As games become larger and larger so does the need to have adequate storage space. And while even the slimmest version of the Xbox One comes with a decently sized hard drive, chances are that you’ll want to expand it if you want to keep all of your favorite games saved. Fortunately, Microsoft offers a decent amount of flexibility for storage expansion.
We’ve identified 10 of the best external hard drives for Xbox One, and our guide will also provide you with answers to some of the most common questions we hear from gamers who want to expand the size of the storage capacity on their Xbox One. Keep reading to learn more.
- The 10 Best External Hard Drives for Xbox One
- Seagate Game Drive for Xbox 4TB Hard Drive Portable HDD
- Samsung T5 Portable SSD – 2TB – USB 3.1 External SSD
- Toshiba Canvio Advance 1TB Portable Hard Drive USB 3.0
- Seagate Expansion Desktop 8TB External Drive HDD
- Western Digital 4TB Orange My Passport Portable Drive – USB 3.0
- LaCie Rugged Mini 1TB External Drive Portable HDD
- SanDisk Extreme 500 Portable 500 GB Solid State Drive
- Avolusion HDDGear 4TB USB 3.0 Gaming Hard Drive
- Silicon Power 2TB Rugged Portable External Drive
- PNY Elite 480 GB 3.1 Portable SSD
- External Drive for Xbox One Buyer’s Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Can You Use Any External Drive with Xbox One?
- Will Any USB 3.0 Work With Xbox One?
- What is the Cheapest Drive for Xbox One?
The 10 Best External Hard Drives for Xbox One
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Seagate Game Drive for Xbox 4TB Hard Drive Portable HDD
Seagate packs some high capacity storage into a tiny enclosure, so you won’t have to worry about this hard drive hogging space with your console. That also makes it one of the best choices for a portable hard drive. The simple plug and play design doesn’t require an outside power source – and since this drive is optimized for use with the Xbox One, you can take advantage of some of the fastest loading times and best performance around.
| Manufacturer | Seagate |
| Write Speed | 140 Mbps |
| Capacity | 4 TB |
| Dimensions | 4.61 x 3.15 0.82 inches |
Pros
- Plug and play functionality
- Sleek and stylish design
- Comes with 1 year warranty
- Also available in Xbox Game Pass edition
Cons
Samsung T5 Portable SSD – 2TB – USB 3.1 External SSD
Speed can have a major impact on the amount of loading times for your favorite console games, which is why an SSD is a worthwhile investment – at least if you have the money. The T5 from Samsung may not offer a great value of price to storage when compared to an HDD, but it does offer impeccable write speeds of up to 540 Mbps and a portable design that can fit comfortably in the palm of your hand.
| Manufacturer | Samsung |
| Write Speed | 540 Mbps |
| Capacity | 500 GB – 2 TB |
| Dimensions | 2.3 x 0.4 x 3 inches |
Pros
- Blindingly fast speeds
- Supports USB 3.1 protocol
- Comes in black, blue, red, and gold
- Made from sturdy metal
Cons
Toshiba Canvio Advance 1TB Portable Hard Drive USB 3.0
Toshiba’s compact external drive is available in sized ranging from one to four terabytes, so it’s a best fit regardless of how much extra space you need on your Xbox One console. But the Toshiba Canvio can also double as a quality backup for your Windows PC thanks to the inclusion of Toshiba’s Storage Backup Software and Storage Security Software compatibility. Both platforms come free with your purchase of this hard drive. The aluminum casing, meanwhile, finds the right balance between portability and durability.
| Manufacturer | Toshiba |
| Write Speed | 129.39 Mbps |
| Capacity | 1-4 TB |
| Dimensions | 4.3 x 3.1 x 0.55 inches |
Pros
- Comes in five colors
- Sturdy and lightweight frame
- Backed by a two year warranty
- Comes with Toshiba software
Cons
Seagate Expansion Desktop 8TB External Drive HDD
Need a little extra space? With its 8 TB of storage space, this Seagate expansion is one of the best hard drives for Xbox One console owners who own a lot of games. The Seagate expansion offers write speeds of up to 160 Mbps and a simple drag and drop interface for managing files. With this external hard drive, Xbox One brand console owners can get fast load speeds reliably while still having the space to hold all their favorite games.
| Manufacturer | Seagate |
| Write Speed | 160 Mbps |
| Capacity | 3-10 TB |
| Dimensions | 6.93 x 4.75 x 1.44 inches |
Pros
- Very high capacity
- Available in up to 10 TB
- Simple plug and play design
- Backed by a 1 year warranty
Cons
Western Digital 4TB Orange My Passport Portable Drive – USB 3.0
The Western Digital My Passport is designed to sport the dimensions of a traditional passport book, but Western Digital has packed in a lot of cool features despite the small profile. There’s automatic backup and password protection when hooked up to your computer as well as an above average capacity for such a small external hard drive. But if you just want to use it with your Xbox One console, all you have to do is plug it in to your USB port.
