The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is one of the best game consoles available right now. Capable of playing the latest games at stunning resolutions and frame rates, the PS5 shows users what next-gen gaming has to offer.
Unfortunately, it also shows how much storage space next-gen games need, with popular titles like Red Dead Redemption II and NBA 2K21 taking up at least 100GB of storage space. While the PS5’s 667GB of usable internal storage may sound like a lot, a handful of these big new titles can easily take up all of its storage space.
Luckily, there are a few options to expand your PS5 storage space. One of the simplest methods is with a great external hard drive.
Best External Hard Drives for PS5
- Best Overall: Samsung SSD T7
- Best Premium: WD Black P50 Game Drive
- Best Budget: WD 1TB Elements SE Portable SSD
- Game-Ready: WD Black D30 Game Drive
- A Rugged SSD: SanDisk Extreme Portable
- A Rugged HDD: G-Technology ArmorAtd
- For Massive SSD Storage: Crucial X8 2TB Portable
- For Massive HDD Storage: Seagate Portable 4TB Hard Drive
- Palm-Sized Storage: OWC Envoy Pro Elektron
- For RGB Fans: Seagate Firecuda Gaming
What to Consider
When picking the best external storage drive for your PS5, it’s best to keep a few things in mind.
First, the PS5 cannot play PS5 games that are stored on an external storage drive. While external drives work great for storage, any PS5 game you want to actively play needs to be stored on the internal storage drive. The PS5 can, however, play PS4 games stored on an external drive.
Second, there are a ton of different kinds of external storage drives to choose from, but we highly recommend using a solid state drive (SSD). Especially if you plan on playing PS4 games stored on your external drive, a fast SSD will offer a much better playing experience than older, cheaper hard disk drives (HDD).
How We Selected
Many of these recommendations are based on our personal use of these products. For the products we couldn’t test ourselves, we performed intensive research, reviewing content from expert sources like Wirecutter, The Verge, CNET, Tom’s Guide, and DigitalTrends, among others, as well as thousands of consumer reviews from online storefronts like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. As for the products themselves, we evaluated them on performance, design, build quality, and price.
1
Best Overall
Samsung Electronics T7 Portable
1
Best Overall
Samsung Electronics T7 Portable
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Pros
Sleek design- Fast transfer rates
- Affordable
Cons
- Runs hot
Key Specs
- Storage Type: SSD
- Storage Size: 1TB
- Read Speed: Up to 1050Mb/s
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2
For years, Samsung has made some of the best storage drives on the market. One of their best storage drives on the market in 2022 is the T7 portable, a sleek, affordable, and fast drive perfect for PS5 owners. Loading and playing PS4 games straight from the T7 is easy, and helps to make space on the PS5’s internal drive. For anyone looking to expand their storage, the T7 is a great go-to.
2
Best Premium
WD_BLACK P50 Game Drive
Pros
- Incredibly fast speeds
- Great build quality
Cons
- Expensive
Key Specs
- Storage Type: SSD
- Storage Size: 1TB
- Read Speed: Up to 2000Mb/s
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
WD Black’s storage drives were made with game consoles in mind. Their P50 Game Drive is one of the company's speediest options, with a super fast 2000Mb/s read speed. Speed alone makes this drive a great option for anyone who wants the best possible experience playing PS4 games off of an external drive. Speed, combined with high-end USB connectivity and a great design, makes the P50 Game Drive an excellent premium option.
3
Best Budget
Western Digital 1TB Elements SE Portable SSD
3
Best Budget
Western Digital 1TB Elements SE Portable SSD
Pros
- Affordable
- Small and portable
Cons
- USB to USB import
Key Specs
- Storage Type: SSD
- Storage Size: 1TB
- Read Speed: Up to 400MB/s
- Interface: USB 3.0
Sometimes you need a little bit of extra storage space to get all your favorite games downloaded. The WD Elements SE is a great drive for anyone who only needs a lot of extra storage and doesn’t want to spend a fortune on it. With a fast read speed and incredibly compact size, it comes in clutch for creating enough storage space for everyday favorites.
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Pros
- Plug-and-play
- Great build quality
Cons
- Expensive for the storage size
Key Specs
- Storage Type: SSD
- Storage Size: 500GB
- Read Speed: Up to 900Mb/s
- Interface: USB 3.0
Another option from WD Black, the D30 Game Drive isn’t the fastest or largest storage solution on our list, but it’s one of the easiest to use. Specifically designed with gaming consoles in mind, the D30 Game Drive is the definition of plug-and-play, able to connect to your PS5 (or Xbox Series) system and immediately get to work freeing up your storage space. Like other drives from WD Black, the D30 features great build quality and includes USB cables inside the box.
