Join The Community
The best Xbox One external hard drives are a great solution to dealing with the woes of limited console storage space. The compact drives can store all your favorite Game Pass games, and give you enough space to rival that of the storage of the Xbox Series X/S without having to upgrade to the newer, flashy consoles - sign me up!
With the plethora of compatible Xbox One drives on the market, picking the right one can be overwhelming. That's why we've been testing all the latest and greatest storage solutions we can get our hands on. By comparing newer models from brands like WD Black, Crucial, and Toshiba against the golden oldies that saw this generation through its life cycle, we want to make sure you're getting the best value out of your additional storage.
The Quick List
This portable SSD isn't cheap, but it's the quickest and sturdiest external hard drive we've ever tested. If you can afford it, go for a P40.
If it's cheap and cheerful HDD storage you'd like, the Toshiba Canvio Advance is an old faithful of the HDD market. Just don't expect fast speeds.
Portable SSDs don't often come cheap, but this older model is priced more reasonably these days. It's also tiny, so it'd be easy to take on the go.
Now that the P40 has arrived and has stolen its spotlight, the P50 should be more prone to discounts. It's not much slower than the P40 either.
If you want loads of room for games, 4TB will be more than enough. This HDD My Passport from WD won't give you great speeds, but it's cheaper than a 4TB SSD.
This is Crucial's newest portable SSD, so it is a bit pricey. That said, its dinky size and top-drawer performance make it worth having if you take games on the go.
Why not upgrade the internals of your aging console by installing a SATA SSD? If you're up for some DIY, this Samsung 860 EVO will do the trick.
As someone used to gaming on a budget, I'm a firm supporter of making the most of what you have. One of the best ways to do this is by expanding your old console storage by picking up one of the best external hard drives that can breathe new life into your Xbox device. As the Xbox One has been out for a while now, there's a whole range of compatible drives out there, so I'm here to whittle that down to some finely picked recommendations, ideal for every budget in mind.
August 27 - For this update, our list of the best Xbox One external hard drives has remained unchanged. The combined age of the older Xbox console, and the ongoing popularity of M.2 NVMe SSDs means that most of the drives that come my way for testing are not compatible with the Xbox One. Regardless, I still amended the 'Coming Soon' section guide to reference the Lexar Play 2280 SE SSD, the most recent drive I tested. As an internal M.2 SSD, it's not compatible with the Xbox One, and so was not able to qualify for a part of this list.
Best Xbox One external hard drive overall
The WD_Black P40 SSD is the latest in WD's gaming-focused external hard drives, and it's one of the best performers you can get your hands on. It takes the speedy specs and robust design of the P50 and carries both over to a small form factor body that makes use of some lovely ambient RGB lighting.
Read and write speeds were great in testing. The 2000MB/s speed you see on the box is as good as you'll get in an external hard drive, but in reality, it translates to some great load times and transfer speeds on PS5, Xbox, and PC. The P40 managed to transfer about 30 clips spanning a total of 22GB from console SSD in around a minute. It then transferred three games that added up to 18GB, and it moved across in just shy of a minute.
Unfortunately, the P40 is one of the more expensive options up and down this list, particularly because it's a recent release from one of the biggest names in storage. For your purchase though, you get the drive itself, WD's Windows dashboard, a USB-C cable and USB-A adapter, a quick install guide, and a 5-year warranty I'd be surprised if you need to use.
The best budget HDD for Xbox One
If you're on the hunt for cheap and cheerful HDD storage, it doesn't get much easier for us than pointing you in the direction of an absolute staple of the market. The Toshiba Canvio Advance is a lovely piece of kit that continues to get updated every year or so: you can find it with a glossy shell, a simple design, and a neat, blue power light on the top. More recently, it sports a fancy Sackboy-esque mesh outer material and comes in loads of colors.
It doesn't require an additional power source and simply plugs into the USB port on your Xbox One console. We try not to lean into this hardware-reviewing trope too much, but this is a product that "just works". It has read and write speeds that are standard for any HDD device and comes with a two-year warranty as standard. If you want to use it for a PC too, it has password protection and automatic file back-up, which are both useful features that elevate this model above our previous budget pick, the Canvio Basics.
The only real drawback of the Advance is that it doesn't come in a green color, which means it won't complement your console. However, you can get white which does look slick next to most Xbox consoles. You should be able to grab the 1TB version for around $50 / £50, which makes it a genuine bargain too.
The best budget SSD for Xbox One
External SSD options can get pretty pricey fast, even for smaller drives. But if you're after a cheaper option with a decent capacity that will still thrash a traditional HDD for speeds then we think the Crucial X6 is a great pick.