| Manufacturer | Western Digital |
| Write Speed | 134 Mbps |
| Capacity | 1-4 TB |
| Dimensions | 4.3 x 3.2 x 0.8 inches |
Pros
- Compatible with WD Discovery
- Comes in six vibrant colors
- Backed by 3 year warranty
- Encrypted password protection
Cons
LaCie Rugged Mini 1TB External Drive Portable HDD
The LaCie Rugged is the best Xbox One external hard drive for gamers who need the sturdiest portable drive around. It’s resistant to rain, shock, dust, and drops and promises a transfer speed of up to 130 Mbps. If you want to use this Xbox One hard drive for more than just games, it comes with a free month subscription to the Adobe Creative Cloud, and it comes with its own backup software.
| Manufacturer | LaCie |
| Write Speed | 130 Mbps |
| Capacity | 1-8 TB |
| Dimensions | 3.39 x 0.75 x 5.31 inches |
Pros
- 130 Mbps transfer speeds
- Incredibly durable design
- Supported by 2 year warranty
- Free Creative Cloud trial
Cons
SanDisk Extreme 500 Portable 500 GB Solid State Drive
This Xbox One external hard drive isn’t the most high capacity around, but it is among the most durable and portable drives. With its shock resistant design and pocket sized frame, this is a model that can go with you anywhere. It offers blazing fast transfer speeds of almost half a terabyte per second and is designed to be completely shock resistant. While it’s slightly more expensive, those impressive features will be worth it to many users.
| Manufacturer | SanDisk |
| Write Speed | 440 Mbps |
| Capacity | 250 GB – 1 TB |
| Dimensions | 2.98 x 2.98 x 0.42 inches |
Pros
- Incredibly compact design
- Shock resistant enclosure
- Very fast transfer speeds
- Backed by a three year warranty
Cons
Avolusion HDDGear 4TB USB 3.0 Gaming Hard Drive
Looking to expand the storage of your XBox One without having to fuss over formatting? This model comes pre-formatted, so you can just plug it into your console and transfer all of your favorite content right away. It’s compatible with every version of the Xbox One console and even sports a design that resembles the design of Microsoft’s game platform. The only downside is that it requires its own power source.
| Manufacturer | Avolusion |
| Write Speed | Not disclosed |
| Capacity | 4 TB |
| Dimensions | 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches |
Pros
- Already formatted for Xbox One
- Supported by two year warranty
- Great value for your dollar
- Can be set up in minutes
Cons
Silicon Power 2TB Rugged Portable External Drive
Silicon Power has produced a games storage solution that can really take a beating. It’s shockproof to military standards and sports an impressive waterproof rating of IPX4. It also works not just with XBox consoles but also with all the major gaming devices and computer operating systems on the market, so it can serve as your singular storage option. A convenient cable management system further facilitates its value as a truly portable storage device.
| Manufacturer | Avolusion |
| Write Speed | 87 Mbps |
| Capacity | 2 TB |
| Dimensions | 5.5 x 0.9 x 3.4 inches |
Pros
- Military grade shockproofing
- Resistant to splashes from all directions
- High level of compatibility
- Cable management system
Cons
PNY Elite 480 GB 3.1 Portable SSD
PNY produces some of the smallest external hard drives we’ve found. The Elite may offer a relatively small storage capacity, but it can comfortably fit within your palm, and it offers transfer speeds comparable to the SanDisk Extreme 500. That’s to be expected for SSDs, and it makes it among the best choices if you’re seeking out the fastest loading speeds and strongest performance available in external hard drives.
| Manufacturer | PNY |
| Write Speed | 400 Mbps |
| Capacity | 480 GB |
| Dimensions | 2.36 x 1.4 x 0.35 inches |
Pros
- Incredibly compact frame
- Write speeds up to 400 Mbps
- Backed by a 3 year warranty
- Comes with 24/7 support
Cons
External Drive for Xbox One Buyer’s Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Use Any External Drive with Xbox One?
No. While Microsoft offers support for most external storage on the market, any drive you pick needs to support USB 3.0 standards. There are also size limitations. Microsoft only allows external hard drives between 256 GB and 16 TB on their console.
Will Any USB 3.0 Work With Xbox One?
For the most part, yes. As long as the drive you pick is between 256 GB and 16 TB in size, it should work for you. That means that almost any USB 3.0 external hard drives going to offer compatibility for XBox One, regardless of the model in your home.
What is the Cheapest Drive for Xbox One?
Giving you the single cheapest model won’t tell you a whole lot because of the variance in data capacity, but if you want the best value, look to the Avolusion. With a capacity of 4 terabytes for less than $100, it offers an incredible level of bang for your buck.
Final Thoughts
An external hard drive is one of the best ways to upgrade your XBox One, but that’s just scratching the surface of how you can customize your gaming experience. If you want to further improve your games, we suggest you check out our guide to the best Xbox One headsets in 2022 if you want better online gaming performance and our guide to the best PS4 external hard drives in 2022 if you want to expand on the internal storage in your Playstation 4.
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