Expandable storage options for consoles are pretty commonplace. The Xbox Series X comes with around 800GB of useable storage, so once you’ve installed a few games, you’ll be wondering which one to uninstall to make room for another. It shouldn’t be that way! The best solution to this is to invest in an SSD for your Xbox Series X|S.
TL;DR – These are the best Xbox Series X SSDs
Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|SWD_Black 1TB C50
For Archival and Backwards Compatible Games:
Samsung SSD T7Crucial X8Western Digital 2TB P40
The catch, however, is that there are only a couple of SSDs on the market that can run Xbox Series X games. If you only want to store them, though, rather than running them directly from your SSD, this opens up a lot more options. For example, you can play older Xbox One or Xbox 360 games directly from a compatible hard drive, or store your favorite Xbox Series X games.
First, we’ll take a look at the best SSDs that will support and run your Xbox Series X games, followed by some alternative storage options.
Have a PS5? Check out the best PS5 SSDs
1. Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S
The Best Xbox Series X SSD Overall
The Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S is just about as fast as the console’s internal SSD meaning you can play games optimized for Xbox Series X|S
By offering plug-and-play installation, you don’t need to be a tech wiz to gain extra Xbox Series X storage. Extra storage is available with no setup, providing you with high data transfer rates and loading times, so it will feel no different to playing an Xbox game directly from your console’s storage.
Yes, it is expensive, but that’s really the only downfall of the expansion card. If you want to increase your Xbox Series X’s limited storage the “official” way, this is how you do it. Working side-by-side with the Xbox’s Velocity Architecture and supporting Quick Resume, you can enjoy games how they were intended. You can also choose between the 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB versions depending on your requirements.
2. WD_Black 1TB C50
The Most Portable Xbox Series X SSD
While Seagate previously owned the Xbox expansion card market, there is now a Western Digital drive with the WD_Black 1TB C50. Compact in size and durable in design, this expansion card comes in 512GB and 1TB storage options and is a more affordable option than Seagate’s offering.
This expansion card easily slots into the Xbox Series X’s expansion card port, meaning no setup is required. You can transfer games to the expansion card in a matter of minutes, so you can have a variety of games at your disposal. Compared to the Series X’s internal storage, the WD_Black 1TB C50 does offer slightly slower boot times, but this is really very marginal.
If you don’t need the 2TB option that Seagate offers, then the WD_Black 1TB C50 is the next best thing at a more appealing price. It will take a couple of minutes to transfer large 80GB files, and it’s small enough that you can easily transport it from your house to your friend’s, and enjoy a large library of Xbox games.
For Archival and Backwards-Compatible Games Only
3. Samsung T7 External SSD
The Most Versatile Xbox Series X SSD
When you move away from the Xbox Series X’s expansion card storage options, you’ll start to notice you get a lot more storage for your money. This SSD from Samsung, for instance, is around the same price as the WD_Black 1TB C50 but offers an additional 1TB of storage, but there’s a catch – you can’t play Xbox games directly from the SSD.
Instead, the Samsung S7 is best used for storing Xbox games that you might want to play at a later date, but don’t want to wait around installing them. For instance, you can install the latest Call of Duty game directly onto your Xbox Series X, then store the previous version on the Samsung SSD S7 and transfer it back to your console when you feel like playing it again.
Weighing a mere 2 ounces, the S7 is perfect for portability. And with 2TB of storage, you can easily store your Xbox games, photos, or work documents on the same SSD. Simply connect it to the Series X using a USB-C cable and enjoy read/write speeds of up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s. Plus, you can make the most of Samsung’s AES 256-bit encryption to secure your files.
4. Crucial X8 External SSD
The Best Value Xbox Series X SSD
No different in speed from the Samsung T7, the Crucial X8 offers exceedingly good value for money. You can purchase the X8 in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities. This portable device is great for storing Xbox Series X games, but just like the Samsung T7, you can’t run current-gen games off of it.
However, you can use the Crucial X8 for your Xbox, PC, and Mac. Whether you need to store games, files, music, photos, or more, it’s easy to carry this little SSD with you. It’s also shock-resistant and durable, so you can sling it in your backpack without it getting damaged.
With 4TB of storage space potentially at your disposal, it’s an easy sacrifice to make if you have to wait a few more minutes for your Xbox Series X games to transfer over back to your console. In fact, you could store your whole library of Xbox games on the Crucial X8 and enjoy a more affordable storage solution.
5. WD_Black 2TB P40
The Best External Xbox Series X SSD
If you want to make the external storage on your Xbox Series X stand out, you might want to consider the WD_Black 2TB P40 for its stylish design, complete with flashy RGB lighting. Granted, the RGB lights aren’t going to offer better performance, but they do look pretty awesome. Plus, the P40 can be used for your Xbox, PC, Mac, and PS5. But, because it’s an external SSD, you can’t run Xbox Series X games off of this drive.
Options start from 500GB, and include 1GB, and 2TB capacities, too. The WD_Black 2TB P40 is relatively affordable when compared to the Xbox’s official expansion card SSDs, but in the realm of external SSDs, it’s still a little pricey.
But, thanks to the USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface, you can enjoy speeds of up to 2,000MB/s, which is faster than the Crucial X8 and Samsung T7. The SSD is also encased in a shock-resistant material, which can survive drops of up to 2m.
If you appreciate style and want the substance to go with it, the WD_Black 2TB P40 offers both, with plenty of storage to house your Xbox Series X games and other files.
How to Choose the Best Xbox Series X SSDs
If you’re looking for a plug-and-play SSD ready to run the best Xbox Series X games and support features like Quick Resume and Velocity Architecture, you’re options are limited. That makes deciding on an SSD easy, as the Seagate Storage Expansion Card or WD_Black C50 are basically your only options. Unfortunately, they’re both expensive and hover around the same price for 1TB of storage; we’ve found that 1TB is usually the sweet spot for these SSDs.
However, if you don’t need to play your Xbox Series X games directly from the drive, there are a variety of other USB 3.2 SSDs to choose from. So, you’ll have an easier time finding budget or high-capacity options ready to store Xbox Series games as well as play older Xbox One and 360 titles. Luckily, these drives easily slot into the USB port on the Xbox Series X.
You’ll want decently fast read and write speeds for quick loads and saves. Other factors like durability and size should be taken into account, especially if you’re looking to take your SSD on the go. As mentioned, you’ll probably want a 1TB SSD or larger if you’ve got a decent gaming library, but there are drives up to 4TB for a massive amount of storage.
FAQ
Can any SSD work with Xbox Series X?
You can only play Xbox Series X games directly from the console’s internal storage, or via a licensed external SSD, like the Seagate Expansion Card. However, you can use external SSDs to store your Xbox games so you don’t have to keep installing and uninstalling them to free up space.
Is the Xbox Series X SSD fast?
The Xbox Series X’s storage is a 1TB NVMe SSD, with an IO throughput of around 2.4GB/s.
Why does my Xbox Series X only have 800GB?
While the Xbox Series X’s advertised storage is 1TB, it uses some of this space for system software, reducing the available storage space to around 800GB.
Do You Actually Need Additional Storage for Your Xbox?
While the Xbox Series X|S comes with either 1TB or 500GB of storage, you may want to increase this if you plan to install multiple games on your console at any given time. Some AAA titles exceed 150GB in size, so after installing a handful of games, you’ll soon realize you need additional storage if you want to quickly access games and play them straight away.
Georgie is a freelance writer at IGN, and an eCommerce Editor at Valnet. She enjoys the ins and outs of PCs, is an avid gamer, and a dedicated mum to her son.
