The Xbox One, specifically the Xbox One X, uses an external portable SDD (Solid State Drive) in order to save data, games, items, achievements, downloadable packs, new editions, characters, updates, DLC, and so forth like you would an SD card.
What makes the Xbox One X (not to be confused with the Xbox Series X or Series S) from the Xbox One? It’s been developed to allow for true 4K gaming. You get to play 4K games at their full frames per second and at the fastest refresh rate so every movement feels smooth.
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Immersion is the name of the game for Xbox One X, with its 6 teraflops of graphical processing power plus 2160p frame buffers on 4K resolution. So what’s the best SSD for Xbox one x? Keep on reading to find out.
Buying Guide for the Best SSD for Xbox One X
The portable solid-state drive (SSD) is the new evolution of the hard disk drive (HDD). It’s a technology that’s many times faster than hard disk drives (HDD) and can startup Windows within 11 seconds versus the usual 3-5 minutes.
In terms of the Xbox One X, it’s used as a much bigger save data portable appliance compared to the SD cards of yore, allowing for gigabytes to terabytes of saved data, game files, and DLC.
What to Look for in Each SSD Type?
When it comes to buying SSD for your Xbox One X, it’s all about establishing your priorities. The best overall SSD has a good balance between price and capacity (how many gigabytes or terabytes it could hold). The best value SSD gives you the most capacity per dollar or percent your budget allows.
Finally, the SSD with the best capacity will give you something like 8 terabytes of space even though they can get quite pricey, starting from $700 all the way to $1,000 and beyond.
What’s Available When it Comes to SSDs?
You can avail of a wide variety of storage devices out there, with HDDs having bigger capacities than SSDs at a lower price point due to them being the more primitive tech. However, when you get an SSD, expect great speeds, build quality, and design.
The best ones also have an attractive starting price point and plus in multiple colors and designs. Gamers love having nice designs on their paraphernalia, which sometimes include keyboards with laser lights included with them.
Also make sure to have an SSD that’s future-proofed for the Xbox Series X and S. In other words, once you start playing with an upgraded console, you could still use the same SSD on those two too.
What to Avoid When it Comes to SSDs?
Like with the benefits, the cons depend on your priorities as well. Some SSDs get more expensive at higher capacities, so if you value capacity then you can buy SSDs with more capacity at lower prices or go with HDDs instead. Other SSDs are overqualified.
They should be used on PCs or portable media for saving corporate information. Still, others would rather have faster 500GB portable SSD over a slower yet bigger 1 terabyte SSD. You should qualify for your needs.
How Fast Can an SSD Go Anyway?
Many internal SSDs can go as fast as 11 seconds on Windows Startup. This translates to up to 1,050 MB/s (not to be confused with Mbps) reading speed (opening data) and 1,000 MB/s writing speed (saving data).
As though you’re saving a GIF or a MiDI or even a text file. In a snap. In fairness, even comparable HDDs tend to be slower than the slowest SSDs. The really fast ones tend to have a smaller capacity to focus on the fastness. A bigger capacity costs you more.
Unless you get something that has more capacity yet is slower than the leading SSD brands out there. Pick your “poison”.
What Designs and Color Should Your SSD Be In?
This is mostly a matter of taste. Your SSD can be black or white or various colors outside primary and secondary colors like teal or maroon as well as ash. They can have different sizes and designs as well, with them being either in a standard box-like form or in a fancier aerodynamic design.
Just try to avoid poor construction and build quality SSD over their design. Their functionality should be your priority regardless. Some well-designed SSDs tend to be slower than the competition even though they’re still faster than HDDs.
What is Affordable Speed as Far as SSDs Go?
Affordable speed means you get the most read and write speed out of your SSD without breaking the bank in terms of costs. You can balance this out by picking smaller capacity SSDs in exchange for a faster saving turnaround. However, if space is your priority, you might have to sacrifice speed instead.
