price ratio, as well as the trusted Seagate brand, makes it one of the best Xbox One S external hard drives.

4. Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Slim [Check Best Price]

Specs

Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Slim is also a part of Seagate’s Backup series and is the smallest one in their lineup, however, its speed and price difference is what made us look at it separately from the Backup Plus Slim. Being less than a centimeter thick, it’s very portable and lightweight. It comes in 1TB and 2TB capacities, which isn’t a whole lot but would probably be enough for an average gamer. The Backup Plus Ultra Slim draws power from the USB port (no adapter needed). It comes with a somewhat short 2-year warranty.

But what makes this drive one of the best options for Xbox One users isn’t its size, but rather its data transfer speeds. In our tests and most other reviewer benchmarks the Backup Plus Ultra Slim showed higher than average read/write speeds of around 135MB/s max. While this isn’t a huge improvement over other portable HDDs, it still gives this drive the edge over its competitors. The Ultra Slim comes in gold and silver metallic finishes and features a unique design.

The main downside here would be price, seeing how the Ultra Slim costs, on average, 4.2-6.9 cent per GB, which might be too steep if a slight speed upgrade and posh, slim design aren’t high on your priority list when it comes to Xbox One storage. It is simply quick and very portable, and if 1-2TBs is enough for your gaming needs, this would be a great option because of the slightly shorter loading times that this drive would deliver. But, if you can get your hands on one for a more affordable price, it will definitely prove itself to be one of the best external hard drives for your Xbox One S.

5. Silicon Power Rugged Armor A60 [Check Best Price]

Specs

While you’re probably not going to bring your Xbox One S to a hiking trip or play Xbox One games in a rainstorm anytime soon, having a durable storage device for your console will protect your game data from regular accidental drops, bumps, and water spills. This is where the Silicon Power Rugged Armor A60 comes in, as it’s a very durable portable HDD for a reasonable price.

It comes in 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, and 5TB capacities – enough for any gamer’s portable storage needs. The drive is USB bus-powered and features a USB-A to USB-A cable, which is slightly more bulky than other cables, but short at the same time. Performance-wise the drive isn’t the greatest in the market as it achieves around 110-120MB/s read/write, which is just a bit higher than most 5400RPM HDD speeds.

However, what makes this drive exceptional is its extremely durable case – the hard drive’s ruggedized exterior features an IPX4 protection marking, meaning it is tested to protect the drive inside from splashes of water from all directions. The “X” just means that the case’s particle protection isn’t tested, but seeing how it can protect from water, in reality, you could expect this number to also be around 4-5, meaning it’s protected from dust.

The Rugged Armor A60’s case is also protected from drops and shocks, having passed a military standard drop testing, and is also scratch-proof. Such a durable device should have a lengthy warranty and the A60 does come with a 3-year manufacturer warranty.

While the A60 isn’t the greatest performer, it can keep your data safe from regular every-day accidents. Some Xbox One S users may travel often times or go to friend’s houses to play games, not to mention having pets who can knock down the drive from tables etc. This is why a more rugged storage device, as opposed to a slightly faster one, might be a better Xbox One S external hard drive option for some people.

The rugged exterior will definitely cost you more, around $20 on average more than the Game Drive or other non-rugged HDDs (4.4-5.9 cents per GB), but if you’re in the market for a well-protected external hard drive, this is one of the best options for you.

6. Seagate Expansion Portable [Check Best Price]

Specs

The Expansion comes across as Seagate’s cheap yet reliable HDD option for customers looking for a simple storage device. Expansion is available in 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, and 4TB capacities and. same as most other portable HDDs. It’s USB hub-powered. A part of what makes this drive cheap is the lack of software features (like backup and encryption features) which you won’t exactly need for your Xbox One. A more notable trade-off is the short 1-year warranty.

This drive is a great option for Xbox One gamers who are on a more limited budget since it’s not the fastest portable HDD in the market but it doesn’t fall far behind drives like Backup Plus Ultra Slim and 5400RPM My Book. Around 115MB/s read/write might be average among portable hard drives, but will definitely be an upgrade over the Xbox One S’s internal hard drive. Couple that with the low price of around 2.7-3.5 cents per GB and you’ll find the Expansion to be a very cheap storage space and loading speed upgrade.

7. Toshiba Canvio Connect II [Check Best Price]

Specs

The hard drive market might be dominated by Seagate and Western Digital, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t find gems among other manufacturer’s products. One such gem is the Canvio Connect II from Toshiba. Canvio Connect II is available in 1TB, 2TB, and 3TB capacities (500GB capacities also available but overpriced and outdated). It’s bus-powered and comes with an average 2-year warranty.

