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The best external hard drives for Xbox Series X

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The Xbox Series X’s 1TB sounds excellent on paper, but in reality, Microsoft’s console only offers about 802GBs of storage due to updates and the operating system. You may find yourself filling up your space quickly, especially if you’re looking to download every new title that becomes available on Xbox Game Pass. Let’s face it, Call of Duty alone takes well over 100GBs of storage — and with the system targeting 4K resolution, games are only growing in size.

The Xbox Series X is compatible with any external hard drive up to 16TB of storage. Games optimized for the Xbox Series X can only be stored on, but not played from, an external drive due to the games being designed to take advantage of faster loading speeds and Xbox Velocity Architecture. However, when it comes to storage for your Xbox Series X, there are many options to choose from as your game library expands. We have compiled a list of external drives that will make your gaming experience seamless. Note that they will come with the proper cables needed to connect to your Xbox console.

Seagate Storage Expansion Card

Seagate

The Seagate Storage Expansion Card is the first storage device designed specifically for the expansion slot found on the Xbox Series X console. This drive provides an additional 1TB of storage and features the same performance found in the internal storage, allowing for plug-and-play of games optimized for Xbox Series X. It is made for anyone looking for the ultimate Xbox console experience.

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The Seagate storage solution embodies everything that Xbox envisioned for console performance. It plugs into the expansion card slot found on the console’s back and makes for a seamless experience. Seagate and Microsoft worked to ensure that there is no performance loss. This is the first expansion card to take advantage of the Xbox Series X enhancements.

The Seagate Storage Expansion Card comes in three sizes:

  • 512GB – $90
  • 1TB – $150
  • 2TB – $300

Samsung T7 SSD

Samsung T7 SSD
Samsung

The Samsung T7 SSD is a great external storage solution if you are looking to expand storage and increase loading speeds without breaking the bank. The T7 features solid transfer speeds of up to 1050MB/s, which is more than enough for quickly getting your games moved over quickly. It’s also an attractive and slim option that is exceedingly easy to store in a pocket, making it a great option for bringing your games anywhere you go. Seriously, this thing is tiny!

The Samsung T7 SSD comes in three sizes:

  • 500GB – $95
  • 1TB – $160
  • 2TB – $270

WD Black 40

WD Black 40
WD

If you’re willing to pay a bit more, the WD Black 40 is among the fastest external SSDs you can snag for backing up your Xbox games, as it boasts speeds of 2000MB/s. It helps that the WD Black 40 manages to be small without sacrificing hardiness. This well-protected drive should keep your games safe for as long as you need it to, which is important if you’re taking it on the go frequently.

The WD Black 40 comes in two sizes:

  • 1TB – $180
  • 2TB – $330

Seagate Game Drive Hub

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Seagate Game Drive Hub was specifically designed to store Xbox games, as this is another product on which Xbox and Seagate collaborated for gamers. This drive boasts 8TB of storage, enough to download almost all of the games currently in Xbox Game Pass. This drive takes up a considerable amount of space compared to the other drives mentioned beforehand, but 200-plus games can be stored on it, which makes a huge difference. Because of its size, it is AC-powered, meaning it will need to be connected to a wall outlet to provide power for it to work. Featuring two USB-A ports, this drive also serves as a hub for your Xbox console, so you can connect other Xbox peripherals to it without any issues.

The Seagate Game Drive Hub only comes in one size:

  • 8TB – $260

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Billy Givens
Billy Givens
Gaming Writer
Billy Givens is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience writing gaming, film, and tech content. His work can be…
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