When it comes to Sony’s newest consoles, the finest PS5 external hard drives may assist you in solving your storage problems. While the PS5 has a decent internal SSD of 825 GB, it is insufficient for a large library of games, especially since some of the most popular titles may surpass 100 GB in size. It is possible to save all of your surplus games on the cloud if you have a reliable Internet connection and a lot of free time. Alternatively, you may invest in an external storage solution to spare yourself some valuable time.
Ownership of one of the finest PS5 external hard drives has two distinct advantages over non-ownership. There are many advantages to doing so. The first is that you may keep unused PS5 games there and transfer them back onto your system much more rapidly than redownloading them from Sony’s servers. Two advantages of using an external drive are that you can play PS4 games straight from it, allowing you to preserve all of your valuable internal SSD space for big PS5 titles.
What are the finest external hard drives for the PlayStation 5?
Before you choose one of the finest PS5 external hard drives, it is important to understand what they are capable of. You may now save PS4 and PS5 games on external storage devices, however, this will change in the future. It is possible to play PS4 games straight from these drives, however, it is necessary to first transfer PS5 games back to the system’s internal SSD before you can start playing. Therefore, these external drives are ready-made gaming machines for PlayStation 4 games, while they are just digital archives for PlayStation 5 games.
To use as external PS5 storage, you may buy a solid-state drive (SSD) or a hard disk drive (HDD) from a variety of retailers. This does not need the use of PS5-specific hardware; any system that works with a computer will also function with a PlayStation 5. The PS5 is capable of formatting these devices on its own; however, keep in mind that any data presently saved on them will be lost during the process.
With this information in mind, the WD Black P50 and the Samsung Portable SSD T5 were the best PS5 external hard drives that we evaluated, and they were the best overall. In addition to having 1 TB of capacity, both of these SSDs have read and write speeds that are much quicker than similar HDD versions. The Samsung is much less expensive, but the P50 is considerably quicker, at least if you want to connect it to a computer. On a PS5, they are almost similar in terms of speed.
If you’re looking for a hard drive, the WD Black P10 with 5 TB of capacity will allow you to back up a large game library, and it copies and loads data considerably more rapidly than some of the other hard drives we evaluated. However, although an SSD will always be quicker, the WD Black P10 achieves a nice mix in terms of pricing, storage capacity, and usefulness.
Sony is currently upgrading the firmware of the PlayStation 5 to allow it to take advantage of its internal extension connector. We updated the SSD in our PlayStation 5 and here are the results.
The best 10 PS5 external hard drives
1. SanDisk Extreme Portable Solid-State Drive
The finest PS5 external hard drive on a tight budget
Specifications
- 500 GB of storage space is available.
- SSD is the kind of storage used.
- Yes, there is a USB-C port.
- No external power source is available.
Reasons to make a purchase
- a low-profile design
- Transfer rates that are lightning-fast
- Inexpensive
Reasons to stay away
- There isn’t much room.
- Cables that are too short
The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is a great storage choice for less than $100 that provides outstanding performance. Yes, you might save money by purchasing a cheaper HDD storage device, but having an external SSD is well worth the investment, especially if you intend to move PS5 games back and forth often — or if you want to load PS4 games straight from the external SSD. This elegant small computer has a storage capacity of 500 GB. The amount of space is obviously limited, but it is sufficient for about ten big-budget films, as well as many more mid-budget and independent films.
The main attraction is not always the amount of storage space offered, but rather the speed with which data is transferred. It took just 7 minutes and 12 seconds to transfer Returnal from the PlayStation 5 to the Extreme Portable SSD, and 2 minutes and 6 seconds to transfer Mass Effect Andromeda. Furthermore, Mass Effect Andromeda loaded in just 36 seconds, which is much quicker than the internal SSD of the PlayStation 5.
2.Seagate Last of Us II
Specifications
- 2 terabytes of storage space
- Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
- USB Type-C: No
- No external power source is available.