What makes the Connect II stand out for gaming console owners is its, slightly higher than average, sequential read/write speeds of 110-120MB/s. This makes it one of the faster drives on our list, which is one of our main criteria for picking the best drive for Xbox One S. However, the reason why the Canvio Connect II is so low on our top list is its high price of 3.7-5.7 cents per GB, surpassed only by the Rugged Armor A60 and Backup Plus Ultra Slim, both of which add a lot more in terms of exterior design and closely match the Connect II in terms of performance.

All in all, the Toshiba Canvio Connect II can provide slightly higher loading speeds for your Xbox One games but there are cheaper options, like the WD My Book or Seagate Expansion, that can deliver similar performance and cost you much less. Still, it’s worth keeping an eye out for the last units of this product to go on a sale at some point since it would be a great option if it cost less.

8. WD My Passport [Check Best Price]

Specs

Western Digital (WD) is known for its high portable hard drive quality and My Passport is one of their masterpieces. Available in 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, and 4TB capacities, My Passport can provide enough capacity for almost any gamer’s needs. As a portable hard drive, it’s powered by the USB port it’s connected to. My Passport comes with a 2-year warranty.

100-110MB/s read/write speeds aren’t too high, especially for a large brand such as WD, but will still lower your loading times by a lot, compared to Xbox One’s internal HDD. The main reason this drive is well-known among external HDD users is WD’s reliable product quality, reflected in very positive customer reviews. My Passport also features a unique design in multiple, eye-catching colors to choose from. However, all of this comes at a slightly higher price of 2.9-5.8 cents per GB.

Overall, My Passport is hardly the best hard drive for Xbox One in terms of speed, but its high-quality build and interesting design might be worth the purchase for some Xbox One or Xbox One S owners. Although slightly slower in most benchmarks, My Passport adds reliability to its less than exciting transfer speeds, which is why it’s on our list.

9. Samsung T3 SSD [Check Best Price]

Specs

All previously looked external storage drives will provide plenty of storage for a relatively low price, with their transfer speeds ranging from 100MB/s to 150MB/s. While these speeds will provide a noticeable improvement over Xbox One S’s internal hard drive, they are hardly the limit. The fastest storage devices currently are SSDs with speeds reaching close to the limits of USB 3.0 – up to 550MB/s. Arguably, the most popular (for many reasons) external SSD in the market right now is the Samsung T3.

The Samsung T3 is available in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB capacities, with the smallest, 250GB capacity being potentially too small for use with Xbox One consoles. This drive is powered by the USB port, same as all the other external storage drives, and wouldn’t even have space for a power adapter, seeing how it’s almost four times smaller than most other portable drives. The T3’s tiny dimensions are 2.91 x 2.28 x 0.41 inches (7.4 x 5.8 x 1.05 cm) and it weighs just 1.8 ounces (51 grams), making it easy to put in your pocket or find a place for it on any shelf or small surface. This SSD comes with Samsung’s 3—year warranty and is promised to have some extra shock absorption features, but we’ll just have to take Samsung’s word for it.

Now let’s address the elephant in the room – the T3’s transfer speeds and price. The main differences between spinning platter hard drives and solid-state drives are the huge data transfer speed difference and the correlating price difference that comes with it. The T3 does deliver one of the highest data transfer speeds among portable SSDs, reaching its promised 400-450MB/s sequential read/write in almost all real-life benchmarks. Such performance is hard to compare with HDD performance, but so is the price – around $0.35-0.38 per GB, depending on the capacity. But even at such prices, the Samsung T3 is one of the cheapest external SSDs out there, especially when you take into consideration the superior transfer speeds.

• Check newest Samsung T5 on Amazon.com

So, should you get one or not? Well, the T3 is at the bottom of our list for a reason – Xbox One and Xbox One S won’t be able to use all of the performance that this SSD can deliver. Don’t get me wrong, your games will most likely load at least twice as fast and the difference between this SSD and an HDD will be very noticeable. It’s just that this difference won’t be as great as it could be and you’ll pay a whole lot of money for performance you can’t even use to the fullest. However, if you’re ready to pay up to $750 dollars for 2TB of storage just to have the fastest storage solution and loading times you can get, the T3 would be the best SSD for your Xbox One S storage needs. This is why we decided to add at least one non-HDD option for users in need of top-shelf gaming, regardless of price.