What Are the Best External Hard Drive for PS5 [Pros & Cons]

Sherly updated on Jan 11, 2024 | Home > Knowledge Center

On this page, you can get a checklist of top 10 best external hard drives for PS5:

Our all sincere efforts are just for your convenience. Our actual motive is to provide you with factual knowledge. However, we're not affiliated with that products. This is a research-based article. Prices can be up and down. First, let's learn why we need to use an external hard drive for PS5.

Why External Hard Drive for PS5 Matters

The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is an exceptional gaming console that offers a seamless gaming experience. As we know, the internal storage of the PS5 is limited, and it can quickly get filled up with games, apps, and several other files or data. To tackle this problem, we often need an external hard drive. We're going to discuss the best external hard drives for PS5, their pros, and their cons.

After reading this post, you'll be able to choose the right and best suitable external hard drive for your PS5, whether you're a casual gamer or a professional hardcore gamer.

Best External Hard Drive for PS5 - 2023 Newest Top 10 Checklist

With so many options available in the market, finding the right one is challenging. But don't worry. We've sorted out the top 10 best external hard drives for PS5:

  1. WD Black P50 Game Drive
  2. Toshiba 1TB Canvio Advance
  3. Samsung T7 Shield
  4. SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
  5. Crucial X6
  6. Seagate Game Drive
  7. LaCie Rugged SSD Pro
  8. Toshiba Canvio Basics
  9. WD My Passport
  10. WD Black D10

So don't skip and check out our top 10 list now:

1. WD Black P50 Game Drive

The WD Black P50 is our top pick. This PS5 SSD hard drive can handle fast read speeds of up to 2000MB/s, reducing the time it takes to load and download games. Although cheaper solutions are available, the WD Black P50 may be a bit expensive external hard drive.

wd external hard drive

See more information about it in the table below:

Price Range Capacity Pros Cons Targeted Users
$129 to $500 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB

Stable, shock-resistant enclosure

Five-year warranty

Expensive

Short cable

A bit hefty

Built for gaming

2. Toshiba 1TB Canvio Advance

Toshiba is the world's top manufacturer of storage and hard drives, both SSD and HDD drives. Compatible with PS5 and designed to optimize your gaming experience by freeing up space on your console, so your game collection grows as your skills grow. If your PS5 runs out of storage, you can expand the memory by acquiring a Toshiba external hard drive. Toshiba 1TB Canvio Advance is a cost-effective option for you.

toshiba external hard drive

You can see more information in the table below:

Price Range Capacity Pros Cons Targeted Users
$52 1TB

Cost-effective

Data encryption

Relatively slim

Less storage only 1TB

No travel pouch

Short cable

Low-budget users

3. Samsung T7 Shield

The Samsung T7 Shield is a powerful external SSD on which your data is particularly safe. You can also use it with all kinds of devices. According to the manufacturer, its data transfer speed is 1050 MB/s and up to 9.5 times faster than other external hard drives. As for the size, you can choose between a 1 or 2-TB model.

sansung ssd

See more from the table below:

Price Range Capacity Pros Cons Targeted Users
$99 to $409 1TB - 4TB

Fast with up to 1,050 MB/s speeds

Excellent long-lasting design

Samsung software contained

 

Short cable

Only three-year warranty

4K performance isn't ideal

Medium-budget users

4. SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is a wonderful and excellent external hard drive for PS5. You can use it with the PS5. The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is a fast external drive with plenty of storage possibilities, and it's shockproof, waterproof, and dust-proof.

sandisk external hard drive

See more information about Sandisk in the table:

Price Range Capacity Pros Cons Targeted Users
$88 to $297 250GB - 2TB

Shockproof, waterproof, & dust-proof

Perfect writing and reading speeds

USB-C

No power indicator

Short cable for desktop

Medium-budget users

5. Crucial X6

This portable SSD comes with incredible speeds. Specifically, a sequential write speed of 540 Mbps. It's designed in a compact format, so don't worry about data loss. You can store everything you want in its 2 TB capacity: it resists falls of up to two meters. It's able to resist shock, vibration, and high temperatures. It also comes in a very lightweight, only 39 grams, and it fits the palm of your hand. So you can carry up this 2TB of external hard drive anywhere.

crucial external drive

There is a table for you to learn more:

