Image: Seagate, Sandisk and Crucial (official product pages)
I have worked in IT for about twenty years, and the most common console storage mistake I see is buying one drive for two very different jobs. A PS5 and an Xbox Series X|S treat external storage differently, and neither one will run its newest games from a basic USB SSD. This guide goes through what Sony and Microsoft say each console accepts, which drives the makers and reviewers point to, and when an external SSD is the wrong purchase. I read every source below on October 25, 2026, and I have not tested any of these drives myself.
Quick answer- PS5: an external SSD stores PS5 games and plays PS4 games, but PS5 games must be copied back to play. A drive like the Seagate Game Drive for PS5 or the WD Black P40 fits that job.
- Xbox Series X|S: a USB drive like the Seagate Game Drive for Xbox stores optimized games and runs older ones. To play newer optimized games from extra storage, you need a Storage Expansion Card such as the Seagate card or the WD Black C50.
- Want PS5 games to run from extra space? Buy an internal M.2 drive instead. See my guide to the best SSD for PS5.
Jump to: PS5 and Xbox | Hard drives | PS5 rules | Any SSD? | Fastest | Xbox rules | Heatsink | Forums | Comparison | Final pick | FAQ
Best External SSD for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S
Image: Seagate (official product page)
The honest answer starts with a split. Sony says PS5 games cannot be played directly from USB extended storage, so you copy the game data back to console storage when you want to play it. Microsoft takes a similar line for its newest games: Seagate's Xbox support page says games optimized for Series X|S can be stored on a USB drive but must be moved back to the internal drive or an expansion card to play.
That means an external SSD on either console is a library shelf and a home for older games. It is not a second internal drive. Windows Central's explanation of Xbox storage makes the same point, saying that ninth-generation games need internal SSD performance while backward-compatible titles run on a wider range of drives. If that sounds fine for you, the table later in this guide shows which drive suits which console.
My take (20 years in IT): Before you buy, count how many of the games you actually play are PS4 or Xbox One titles. If most of your library is current-generation, the money is better spent on the console's internal upgrade path. If you keep dozens of older games or want a place to park finished ones, an external SSD is a clean answer.
Best External Hard Drive for PS5
Sony's rules do not say the drive has to be an SSD. The requirement is SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps or later, which a modern portable hard drive meets. GamesRadar's roundup of external drives for PS5 includes hard drives, such as the WD My Passport 4TB and the Seagate Expansion 6TB, next to the SSDs. Hard drives cost less per terabyte, so they make sense if you only want to archive games and rarely move them.
The catch is speed. Because PS5 games must be copied back to run, a faster drive shortens that wait. A hard drive also loads PS4 games more slowly than an SSD. I wrote a separate guide on external hard drives for backup that covers hard drive picks for non-gaming use.
Who should pick an external hard drive Archive storageYou want the cheapest way to keep a large PS5 or PS4 library offline and you are happy to wait during copies. Skip it if you play PS4 games from the drive often, or you swap games back and forth every week.
PS5 External SSD: What Sony Says It Accepts
Image: Seagate (official product page)
Sony's support page on USB extended storage lists the requirements. The drive needs SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps or later, a capacity between 250 GB and 8 TB, and a direct connection to the console, because Sony says you cannot connect it through a USB hub. Sony also warns that not all devices are guaranteed to work with the PS5. The page says you can move games you have finished or have not played in a while to USB extended storage, and you can play PS4 games directly from it.
Tom's Hardware reached the same conclusion in its September 17, 2024 review of the Seagate Game Drive External SSD, saying Sony limits external storage to PS4 games and PS5 backups. Sony's own PS5 features page calls the USB option a way to save space and reinstall games from the drive instead of redownloading them.
The Seagate Game Drive External SSD for PS5 is the console-themed pick. Seagate's PS5 SSD guide lists it in 1 TB and 2 TB capacities with speeds up to 1,050 MB/s over USB 3.2 Gen 2, a three-year limited warranty, and says you can play PS4 games from it while PS5 titles transfer to internal or M.2 storage. Tom's Hardware priced the 1 TB at $129.99 and the 2 TB at $219.99 in that September 2024 review, so check today's listing before you trust those numbers.
Image: Seagate (official product page)
Image: Seagate (official product page)
Who should pick the Seagate Game Drive for PS5 Console-themed pickYou want a simple plug-in drive made for PlayStation, with a matching look, for PS4 games and PS5 archives. Skip it if you want faster loads from a drive that is faster than 1,050 MB/s. The WD Black P40 below is rated higher.
Ready to compare options? Prices and availability change often, so check the current listing.
Can I Use Any External SSD for PS5?