For some gamers, as long as they’re able to save their skins, customizations, save states, DLCs, emulated games, and mods they’re happy even if loading or saving times end up as slow as a primitive PlayStation 1 or original Xbox.
What Do You Have to Sacrifice for SSDs on a Budget?
If you’re on a budget, the price vs. quality balancing act isn’t enough. You need to define quality by what you personally prioritize. Do you want more space from your SSD by the terabyte? Then you may need to pay more money for more space or less money by sacrificing read and write speed.
A budget SSD will either have a huge capacity but is slower than the average SSD or it could be super fast but has half a terabyte or less of space to make it affordable enough for your speed needs. Or you can get a balance between the two things.
What About the Build of the SSD in Question?
Although the beauty of the SSD design is in the eye of the beholder, the build of the SSD is more of an objective metric than a subjective one. Unless you wish for a “strong enough” build for you for a cheaper price, that is.
The materials and construction of the SSD portable media define how tough it is, how much punishment it could take, and how long it’ll last. Read the reviews on Amazon if your SSD of choice is cheaply constructed or built like a tank.
What About SSD That are Better on Current Gen Consoles?
The Xbox One X is a console from the previous-gen that remains relevant today despite being discontinued a few years ago because of the popularity of the device in general. Some SSDs work better or provide a better gaming experience on Xbox Series X or S.
This isn’t a knock on their ability to work on an “older” console. This is in fact a benefit. This means the SSD is “future-proofed” for use in any future Xbox consoles you’ll use, particularly next-gen consoles like the Series X or S.
The Top Portable SSDs for Xbox One X
Without further ado, here are the top portable SSDs for use with the Xbox One X.
1. Best Overall SSD with a Balance of Speed, Capacity, and Price
We view the Samsung T7 Portable SSD as the cream of the crop of Xbox SSDs. It’s affordable, it has a 1 terabyte (TB) capacity, it is fast at 1,050 Mbps read speed and 1,000 Mbps write speed, and it’s available at 500GB and 2TB. The base model only has 500GB so get the 1TB model.
| Capacity | 1 terabyte |
| Cable Included | USB Type-C-to-C cable, USB Type-C-to-A cable |
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2 (backwards compatible) |
| Max Read Speed | 1,050 MB/s |
| Max Write Speed | 1,000 MB/s |
| Material | Sturdy metal body and internal circuitry |
| Compatibility | Laptop, desktop, television, and game console |
| Weight | 2.08 ounces |
| Dimensions | 3.3 x 2.2 x 0.3 inches |
2. Best Value SSD for Your Budget Needs without Compromise on Quality
The ADATA SD600Q Ultra-Speed External SSD is super-affordable. Check the Amazon price listings and compare for more details. It doesn’t quite reach 1TB but 960GB is close enough. It’s not as fast as the superior Samsung model, but it’s still faster than a comparable HDD.
It’s anti-vibration, low noise, and high-speed with low power consumption to boot.
| Capacity | 960 gigabytes |
| Cable Included | USB Type-C-to-C cable, USB Type-C-to-A cable |
| Interface | USB 3.1 (backwards compatible) |
| Max Read Speed | 440 MB/s |
| Max Write Speed | 440 MB/s |
| Material | Sturdy plastic and metal body as well as internal circuitry |
| Compatibility | Laptop, desktop, television, and game console |
| Weight | 2.12 ounces |
| Dimensions | 3.15 x 3.15 x 0.6 inches |
3. Best Capacity SSD for Your Gaming Needs with Your Xbox
The Samsung 870 QVO has a whopping 8TB of space. So that in and of itself should cover the “price of admission” for many a gamer out there. This can serve as their first and last SSD storage unit for multiple games, whether DLC or in disc format.
