Best PS5 external hard drives in 2024

The best PS5 external hard drives offer an effective way of storing your games. While you won't be able to natively play titles from these HDDs and SSDs, they will provide a much faster route to transfer games to the system instead of having to re-download all over again when space gets tight. Additionally, external drives tend to offer larger capacities (and are cheaper overall) than internal SSDs, making them a cost-effective storage solution.

Ease of use is a major strength for some of the best PS5 external hard drives compared to the best SSDs for PS5, as they are all plug-and-play via either USB or USB-C. External drives also tend to be cheaper per gigabyte than their internal counterparts. For the best experience, however, we recommend owning both internal and external options together, for extra capacity and the ability to run games natively from storage. 

A PS5 external hard drive is one of the best PS5 accessories around, and with one, you can ensure you've got all the room you need for all the best PS5 games available. For those who want to know where to get started with the internal route, our guide on how to install PS5 SSD should have all you need to know.

Best external PS5 hard drives - The Quick List

Best PS5 external hard drives in 2024

Best overall PS5 external hard drive

The Crucial X8 uses an NVMe SSD, which means it’s got more speed than older and more affordable SATA SSDs. Its pace gets close to saturating the PS5’s USB ports – it’s not the fastest option when it comes to portable SSDs, but the Crucial is easily good enough to tackle console use. 

The Crucial X8 drive withstands shocks, vibrations, 7.5ft drops, and extreme temperatures, so it’ll survive life on the road and around the house, and its robust design joins with impressive dimensions and impressively low prices.

Be aware, though, that there are lighter or slimmer drives available elsewhere, and more pace can be found on rivals, although you’ll have to pay for it. The Crucial may not be the slimmest, lightest, or fastest, but it’s never far off and it’s always pretty affordable, making it a good choice. 

• Read more: Crucial X8 review

Best compact PS5 external hard drive

Samsung has proven itself to be the modern master of the SSD, so it’s no surprise that its latest portable drive is impressive. It’s available in capacities between 500GB and 2TB, and there’s plenty to like: it’s barely longer than a bank card, and its 8mm thickness and 58g weight make it the smallest and lightest portable SSD in this group. 

If you want to use this drive for secure functions alongside your consoles, it has AES 256-bit encryption. The T7 is quick enough to nearly saturate the PS5’s USB ports, although Seagate and LaCie’s drives are faster. That speed advantage isn’t essential for PS5 use, but it could be a dealbreaker if you want to use the drive with PCs and laptops too. 

Also, bear in mind that while the Samsung T7 has reasonable build quality, but it doesn’t have the drop, shock, and temperature certifications of its rivals. The price is lower than most rivals, and the Samsung combines decent speeds with tiny dimensions. It’s ideal if you want good pace at a lower price than most other portable SSDs. 

• Read more: Samsung T7 Shield Touch review

Best high-speed PS5 external hard drive

WD Black products are usually bold, and the P50 portable SSD is no different thanks to an exterior made of ridged, black metal. 

The exterior is rock-solid and withstands drops and bumps, so it’ll withstand everyday life. Beyond the design, you’ll find an NVMe drive that tops out at a mighty 2,000MB/s. That pace is far beyond what the PS5 can handle, but it does mean that the P50 saturates the console’s USB ports and deliver maximum speed. It also means that you can use that pace on devices with future-proofed USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 or Thunderbolt 3 ports.

There are downsides to this drive. It’s heavier and thicker than most portable SSDs, and it’s more expensive than most. If you’ve got the cash and need a product that’s great for the PS5 and ideal for the future, though, the WD Black P50 is a tremendous, future-proofed choice. 

Best heavy-duty PS5 external hard drive

Most portable SSDs have shock and drop-resistant designs, but few drives go as far as the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro. It’s officially rated for water resistance, three-meter drops, two tons of crush resistance and dust resistance, so it’s virtually indestructible – perfect if you need a gaming drive to take on the road. It’s even got a flap that closes to protect the USB-C port. 

This tough hardware sits inside a smart and subdued rubber casing, and a generous five-year warranty protects the LaCie. The rugged design doesn’t come at the expense of speed. This is another drive that saturates the PS5’s USB ports and heads beyond 2,000MB/s if you’ve got the right hardware, which makes it ideal for console use now and other devices in the future. 

The design means that the LaCie is a little heavier and thicker than most SSDs, and it’s very expensive. But if you need a drive with lashings of speed and tough design, it’s worth the outlay. 

Best officially-licensed PS5 external hard drive

The Seagate Game Drive is the only external hard disk officially licensed by Sony. While it’s technically licensed for PS4 devices, these drives will work with the PS5, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the licensing extended to Sony’s latest machines.

It’s available in capacities of 2TB and 4TB and is also available in The Last of Us and Marvel’s Avengers designs if you’d like something to represent your favorite game. Both capacities are solid options for ample storage, and both are cheaper than the WD drives – only the Toshiba Canvio Basics is more affordable. In terms of speed, it’s mid-range: fine, but not particularly impressive.

Seagate’s drive is lighter and slimmer than most rivals, and it has a robust aluminum exterior that’s stronger than the plastic Toshiba. It’s not fast or feature-packed, but it’s a good-looking, affordable, and official option. 

Best high-capacity PS5 external hard drive

As with other WD Black products, the D10 places a big emphasis on bold design, and build quality is superb. Handily, the D10 has a couple of USB ports that can charge controllers and peripherals, which is a handy extra on a gaming drive.

The D10 is only available in an 8TB capacity, and it’s a little more expensive than the equivalent size on the WD Elements. The design accounts for some of that, but the price increase is also justified by a 7,200rpm hard disk. That’s quicker than the 5,400rpm drives used in rivals, and it helps bring a little extra speed to the D10.

Happily, that means the D10 is a little quicker than the PS4’s internal hard disk, so you’ll experience better loading times on the PS5 if you’ve got a hefty collection of old games, and this drive is the fastest way to transfer PS5 games without shelling out more cash for an SSD. So, while SSDs offer more pace, the D10 serves up great design and loads of capacity. It’s an ideal choice if you want a good-looking and capacious external drive. 

Best PS5 external hard drives - FAQs

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