Reasons to make a purchase
- Design that is eye-catching
- PS4 transfer rates that are lightning-fast
- PlayStation systems were taken into consideration while designing this product.
Reasons to stay away
- Transfer speeds on the PS5 are slow.
- Branded equipment is more costly than non-branded equipment.
Sony does not sell any official PlayStation external drives, but the Seagate Last of Us II hard drive is the closest thing you’ll find to a PlayStation external drive. Besides offering 2 TB of storage space, this excellent hard drive also has a beautiful front design that features a logo from The Last of Us, Part II. Although the customized logo is likely to add a good $10 or $15 to the price, it is unquestionably more visually appealing than the sea of plain black boxes that we examined before.
Transfer rates are satisfactory: transferring Returnal took 13:49, but copying Mass Effect Andromeda took just 6:12, which is much faster than the average. Andromeda took 53 seconds to load, which was rather quick when compared to other HDDs — but extremely sluggish when compared to SSDs, such as the PS5’s internal drive. While the Seagate Last of Us II drive isn’t very remarkable in and of itself, it isn’t terrible when it comes to branded equipment.
3.Samsung Portable SSD T5
The finest PS5 external hard drive in terms of overall performance
Specifications
- 1 terabyte of storage space
- SSD is the kind of storage used.
- Yes, there is a USB-C port.
- No external power source is available.
Reasons to make a purchase
- Transfer times that are quick
- Design that is both sleek and small
- Not prohibitively costly
Reasons to stay away
- Storage space is just adequate.
- Some PS4 transfers are sluggish.
The Samsung Portable SSD T5 was the finest PS5 external hard drive out of all the types we examined and is also the most affordable. This 1 TB external drive is small and inconspicuous, with a quiet operation and an unobtrusive design. The SSD T5, on the other hand, is primarily known for its lightning-fast data transfer rates. Copying Returnal to the drive took just 7 minutes, which was the quickest transfer speed of any drive we tested while copying Mass Effect: Andromeda took only 2 minutes and 30 seconds, which was also the fastest transfer speed of any disk we tested. This is four seconds quicker than the internal SSD of the PS5 when it comes to loading up Mass Effect Andromeda on that system.
One terabyte (TB) of storage capacity isn’t a huge lot of space; you’re basically doubling the amount of space available on the PlayStation 5’s internal storage. It is insufficient to accommodate a whole library. The PS4’s game transfer rates are also not the absolute quickest that we have seen in our testing. However, they are minor quibbles in what is otherwise a great accessory.
4.WD Black P50
Specifications
- 1 terabyte of storage space
- SSD is the kind of storage used.
- Yes, there is a USB-C port.
- No external power source is available.
Reasons to make a purchase
- Transfer rates that are lightning-fast
- Design that is fashionable
- It loads PS4 games in record time.
Reasons to stay away
- Expensive
- Not optimized for the PlayStation 5.
The Western Digital WD Black P50 is a high-capacity hard drive from a well-known manufacturer. As a result, it should come as no surprise that it is considered to be one of the finest PlayStation 5 accessories available. Aside from a generous 1 TB of storage capacity, this SSD also boasts a sleek, sturdy design and very fast transfer rates. When it came to transfer rates for PlayStation 4, it was the quickest storage drive we tested, and it was the second-fastest when it came to PS5. Using the PS5, the P50 was able to copy Returnal in just 7 minutes and 2 seconds, and Mass Effect Andromeda in 2:04, which was the best time in the class. Mass Effect Andromeda also loaded in 36 seconds, which is three seconds quicker than the PS5’s own loading time of 40 seconds.
True, the P50 is very costly in the grand scheme of things, providing comparable storage capacity to other SSDs for roughly double the price of other SSDs. Because WD built the hardware with PCs in mind, it is possible to obtain greater performance when the P50 is connected to one of these computers, according to some sources. However, if you have the financial means, it is one of the finest PS5 external hard drives you can get.
5.Seagate Expansion
Specifications
- 6 terabytes of storage space
- Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
- USB Type-C: No
- Yes, there is external power.