Price Range Capacity Pros Cons Targeted Users
$49 to $239 500GB - 4TB

Cost-effective

Lightweight and pocketable

Suitable for medium-level tasks

Only 540 MB/s speed

No USB-C-to-A adapter or cable in the box

No activity light

Best for low-budget users

6. Seagate Game Drive

The Seagate Game Drive holds a license from Sony that guarantees it will work with the PS5. This Seagate PS5 external hard drive has a storage capacity of up to 4TB, allowing you to save up to 100 games. It is easy to configure and can be ready for use in less than three minutes. Also, with its USB 3.0 cable, you won't have compatibility problems. You can use it on both PS4 and PS5.6. Seagate Game Drive

seagate external

See the detailed features in the table below:

Price Range Capacity Pros Cons Targeted Users
Starts at $109 2TB - 4TB

Official PS5 license

Easy to set up

Compatible with various devices

Slow than others

A bit heavy than others

Capacity may not be good for future PS5 games

Medium-budget users

Own multiple devices

7. LaCie Rugged SSD Pro

LaCie Rugged SSD Pro is the best option for PS5. You can experience fast file transfers. LaCie Rugged SSD Pro's read speed is up to 1,050 MB/s, and write speed is up to 1,000 MB/s. It comes with a USB Type-C interface that is universally compatible.

lacie external

See more information in the table below:

Price Range Capacity Pros Cons Targeted Users
Starts at $299 1TB - 2TB

Very fast

Resist capability for dust/water/shock

Five-year warranty

Expensive

Short cable

Lacks 256-bit AES hardware encryption

Suitable for hardcore gamers

8. Toshiba Canvio Basics

Toshiba Canvio Basics is the cheapest option, and it works quite well. It is one of the most sold and recommended by many people. But it may provide unsatisfactory performance. However, it works well to save your games. You can find it in capacities from 500 GB up to 4 TB, perfect not only for your PS4 or PS5, but you can also store your collection of PC games.

toshiba external

You can get more details about Toshiba here:

Price Range Capacity Pros Cons Targeted Users
$48 1TB

Cost-effective

Good speed result

Easy to set up on Mac

Limited capacity

No backup utility

No password protection

Good for low-budget users

9. WD My Passport

One of the most widely used external hard drives is the WD My Passport. It may take some time to set up with PS5, but it will get the job done more than satisfactorily. WD My Passport is offered at affordable prices in various capacities, ranging from 1TB to 5TB.

wd passport

See more information about WD My Passport:

Price Range Capacity Pros Cons Targeted Users
Starts at $89 1TB - 4TB

Cost-effective

Backup utility

256-bit AES hardware encryption

Slow transfer

Short cable

Not eye-catching

Medium-budget users

Traveller

10. WD Black D10

The WD Black D10 Game Drive offers tremendous capacities. It's a perfect choice if you want to collect your enormous pile of old PS4 games and load them at PS4 speeds. It comes in up to 8TB capacities so that it can store all your favorite games. It's designed for desktops and has extra USB ports perfect for charging controllers or expanding your PS5's USB connectivity. It stores all your downloaded games, media, and more, and this is a fantastic choice.

wd external d10

The table displays more details here:

Price Range Capacity Pros Cons Targeted Users
$170 8TB

High capacity

Good cooling system

 

Slow than SSD

Relatively heavy than others

Short cable

Medium-budget users

Conclusion

The best PS5 external hard drive depends greatly on your preferences and needs. For example: if you just like to play games at home and you don't need to take your games elsewhere, you don't have to worry about your external SSD being portable. Storage capacity is something that you should consider. As we know, games weigh more and more, so if you buy something with less capacity, you will probably have to change it over time.

Suppose you are going to move with your external hard drive. In that case, you must check its strength. It should be shockproof, waterproof, and dustproof. Otherwise, you may lose all your information in one crash.

Additionally, the transfer speed is also most important because if it is very slow, you will not be able to enjoy it as you would like, and it will be a headache for you. Also note that before choosing any external hard drive for your PS5, you should check that the external SSD is compatible with your PS5 because it can be an excellent device, but if it does not work for your console, you will lose all your money and you need to replace it.

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Updated by Daisy

Daisy is the Senior editor of the writing team for EaseUS. She has been working at EaseUS for over ten years, starting as a technical writer and moving on to being a team leader of the content group. As a professional author for over ten years, she writes a lot to help people overcome their tech troubles.

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Written by Sherly

Sherly joined EaseUS in 2022 and she has always loved writing articles and enjoys the fun they bring. She receives professional training here, focusing on product performance and other relative knowledge. She has written over 200 articles to help people overcome computing issues.

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