
It also plays Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox titles, with the same reductions in load times and transfer times compared to past Xbox consoles.
#10TB EXTERNAL SOLID STATE HARD DRIVE SERIES#
It's a simple plug-and-play implementation, automatically configured to work with any Xbox Series X or Series S console straight out of the box. Unlike USB-based drives, where new titles must be on the internal drive if played, this card exactly matches Microsoft's SSD tech. That translates to comparable performance, and most importantly, it can play Xbox Series X|S Optimized titles without limitations. This unique port directly connects to the CPU, allowing identical 2.4GB/s peak speeds as the internal SSD.
#10TB EXTERNAL SOLID STATE HARD DRIVE UPGRADE#
The Seagate Storage Expansion Card is the only seamless upgrade to your storage, connecting to the rear via a dedicated, proprietary "Storage Expansion" port next to the HDMI input. It's not technically a hard drive - but bear with us. That saw an Xbox partnership with Seagate, producing a fun-sized SSD expansion card that mirrors the internal SSD performance, exactly. With a custom NVMe SSD fundamental to each console, many of the latest releases upgraded for the system mandate those high speeds. While Xbox Series X and Series S partially support USB hard drives and SSDs, the Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox is the only external storage securing Microsoft's blessing. While it features the same limitations as any USB expansion, it's one of the best experiences you'll find without venturing into SSD territory. It costs less than a new video game release, taking the load off the high-performance internal drive. The Seagate Expansion 2TB provides immense value when looking to expand your Xbox Series X or Series S console, crowned our best hard drive for Xbox gaming. The internal 2.5-inch drive also makes for a relatively streamlined, plastic casing, which fits smartly beside your console. The drive ships with an included 18-inch USB cable, with no additional power source required, making for easy plug-and-play connectivity. The Seagate Expansion line hooks up with USB 3.1 Gen 1 connectivity, meeting the USB storage requirement for Xbox Series X and Series S.

It's an unfortunate consequence of fundamental SSD technology, with the Seagate SSD Storage Expansion Card currently the only solution that mirrors the internal drive. Cheaper USB storage provides an ideal way to offload games, shuttling content back and forth when required.

However, USB drives can only store games optimized for the new Xbox consoles before transferring these onto the internal SSD to play. Xbox One titles without upgrades and backward-compatible Xbox 360 or original Xbox games run with no problems. That means you won't be playing many games directly from an external hard drive on Xbox Series X and Series S. Games built with considerations for Xbox Series X and Series S, including upgraded Xbox One games, can run only on Microsoft-certified storage that hits its high bandwidth threshold.

While that's more than acceptable for everyday use, it's worth stressing that's a fraction of the 2.4GB/s internal SSD included with new Xbox consoles.īut it highlights the limitations of any USB-connected storage on the newest Xbox family, with slower read and write speeds failing to meet new titles' demands. This 5,400 RPM external drive meets all the Xbox consoles' requirements, pushing up to 120MB/s maximum read and write speeds. The Seagate Expansion series remains our top pick in its 2TB configuration, although with additional capacities up to 5TB for those demanding long-term flexibility. That expands either console with room for dozens of new games, with ample headroom for additional titles later down the line. It triples the internal storage capacity seen with Microsoft's best Xbox console, Xbox Series X, with an impressive five times increase for the smaller Xbox Series S. While Xbox owners have countless storage options available, we've found a 2TB external drive provides an ideal upgrade for those running low on storage. But mechanical storage expands your console for a fraction of the cost, providing more gigabytes for your dollar. Hard drives act as an affordable upgrade to your console capacity, although trading the performance reserved for SSDs. When in the market for Xbox Series X and Series S storage expansions, an external hard drive presents a lower entry cost than alternatives.