Reasons to make a purchase
- There is a lot of storage space.
- Transfer timings that are lightning-fast
- Cables that are too long
Reasons to stay away
- It is necessary to have external power.
- a large and obtrusive object
If you need a large amount of storage capacity and power outlets are not a problem, the Seagate Expansion 6 TB drive is a good option. This gadget is substantial in more ways than one: it weighs more than one pound. It has a storage capacity of 6 TB, but it is also very big and hefty. Because it consumes so much power, this external HDD needs its own electrical outlet; it is too large to be connected through a USB port.
Nonetheless, 6 TB is a substantial amount of storage capacity, and the Seagate Expansion puts its additional processing power to excellent use. This was the quickest HDD we tested, transferring Returnal from the PS5 in 9:15 seconds and Mass Effect Andromeda in 4:46 seconds, respectively. In addition, it loaded Mass Effect Andromeda the quickest of any hard drive we tested, taking just 52 seconds to do so. The load time of 39 seconds for the PS5 internal SSD is still a long way off, therefore you should utilize the Expansion mainly for long-term storage rather than short-term storage.
6.WD My Passport
Specifications
- 4 terabytes of storage space
- Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
- USB Type-C: No
- No external power source is available.
Reasons to make a purchase
- Innovative design
- An excellent lot of space
- It is not prohibitively costly.
Reasons to stay away
- Transfer and loading times are very slow.
- Other Western Digital devices perform much better.
The WD My Passport is not one of the WD external drives we suggest on our list, which includes a number of other WD products. With a beautiful rectangular shape, a compact profile, and 4 TB of storage capacity, this gadget seems to be a good bet in terms of functionality. However, when compared to the other HDDs we tested, it was shockingly slow: it took 13:06 to transfer Returnal and 12:09 to move Mass Effect Andromeda. The Andromeda external drive, which was the only one we tested that took longer than a minute to load, took 62 seconds to do the same.
The My Passport is backed by the WD reputation, and it is available in a number of colors, so it is not without its advantages. It’s also not prohibitively costly, especially when compared to some of the other SSDs on our list that we suggest. Despite this, almost every HDD we tested that was comparable in price was quicker. If you’re looking for WD gear for your PS5, go no farther than the company’s gaming collection.
7.Toshiba USB 3.0 Hard Drive
Specifications
- 1 terabyte of storage space
- Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
- USB Type-C: No
- Powers from outside the country: None
Reasons to make a purchase
- It is reasonably priced.
- Transfer timings on the PS4 are excellent.
- Conveniently small and lightweight
Reasons to stay away
Transfer times for the PS5 are very lengthy.
Devices with a slower response time than comparably priced devices
To look at it from the outside, the Toshiba USB 3.0 Hard Drive seems to have a lot going for it. I like that it’s cheap, it’s stylish, and it has a decent 1 TB of storage capacity. Toshiba, on the other hand, failed our most crucial test: the PS5 data transfer time. Returnal from the PlayStation 5 was transferred to this external disk in an agonizing 44:50. That’s nearly four times slower than the next-slowest hard drive we examined, according to our calculations. Even though it took less than 10 minutes to transfer the game from the hard drive to the PS5, every other test showed that the first transfer took at least 40 minutes on every device tested.
Although this is disappointing, there are many other aspects of the Toshiba to appreciate, like its 8:10 transfer time for Mass Effect Andromeda. The game took 57 seconds to load, which is a long time in today’s day and age.) However, it is possible that you could download a whole game in less time than Toshiba would transmit it.
8.WD Black P10
Specifications
- 5 terabytes of storage space
- Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
- USB Type-C: No
- No external power source is available.
Reasons to make a purchase
- There is a lot of room.
- Design that is solid
- The pricing is reasonable.
Reasons to stay away
Transfer speed in the middle of the road—doesn’t load PS4 games as quickly as it might.