You can get a 1TB version here for a similar price to HDDs with equivalent capacities. The Crucial X6 is fantastic for storing and playing games and data, no matter the platform you're on. It may be pictured here next to a DualSense, but keep in mind that these drives work with any device so long as they're formatted correctly, and the Xbox One will do the heavy lifting with that in a flash.
Compared to running games on a standard external HDD we managed to decrease loading times on Resident Evil 7 from game selection to gameplay from around 90 seconds to just one minute. Transfer times here worked great too. It only took us 3 minutes 48 seconds to move 30GB compared to 7:16 when using an HDD.
A USB-C connection means you'll have to grab a USB-C to USB-A cable though, although most drives come with one in the box to offer some versatility. If you like the look of this drive, you want to keep hold of the budget price but want something even faster, it might be worth keeping an eye on the Crucial X8. That one isn't as portable though, so we prefer the X6 at the moment.
The best value external SSD for Xbox One
The WD BLACK P50 SSD is pretty much the complete package. And what a robust package it is. Starting from the top, the P50 is a rectangular-shaped drive that is about the size of a small-ish (nowadays, anyway) smartphone. It's still handheld size though so it's extremely portable while also staying firmly away from the 'so small I might lose it' territory. The case is a very cool-looking military style with molded metal and the traditional sleek WD_Black aesthetic and marking.
Its USB-C port can be used on your devices as either a USB-A or USB-C connection and in our testing, we got the same speeds through either port so it shouldn't matter which you have free or available, or if you change the device it's used with during its lifetime. There's a small but clear LED indicator on one of the short ends which is always a help, but one small downside is that it does get a little warm when in use so it'll pay to keep that in mind when positioning it.
When it comes to speeds, what you're told you're getting and what happens is pretty much bang on. It's incredible performance for an external SSD and the stated speeds of 'up to 2000MB/s' were on the money in our testing. Real-world performance-wise, the P50 gives you everything a high-quality external SSD should do: games were loaded incredibly quickly, files were retrieved in the snap of a finger, and the performance levels were incredibly consistent. It's a surefire SSD that will rapidly improve your gaming experience by far reducing the time looking at loading screens and increasing the time when you're actually playing.
While you will pay a bit more for the P50, it's definitely worth it. It's hard to look past this as the top SSD contender in the world of the best Xbox One external hard drives.
The best 4TB external HDD for Xbox One
Our top pick for best Xbox One external hard drive belongs to the Western Digital 4TB My Passport series. 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. 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. In reality, all you really need to know is that this hits the sweet spot of size, speed and affordability. This 4TB external hard drive will store up to 40 Xbox games (or more), and up to 100 or so regular Xbox One games. Basically, it's a monster, and with a three-year limited warranty, there's every reason to buy with utmost confidence. 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.
The most portable SSD for Xbox One
Crucial by Micron is a staple of the storage market. In this portable SSD, the Crucial X10 Pro, the brand gives you either 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB of space in a tiny drive you can fit in your pocket. While I was a bit too scared to test its durability properly, it's marketed as being resistant to splashes, dust, and drops. For those reasons, we award it with the best external hard drive for portability.
Its speeds aren't too shabby either. Used with the PS5, I managed to move a hefty 439.5GB from the console to the X10 Pro in 34 mins. While that might seem like a small eternity with today's Gen 5 SSD speeds, just imagine the time it'd take to download that much raw data. Transferring 46GB worth of 2018's God of War from the hard drive to console storage, meanwhile, took only 5 minutes and 16 seconds. The speeds on the box here are 2,100MB/s read, and 2,000MB/s write, so it wouldn't shy away from the absolute best options on the top of this list.
The only problem is, this is meant for professionals, not necessarily gamers. That means its cable is awkwardly short - which can make displaying it alongside whatever console you want to use it with a bit tough. On that "meant-for-professionals" note, it is fairly pricey at the moment. Regardless, this is definitely one of the best external hard drives on the market if you want a portable solution for gaming, work, or content creation.
The best internal SSD for Xbox One
You will need to buy a separate USB 3.0 caddy to use this, since the connector is Serial ATA-600 not USB 3.0, but they're circa $10 and easy to install. At 500GB you're not getting the best price-to-storage ratio, but what you are getting is the speed of an SSD external hard drive on Xbox One. That means it's solid state memory, rather than an actual spinning disk.
You won't immediately feel the difference when accessing media files and in-game video, but the speedier loading times can make a noticeable improvement in games like, say, Far Cry 5 where warping across the map causes the game to reload. If you want a great 500GB SSD drive, but don't want to buy an external USB 3.0 caddy, we recommend the Samsung T5 Portable 500GB. It's about $60 more expensive than buying a Serial ATA-600 (SATA) SSD drive and a USB 3.0 caddy - but that's the premium for having USB 3.1 (which is USB 3.0 compatible) built in.
