You'll probably still want an external case to take it out and about to be sure
Although some of the branded ones come with a code for two months of Game Pass, so worth checking the product description for confirmation there. The write speed is nothing special at 'up to 130 MB/s' but we found it matched that of the Xbox One console itself, so we were perfectly happy running our entire game collection from this external hard drive rather than the console's storage system.Īn Xbox branded version has a white trim instead of the cheaper all-black model, but that's the only real difference and we found the plain one to be cheaper. And we managed it too, that's over 280 games, with a bit of space leftover.
Why would you have it running that long? Well, we decided to test the 5TB version and download every single Xbox Game Pass (opens in new tab) game (took a while with our home connection speed). We also noticed the hard drive runs cool (and quietly too), even with back to back-to-back 16-hour days for a couple of weeks. And while not listed as an armored or 'rugged' hard drive, we found it to have a really sturdy build-quality with the metal topside giving it a bit of a shipping container aesthetic.
The WD Black P10 hard drive is a superb portable option for expandable storage. It's available in a 2TB option, too, but 4TB feels like maximum value. What's more, the new design is excellent, stylish and keeps all that is good in a sleek new aesthetic. Basically, it's a monster, and with a three-year limited warranty, there's every reason to buy with utmost confidence. This 4TB external hard drive will store up to 40 Xbox One X games (or more), and up to 100 or so regular Xbox One games. In reality, all you really need to know is that this hits the sweet spot of size, speed and affordability. In terms of features, this USB 3.0 (and USB 2.0) compatible hard drive offers 256-AES encryption and cloud storage, along with WD's own backup software. We used to recommend a 2TB drive (which is still more than large enough for most people), but with Xbox One X ownership rising and the increased size of 4K games, this is the best way to future proof yourself. Our top pick for best Xbox One external hard drive belongs to the Western Digital 4TB My Passport series.
What's more, for discounts, we're rounding up the best Prime Day Xbox deals in July, too.
If you're interested in the next-generation of Xbox gaming hardware, then you can also use many of these models as the best external Xbox Series X hard drives as well, just keep in mind that you'll need to transfer over titles from these storage drives to the console's internal storage. Of course, that isn't the case for everyone, as an extra 1TB SSD can add that crucial extra room for games without breaking the bank too badly. We think that many Xbox gamers will want to opt for around the 4TB mark, allowing for the most room for many games without having to worry about scratching the file limit ceiling any time soon. Capacity is king after all, and both remain valid options, so you've generally got the choice of opting for larger but slower or faster yet smaller for a similar price point. Let's get one thing straight regarding your choice of Xbox One external hard drive, you've got HDDs and SSDs, with the former being cheaper and slower, yet the latter providing faster sequential performance while costing more in most cases. There's an entire generation-spanning catalog of Xbox games available on the platform (including the original console and the Xbox 360) to occupy your time with, too, as well as what's available for Microsoft's third system. Investing in one of the best Xbox One external hard drives is the ideal way to give yourself substantial overhead to enjoy more of the console's best games without clogging up that internal drive.