The Western Digital Black P10 is unquestionably the finest conventional hard drive for external PlayStation 5 storage. Achieving this balance between price and performance is a rare achievement. While the P10 isn’t exactly inexpensive, it also isn’t prohibitively expensive for a massive 5 TB of storage capacity on a single card. Several big-budget films or hundreds of lesser ones may be made with this amount of money. I think it’s possible that a P10 will last you the full life of a Sony PlayStation 5 console.
There are relatively few disadvantages to the P10 as long as you are not completely committed to SSD performance. It copied Returnal in a reasonable 11:41 seconds and Mass Effect Andromeda in an impressive 8:30 seconds – both excellent speeds for a hard drive. However, since it took 53 seconds to launch Mass Effect, you may not want to use this disk to play PS4 games straight from the console. At the very least, copying them does not take long.
9.G-Technology ArmorAtd
Specifications
- 4 terabytes of storage space
- Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
- Yes, there is a USB-C port.
- No external power source is available.
Reasons to make a purchase
- Design that is tough and long-lasting
- It connects to the computer through USB-C.
- Transfer rates that are acceptable
Reasons to stay away
- The game was not created with consoles in mind.
- Loading times on the PlayStation 4 are slow.
The G-Technology ArmorAtd external hard drive was the greatest surprise I found when researching the top PS5 external hard drives for this review. I was under the impression that I had gotten it in error. The ArmorAtd is not a console hard drive; rather, it is one of those “rugged” hard drives that can resist shock, water, dust, and other such elements. Though intended for use on a construction site, the ArmorAtd is not only abundant with storage capacity and surprisingly cheap, but it is also very fast when it comes to data transmission speeds.
In our testing, we found the ArmorAtd to be one of the fastest HDDs, transferring Returnal in 12:55 and Mass Effect Andromeda in 7:47. The game didn’t load as fast as previous HDDs, with a 58-second wait to resume a game from the main menu, similar to the experience with other HDDs. It’s also much too large, clunky, and obnoxious to be used as an entertainment center — but that wasn’t exactly what it was intended to be used for in the first place.
How to choose the best PS5 external hard drive for you
When deciding on the finest PS5 external hard drive for your setup, the most essential factor to consider is whether you want an SSD or a hard disk drive. Everyone’s circumstance is different, but in general, if you can afford an SSD, you should acquire one if possible. Storage devices like solid-state drives (SSDs) transmit data considerably more rapidly than traditional hard drives, which is essential to consider if you want to store gigabytes upon gigabytes of data on one of these drives. SSDs are also less prone to failure over time due to the fact that they do not include any moving components.
Other than that, you’ll want to think about things like pricing and storage space. The internal SSD of the PS5 has a capacity of about 825 GB (minus some, for necessary system files). As a result, a 1 TB drive effectively doubles your storage space; a 2 TB drive triples your storage space; and so on. In most cases, greater room equates to more money, so be realistic in your financial expectations. If it helps you figure out how much space you’ll need, keep in mind that modern-day PS5 blockbusters tend to take up around 50 GB of storage space on your hard drive.
Methods of evaluating the top PS5 external hard drives
Examining the finest PS5 external hard drives is a straightforward process. All that remains is to test how quickly the drive can transfer data from the PS5, as well as how quickly it can load PS4 games. There isn’t much more that these drives can do when they’re formatted for PlayStation compatibility, at least not except play games.
We transferred Returnal, a PlayStation 5 exclusive, and Mass Effect Andromeda, a PlayStation 4 game that did not have any unique PS5 enhancements, for testing reasons. This helps to avoid any misunderstanding between various possible versions of the game that might be played. Return takes up 56.2 GB of space, whereas Mass Effect Andromeda takes up 46.8 GB. From there, we timed how long it took to transfer the data to and from each drive, using nothing but the PS5, the drive-in issue, and a stopwatch to record the time.
It’s worth mentioning that we connect these drives through USB-C wherever feasible since it allows for quicker and more accessible connections. The PS5’s front-facing USB-A port does not support the connection of external drives. A USB-C connection, as a result, is a significant benefit, especially in settings where the rear of the PlayStation 5 may be difficult to access.