The best Xbox One external hard drives coming soon
Upcoming Xbox One external hard drive reviews: Currently, I've only had M.2 NVMe SSDs on my testing bench, which aren't compatible with the Xbox One. The Lexar PLAY 2280 SE PS5 SSD was the most recent drive I've tested, however, it's an SSD designed with the PS5 and gaming PCs in mind, and so doesn't qualify for a spot in the best Xbox One external hard drive list. Additionally, I also have the WD Black SN7100 SSD waiting to be tested and reviewed, but it's an M.2 drive and so not compatible with the older Xbox console.
Best Xbox One external hard drive: FAQs
Do all external hard drives work with Xbox One?
Almost every external hard drive will be compatible with Xbox One, especially if they use a standard USB connection. Just keep in mind that the console itself formats storage in exFAT, and the majority of hard drives are formatted to something like NTFS out of the box. This means you may have to format the drive before using it with an Xbox One, and that you won't be able to use it for anything else. When you format the drive, you'll lose all the data already on there, so keep that in mind.
How many games can 2TB hold?
2TB in one of the best Xbox One external hard drives will go far. We're talking around 50 games, depending on what they are. Smaller, retro style games may only take up a few gigs, while some newer AAA titles are upwards of 80-100GB. Either way, 2TB is sure to futureproof you.
What external hard drive should I get for my Xbox One?
In order to futureproof as much as possible, we'd either aim for great performance in an external SSD, or we'd say get the highest capacity HDD you can afford. In particular, we'd recommend either the WD_Black P50, or, if you want capacity, the Seagate Expansion 8TB. Keep in mind that an SSD will do you more good with expanding Xbox Series X/S storage, since you'll be able to store that platform's games on the drive.
Can I use my Xbox One external hard drive with the Xbox Series X/S?
The Xbox Series X supports external hard drives, and so long as the drive is compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, you can use it interchangeably. However, it's worth noting that you cannot run Xbox Series X/S enhanced games through an external hard drive.
How to choose the best Xbox One external hard drive
Choosing the best external hard drive for your Xbox One can be confusing at first, especially with the huge array of compatible drives out there in the years since the Xbox One originally launched. Fortunately, to make finding the right external hard drive a less tedious exercise, you can essentially narrow down your choices to a few major factors - storage capacity, portability, and cost.
Storage capacity is honestly the core determining factor you should consider with external Xbox One hard drives, as it'll narrow down which type of storage you inevitably buy. Picking up a drive like the WD_Black P40, which comes in 500GB, 1TB, and even 2TB versions, will be plenty to store all of your latest Game Pass downloads and then some. As an external SSD, the larger the storage capacity, the more it can cost, so if you don't actually need 2TB of extra space, do keep that in mind. Alternatively, you can always be more diligent with deleting games you no longer play to save space and get more value out of the 500GB and the 1TB model of the drive.
The next major factor you need to consider before picking out a brand-new Xbox One external drive is portability. Portability is crucial if you play your Xbox One between houses, or just like to take your games with you all times. With that in mind, compact drives like the Crucial X10 Pro could be a great pick. Not only is it tiny enough to be discreetly carried around, but its speeds aren't too shabby either, so it won't take long to transfer your favorite Xbox games.
Lastly, if you don't have the biggest budget to spare, you'll naturally also want to keep pricing in mind. It's all fine and well splashing out on the fastest drives with maximum capacity (which is likely when it comes to external SSDs in particular), but costs can limit your practical choices. Striking a balance between specs and MSRP is key, especially if the reason you haven't made the upgrade to the Xbox Series X/S is to keep costs as low as possible.
How we test the best Xbox One external hard drive
How we test the best Xbox One external hard drives is very much in line with how we test the best external hard drives for gaming, albeit with some slight differences. To properly put the latest SSDs and HDDs through their paces, we mix things up by using them to play our favorite Xbox One games, while also using speed tests to assess read/write performance. Of course, a lot of modern external drives that are also compatible with the Xbox One are compatible with a wide range of platforms, so we also see how they fare with the PS4/PS5 and gaming PCs, too.
When it comes to Xbox One, we take each drive and see how each one reliably installs and runs games without any issues. During testing, we'll take any notes in terms of load times and reliability, with an emphasis on how each drive reacts to the latest games.
Assessing durability is also vital, especially for compact external drives designed with portability in mind. If a drive is ultra compact but extremely fragile, it might not be up for the task of travel, whereas something slightly larger but robust might end up a better pick. Context is key, and we always keep intended use cases front and centre when passing our scores and verdicts.
Want to make the next-generation jump to the Xbox Series X? Check out our best Xbox Series X game bundle deals. Pairing your new flashy Xbox console with one of the best Xbox Series X headsets and best Xbox Series X controllers will go a long way in enhancing your new console-setup too!