Image: Sandisk (official product page)
Mostly yes, as long as the drive meets the USB, capacity and no-hub rules above. That is why PC-focused portable SSDs show up in PS5 guides. The WD Black P40 Game Drive SSD is the one TechRadar's list of external drives for PS5 puts first. Sandisk's data sheet (dated June 2022) rates it for speeds up to 2,000 MB/s on a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface, in 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB capacities, with a five-year warranty. Its compatibility line is specific: for PS5 it says you can play and store PS4 games and archive PS5 games, and for Xbox Series X|S it says play and store Xbox One games and archive Series X|S games.
Image: Sandisk (official product page)
The Crucial X10 Pro is a different type of buy. Crucial's page rates it at up to 2,100 MB/s read and 2,000 MB/s write, in 1, 2 and 4 TB capacities, with IP55 dust and water resistance. Its compatibility list names Windows, Mac, Android, iPad, PC and Linux, and does not mention game consoles. PCMag and Tom's Hardware reviewed it in 2023 and both say you need a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port to reach peak speed. Because Crucial does not list consoles, this drive suits you if you also edit video on a PC or phone and want to try it on the console as a bonus, with the return policy in mind.
Image: Crucial (official product page)
My take (20 years in IT): A drive that is listed by the maker as compatible beats a drive that merely might work. Sony says compatibility is not guaranteed, so buy from a store with an easy return policy and test the drive the day it arrives: format it, move one small game over, and read it back. If you want to know which file system a console wants, my guide to
formatting an external SSD explains exFAT, NTFS and APFS in plain language.
Who should pick the WD Black P40 Fast and portableYou want the fastest rated external option in this guide for PS4 games and quick PS5 copy-backs, and you plan to take it to a friend's console too. Skip it if you only archive games. A cheaper drive loses little there.
Ready to compare options? Prices and availability change often, so check the current listing.
Fastest External SSD for PS5
On paper the order is simple. The Crucial X10 Pro lists up to 2,100 MB/s, the WD Black P40 lists up to 2,000 MB/s, and the Seagate Game Drive for PS5 lists up to 1,050 MB/s. In practice, the console and the cable decide how much of that you see. Sony's rules only ask for a minimum of 5 Gbps USB, and I could not find a Sony statement on what speed a PS5 can reach over USB, so I would treat the rated speeds as ceilings and not as promises. Both PCMag and Tom's Hardware say the Crucial drive needs a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port to reach its peak.
What you will notice most is the copy-back wait, because every PS5 game you want to play must be moved from the drive to the console first. A bigger game on a slower drive means a longer wait. That is the reason I would pick the fastest drive you can afford only if you plan to move games often.
Xbox Series X|S External Storage: Expansion Card vs USB Drive
Image: Xbox (official accessory page)
Microsoft sells two kinds of extra storage for its newest consoles, and they are not interchangeable. Xbox Wire's 2020 storage primer explains that USB 3.1 storage works plug and play and that backward-compatible games can run from it. The Storage Expansion Card, by contrast, plugs into a dedicated slot on the back of the console, and Xbox Support says it performs like the internal SSD and can run Optimized games. The card came in 1 TB at launch, and Xbox Wire's October 21, 2021 post added 2 TB and 512 GB versions.
Seagate's support page lists the USB side of it: the drive must be 128 GB or larger and use USB 3.0 or later, or the Xbox uses it for media storage. Optimized Series X|S games can be stored on it but must be moved back to play, and non-optimized games such as Xbox One titles can be played from it. Xbox Support's storage page says Optimized games must be on the internal SSD by default, in line with that.
Image: Xbox (official accessory page)
Image: Xbox (official accessory page)
The Seagate Storage Expansion Card is the original, and Sandisk has a rival card, the WD Black C50. Sandisk's page says the C50 is officially licensed for Xbox, that it emulates the console's internal SSD, and that it supports Quick Resume. Sandisk's page also says it holds up to 2 TB, and notes that the C50 is now sold under the name Sandisk Optimus GX C50, so you may see either name in stores.
Image: Sandisk (official product page)
Image: Sandisk (official product page)
Who should pick an expansion card Current-generation gamesYou play Series X|S optimized games and want them to launch from the extra space, not from a copy. Skip it if you mostly play older Xbox One games or want one drive that also works on PC. A USB drive costs less per terabyte and moves between devices.
Ready to compare options? Prices and availability change often, so check the current listing.
If a USB drive is the better fit for you, the Seagate Game Drive for Xbox SSD is the licensed pick. Seagate's support page lists 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB models, a USB 3.0 interface and a three-year limited warranty. It has a green light strip, as the images below show, but in my reading it follows the same USB rules as any other drive.
Image: Seagate (official product page)
Image: Seagate (official product page)
Image: Seagate (official product page)
Who should pick the Seagate Game Drive for Xbox Older games and parkingYou own many Xbox One or backward-compatible games, or want a place to park large installs between sessions. Skip it if you want to play optimized Series X|S games from the drive. It cannot run them.
