You’ve run out of space again, haven’t you? That’s why you’re here. It’s ok. It happens to us all. Everyone eventually gets sick of hitting the delete button and wants more space. Well the good news is that there’s a solution and we’ve got a list of the very best xbox one external hard drives.
Unlike PS4 hard drives , the Xbox One can’t be easily gutted for the sake of hard drive swapping. Instead, helpfully, Microsoft lets you plug in external drives to store the overflow of games and gaming goodies and there’s plenty to choose from. The Xbox One’s USB 3.0 ports mean you can plug in some pretty fast-moving drives, and you can always buy an enclosure and fill it with a loose drive. If you’re looking for more space, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s check out the best Xbox One external hard drives. Oh, and if you’re looking for more games to fill up your new purchase, check out our best Xbox One games.
1. Toshiba 1TB Canvio Basics
A no-brainer to double your original Xbox One HDD
Capacity: 1TB | Storage Type: HDD
Great price
Small and slick
Standard HDD speed
This slimline external drive is both a bit of a bargain and big enough to either double or triple your Xbox One’s storage capacity, depending on your console’s starting point. It will sit unobtrusively next to your Xbox One and deliver a full 1TB of extra game storage across the speedy USB 3.0 interface for a great price.
2. Western Digital 2TB My Passport Ultra
Heaps of storage at a great price
Capacity: 2TB | Storage Type: HDD
Loads of space
Great for budget
Again, HDD speed
Western Digital is probably the biggest name in traditional spinning platter hard drive storage, and its My Passport Ultra is a massive external drive in capacity only. Despite the fact you can get up to 3TB of storage the device itself is pleasingly diminutive and comes in a range of shades. Pro-tip: berry is the cheapest option. The 2TB drive though is probably the best-value version for Xbox One gamers.
3. Samsung SSD T3 500GB
Step up your speeds with a solid state drive
Capacity: 500GB | Storage Type: SSD
SSD means faster loading
Expensive for no extra storage
So, money’s no object for you, eh? Well, if you want the speediest external storage drive for your shiny Xbox One then Samsung has got the tiny box for you. Because it’s using solid state storage this is the smallest option on the list and also the fastest. It’s been designed so the footprint is about that of a credit card, though obviously a little thicker. And boy is it quick… You can grab the 500GB version for a reasonable price (for an SSD), but if you crave more storage there are seriously expensive 1TB and 2TB versions available.
4. Seagate Expansion 5TB
For when you never want to run out of space
Capacity: 5TB | Storage Type: HDD
Huge storage space
Great price
Needs plugged into the mains
Not exactly small
If you never want to worry about storage ever again, look no further than Seagate’s 5TB affair. With USB 3.0 it’s up to speed in terms of transfer rates and did we mention that it’s 5TB? It’s not going to win any awards in terms of style (it’s a big box that weighs 948g) and you’ll need to plug it in but it definitely gets the job done in terms of storage. You’re going to end up just downloading Games with Gold because you can.
5. Seagate 1TB SSHD
A speedy budget DIY option if you’re happy to buy a caddy
Capacity: 1TB | Storage Type: SSHD
Combination of SSD and HDD means faster loading times
You’ll need a caddy
There are a couple of options if you’re going for a do-it-yourself drive – this Seagate SSHD is a hybrid of traditional spinning platters and solid state storage giving you a large amount of space for a good price with a bit of a speed boost thanks to a small cache of SSD-like storage. You will though need either a USB 3.0 caddy to house it, if you want a neat finish, or a simple USB 3.0 to SATA adapter if you don’t mind the bare hardware aesthetic.
6. Samsung 500GB 850 EVO
The best DIY SSD solution
Capacity: 500GB | Storage Type: SSD
All the benefits of SSD
Again, you’ll need a caddy
Expensive to go bigger
The other option is to go for performance and use an SSD for your external storage. Samsung is the current king of the SSD world and its 850 EVO drive is a great example of the company’s ability to balance performance and price. You are sacrificing capacity for speed – though you can spend more on 1TB or 2TB options – but if game load times are currently getting you down an SSD will help. Remember you’ll also need a USB 3.0 caddy for this one too.
