The Best External Hard Drive for Gaming Enthusiasts

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A Buyer’s Guide to Buying a External Hard Drive for Gaming

A crystal clear display, loud bass speakers, and an ergonomically designed joystick are not the only necessities for an immersive gaming experience. In fact, another undeletable accessory is external hard drives. So why is there a need for external hard drives? For one, it’s because games nowadays are far more than a few gigabytes, with more graphically advanced games reaching up to 150 gigabytes or more. External hard drives keep your gaming data independent from your device’s main storage, thus preventing lags and offering smoother, flawless gameplay. To help you out, we’ve curated a list of the best external hard drives for gaming in 2023!

Whether you use a PC, PlayStation or an Xbox for your gaming needs, this external hard drive is a great choice. Thanks to the USB 3.0/2.0 broad compatibility, this drive comes with massive storage options of up to 5TB. Moreover, the hard drive has a 120 MB per second speed that may not be super fast but gets the job done for most gamers.

To set it up, all you need to do is connect the portable hard drive through the cable that comes with the package and drag and drop to save files. And to add to its functionality, its huge storage, portability, and one year rescue data recovery services make it the perfect candidate for hobbyists and professionals alike.

Pros

• Great storage capacity
• Convenient and portable

Cons

• Low build quality

This external drive comes with a durable metal top cover making it one of the strongest and safest drives. Purposefully designed for gaming with top quality and reliability, the device offers 2 TB of storage for plenty of games. Additionally, you can purchase options up to 5 TB to store up to 125 games on this handy drive.

It’s compatible with whatever gaming mode you prefer, be it PC or gaming consoles like PlayStation or Xbox. Lastly, the external hard drive is extremely portable due to its small size and comes with a three year limited warranty.

Pros

• Plenty of storage for large games
• Easy to carry around
• It comes with a cable

Cons

• Drive’s temperature increases while functioning

Next up is this 4 TB external drive specifically customized for gameplay. With tons of storage, you will have over 100 games in your library. The design is sleek and compact, letting you take your games wherever you go while seamlessly complementing your gaming systems. On top of that, the device is designed to work with all the current and next generation gaming consoles and PC gaming systems, making it a great all-rounder drive. USB 3.0 and 2.0 compatibility allows for reliable data transfer with no external AC power cord.

Pros

• It comes with a two year warranty
• Compact and portable

Cons

• Loose data cable

If the thought of running out of space still worries you, the Armor A60 is here for you! This lets you easily free up the space of your internal console drive for Xbox and PlayStation 4, as well as run them through an uncomplicated setup procedure within a few minutes. Moreover, the structure comprises a rugged rubber case, fostering a buffer that ensures uncompromising safety against dust and water splashes.

This makes the hard drive anti-slip and scratch resistant. With an easy-to-carry design, the device also offers blazing fast speed execution for sharing data, as well as a three year warranty for technical support and service.

Pros

• Rugged outer casing
• Plenty of storage capacity for big games

Cons

• It doesn't transfer the data in order

This aluminum external hard drive offers a virtually silent operation. Fitting perfectly in your workplace, the device can be placed vertically or horizontally. In addition, the drive is an industry-leading large capacity option with storage up to 18 TB, which is perfect for games, music, videos, and photos.

This high storage reservoir is compatible with windows, macOS, and gaming consoles such as PlayStation and Xbox. All you have to do is easily reformat it and use it. Lastly, with the 7200RPM, this version is 33% faster than its 5400RPM counterparts, thus offering great speed and performance.

Pros

• Reliable and long-lasting
• Cheaper than its counterparts

Cons

• Requires reformatting for different systems

Do external drives last forever?

No matter how safe or well built, drives will only last a few years and will require replacement. You need to replace them every few years to ensure you don’t lose your data.

Are drives recommended for gaming needs?

Whether it’s a console or PC, a drive can help you avoid clogging up your main system. This will give you the game you want without any lags, making it a great option for gamers.

What do I do if my hard drive stops working?

A failed hard drive can have various reasons for damage, like water damage, media damage, hardware dilemmas, power issues or even human error. You would need to inspect it to figure out what happened to take it to someone who knows what they are doing.

Can I use rice to save my hard drive if it gets wet?

While rice is the ultimate go-to for absorbing water from exposed electronic devices, results may vary.