Image: Seagate (official product page)
Best SSD for PS5 With Heatsink
This search belongs to a different part of the console. A heatsink matters for the internal M.2 slot, not for a USB drive. Sony requires M.2 drives to have effective heat dissipation, and the internal slot is the only place where a PS5 game can run from added storage. If your goal is more room for PS5 games that you actually play, read my guide to the best SSD for PS5, which covers Sony's size, speed and heatsink rules and five drives reviewers recommend. If you want a portable drive that also works with phones and laptops, my portable SSD guide covers that side.
Best External SSD for PS5 Reddit and How to Read Forum Advice
People search for forum advice because they want to know what worked for someone else, and that is a fair instinct. Here is how I read that kind of advice as an IT person.
- Check the console and the date. A tip for the PS4 or an early PS5 firmware may not apply today.
- Look for the exact model. "A SanDisk SSD works" can mean a dozen different drives. Match the model number and capacity.
- Separate play from storage. Many posts say a drive "works" when they mean it stores games. Check whether the person ran PS4 games or only archived PS5 games.
- Treat one success as one data point. Sony says not all devices are guaranteed to work, so keep the receipt.
My take (20 years in IT): The best forum habit is to write down your own test. Plug the drive in, format it, move one game each way, and note how long the copy takes. That tells you more than ten strangers' opinions.
Comparison Table
| Drive | Console | What it does | Key spec | Link |
|---|
| Seagate Game Drive for PS5 | PS5 (and PS4) | Stores PS5 games, plays PS4 games | 1 TB or 2 TB, up to 1,050 MB/s, three-year warranty | Check price |
| WD Black P40 Game Drive | PS5 and Xbox | Plays PS4 and Xbox One games, archives newer ones | Up to 2,000 MB/s, up to 2 TB, five-year warranty | Check price |
| Crucial X10 Pro | Any USB host (not console-marketed) | General storage, PC and phone first | Up to 2,100 MB/s, 1, 2 or 4 TB, IP55 | Check price |
| Seagate Game Drive for Xbox SSD | Xbox | Stores optimized games, plays Xbox One games | 500 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB, USB 3.0, three-year warranty | Check price |
| Seagate Storage Expansion Card | Xbox Series X|S only | Runs Optimized games like the internal SSD | 512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB, dedicated slot | Check price |
| WD Black C50 Expansion Card | Xbox Series X|S only | Runs Optimized games, supports Quick Resume | Up to 2 TB, officially licensed | Check price |
Image: Sandisk (official product page)
Image: Crucial (official product page)
Image: Crucial (official product page)
Final Recommendation
- PS5 owner who wants more room for PS4 games and an archive shelf: the Seagate Game Drive for PS5 if you want the simple, licensed choice, or the WD Black P40 if you want the higher rated speed.
- PS5 owner who wants PS5 games to run from extra space: skip external drives and buy an internal M.2 drive from my PS5 SSD guide.
- Xbox Series X|S owner who plays optimized games: a Storage Expansion Card, either the Seagate card or the WD Black C50.
- Xbox owner with a large Xbox One library: the Seagate Game Drive for Xbox or the WD Black P40, since Xbox One games can run from USB.
- Owners of both consoles: buy one drive per console, since Sony warns that formatting erases the drive.
If you only remember one thing, remember the pattern in Sony's and Microsoft's own rules. USB storage is for older games and for parking newer ones. Only the console's own fast storage runs the newest games.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play PS5 games from an external SSD?
No. Sony says PS5 games cannot be played directly from USB extended storage, so you copy the game back to console storage or an M.2 SSD to play it. PS4 games can be played straight from the USB drive.
Can I use any external SSD for PS5?
Almost any drive that meets Sony's rules can be used as extended storage. Sony asks for SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps or later, a capacity between 250 GB and 8 TB, and a direct connection with no USB hub. Sony also says not every device is guaranteed to work.
Can an external SSD run Xbox Series X|S games?
It depends on the game. Seagate's Xbox support page says games optimized for Series X|S can be stored on a USB drive but must be moved back to the internal drive or a Storage Expansion Card to play, while Xbox One and other non-optimized games can run from a USB drive.
Is a Storage Expansion Card better than a USB SSD for Xbox?
For Series X|S optimized games, yes, because Microsoft says the card performs like the internal SSD and those games can run from it. The card costs more per terabyte than a USB drive and only works with Xbox Series X|S.
Do I need an external SSD or an external hard drive for PS5?
If you only want to park finished PS5 games and run PS4 games, a hard drive that meets Sony's USB rules can work and usually costs less. An SSD loads PS4 games faster and copies PS5 games back sooner, which is the real benefit.
Can one external SSD be shared between PS5 and Xbox?
Plan on one drive per console. Each console formats a drive for its own storage use, and Sony warns that formatting a USB drive erases the data on it, so switching a drive between consoles means wiping it.
Related Guides
Sources
Product images are from the manufacturers' official product pages, with credit under each image.
Last updated: October 25, 2026.
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