5
A Rugged SSD
SanDisk Extreme Portable
Pros
- IP55 water- and dust-resistance
- Slim, portable design
Cons
- Runs hot
Key Specs
- Storage Type: SSD
- Storage Size: 1TB
- Read Speed: Up to 1050Mb/s
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2
A classic in the world of external hard drives, SanDisk’s Extreme Portable is instantly recognizable with its hole-punch corner design. Made for travel, the Extreme Portable performs great with phones, tablets, laptops, and yes, the PS5. While it is not the fastest drive on our list, it can transfer and store PS4 and PS5 games well, and is especially desirable for anyone needing a durable SSD option.
Pros
- Rugged design
- Affordable
Cons
- Slow speeds
- Not suitable for playing PS4 games
Key Specs
- Storage Type: HDD
- Storage Size: 2TB
- Read Speed: Up to 140Mb/s
- Interface: USB 3.1 Gen 1
If large storage size and rugged design are your top priorities, consider the Armor ATD HDD from G-Technology. With a shock-absorbing design, IP54 water- and dust-resistance, and a USB port cover, the Armor ATD is built for travel and tough conditions. It’s also huge, with a whopping 2TB of storage available. Being an HDD, transfer speeds are slow, making the ArmorATD more suited for storing game files, not actually playing them.
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7
For Massive SSD Storage
Crucial X8 Portable
7
For Massive SSD Storage
Crucial X8 Portable
Pros
- Huge 4TB storage size
- Great value
Cons
- Runs hot
Key Specs
- Storage Type: SSD
- Storage Size: 2TB
- Read Speed: Up to 1050Mb/s
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2
If your PS5 game collection could fill an entire bookshelf, you’ll need a lot more than the system’s available 667GB of internal storage. Crucial’s 2TB X8 Portable offers the perfect long-term storage solution for PlayStation fans. 2TB of storage is enough to fit dozens of massive PS5 and PS4 titles with room to spare. And a respectable 1050Mb/s transfer rates means you can quickly move files between your internal and external drives as you play through different games.
8
Massive HDD Storage
Seagate Portable 4TB External Hard Drive
8
Massive HDD Storage
Seagate Portable 4TB External Hard Drive
Pros
- Incredible value
- Huge storage space
Cons
- Slow speeds
- Not suitable for playing PS4 games
Key Specs
- Storage Type: HDD
- Storage Size: 4TB
- Read Speed: Up to 120Mb/s
- Interface: USB 3.0
With nearly 200,000 reviews on Amazon, the Seagate Portable is one of the most well-known—and highly rated—external hard drives on the market. And in terms of value, the Seagate Portable is hard to beat. With a massive 4TB capacity and a price tag of under $100, gamers won’t have to worry about running out of storage, no matter how many games they have. But this drive being an HDD has downsides: transfer speeds are slow, making the Seagate Portable more suited for storing game files, not actually playing them.
9
Palm-Sized Storage
OWC Envoy Pro Elektron
9
Palm-Sized Storage
OWC Envoy Pro Elektron
Pros
- Small form factor
- IP67 water- and dust-resistant
Cons
- Expensive
Key Specs
- Storage Type: SSD
- Storage Size: 500GB
- Read Speed: Up to 1011Mb/s
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 1
For a storage solution that’s small and highly portable, check out OWC’s Envoy Pro Elektron. An external hard drive that can literally fit in the palm of your hand, the Elektron delivers speedy storage in a small footprint. The silver aluminum housing is reminiscent of Apple products, and looks good on most countertop or desktop surfaces. Transfer speeds are also great, with similar read and write speeds to other SSDs on our list.
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10
For RGB Fans
Seagate Firecuda Gaming
Pros
- Customizable RGB lighting
- Very fast speeds
Cons
- Expensive
Key Specs
- Storage Type: SSD
- Storage Size: 1TB
- Read Speed: Up to 2000Mb/s
- Interface: USB 3.2 Gen 2x2
If the Elektron is the most minimalist drive on our list, the Seagate Firecuda Gaming is our maximalist pick. With 1TB of storage, blazingly fast speeds, and modern USB connectivity, the Seagate Firecuda is already a heavy-hitter among SSDs. But its secret weapon is its fully customizable RGB lighting. If your PS5 is hooked up to gaming monitors or an RGB keyboard, the Firecuda Gaming drive will fit right in.
Harry Rabinowitz
Harry Rabinowitz is a writer, editor, and columnist covering the latest and greatest products in the gaming industry. He also works to tell educational and entertaining stories about tech, entertainment, home goods, and more. When he’s not learning or writing something new, he’s probably heading to the library for a new graphic novel to read.