It should cover all their saves from here on out. It should also serve as a quality SSD for Xbox Series S or X in the future. It’s good for both console generations.
| Capacity | 8 terabytes |
| Cable Included | USB Type-C-to-C cable, USB Type-C-to-A cable |
| Interface | ESATA, USB 3.2 Gen 2 (backwards compatible) |
| Max Read Speed | 1,050 MB/s |
| Max Write Speed | 1,000 MB/s |
| Material | Sturdy metal body and internal circuitry |
| Compatibility | Laptop, desktop, television, and game console |
| Weight | 2.01 ounces |
| Dimensions | 3.94 x 2.75 x 0.27 inches |
4. An SSD Made Specifically for Xbox Consoles with 1TB of Capacity
As for the Seagate Game Drive for Xbox 1TB SSD External Solid State Drive, it’s just as it says on the tin. It offers the standard 1TB capacity and it’s specifically made for Xbox use, including Xbox One, Xbox One X, and Xbox 360. It also offers 500GB, 2TB, and 4TB variants.
Unique to this SSD is the chance to gain free access to 100+ games with a limited-time membership to Xbox Game Pass. It’s pricier than the first three though.
| Capacity | 1 terabyte |
| Cable Included | USB Type-C-to-C cable, USB Type-C-to-A cable |
| Interface | USB 3.0 (backwards compatible) |
| Max Read Speed | 540 MB/s |
| Max Write Speed | 540 MB/s |
| Material | Sturdy metal body and internal circuitry |
| Compatibility | Laptop, desktop, television, and game console |
| Weight | 3.04 ounces |
| Dimensions | 3.68 x 3.11 x 0.36 inches |
5. The Digital Shadow SSD Offers a Non-Brand Name Deal
The Oyen Digital U32 Shadow is a 1TB USB-C External Solid State Drive (SSD) for Xbox One/X/S. It has a clean slate-gray metal design reminiscent of a smartphone but without the touchscreen. For what it’s worth, this is probably the heaviest SSD game drive on this list at 7.3 ounces.
It’s specifically marketed for use with Xbox One and Xbox Series X and S, although it could also be used for TVs and PCs if you wish. The aluminum housing makes it sturdy and built like a tank.
| Capacity | 1 terabyte |
| Cable Included | USB Type-C-to-C cable, USB Type-C-to-A cable |
| Interface | USB 3.1 (backward compatible) |
| Max Read Speed | 400 MB/s |
| Max Write Speed | 400 MB/s |
| Material | Sturdy aluminum body and internal circuitry |
| Compatibility | Laptop, desktop, television, and game console |
| Weight | 7.3 ounces |
| Dimensions | 4.9 x 2.9 x 0.5 inches |
6. Last But Not Least is the SSD with the Most Unique Easy Attach Design
The Fantom Drives 1TB Xbox One X SSD is able to stand out from this list of mostly 1 terabyte (or approaching that capacity) SSDs for Xbox One X by having an easily attach design. Its unique look makes it appear as though it’s a printer of some sort and is quite a marvel.
It’s designed in such a way that it unobtrusively attaches to your Xbox One X console. Read its instruction guide for more details. You can also easily install and transfer games to XSTOR.
| Capacity | 1 terabyte |
| Cable Included | USB Type-A cable for 3 front-facing USB 3.0 ports |
| Interface | USB 3.0 (backwards compatible) |
| Max Read Speed | 400 MB/s |
| Max Write Speed | 400 MB/s |
| Material | Sturdy metal and plastic body plus internal circuitry |
| Compatibility | Laptop, desktop, television, and game console |
| Weight | 1.65 pounds |
| Dimensions | 5.5 x 6.5 x 12 inches |
Final Thoughts
The best SSD by rating is Samsung T7, followed by Seagate Game Drive and ADATA SD600Q. We also feel like Samsung T7 is the best overall SSD, ADATA SD600Q is the best value SSD, and Samsung 870 QVO is the best capacity SSD (at a whopping 8 terabytes).
You can also avail yourself of the non-name brands included in the list if you wish for a more affordable choice with a decent amount of capacity and saving ability. All SSDs have quick processing and saving power but some SSDs have superior quality and durability than others.
References:
- “Xbox One X“, Xbox.com, Retrieved January 4, 2022
