Buying Guide
The Best Portable SSDs for PS5: Our Picks
We looked at 4 portable SSDs for PS5 side by side, with the trade-offs that separate them and who each one suits.
By Jamie Cole, Lead Product Researcher
8 min read4 products evaluated
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It is important to understand a real PS5 limitation before buying storage: PS5 only allows PS4, backward-compatible games to run directly from an external USB drive. PS5-native games must be copied back to internal storage or an officially Sony-certified internal expansion NVMe drive before they can actually be played, an external USB drive alone cannot run them directly.
The first time you connect a new drive to a PS5, the console typically requires formatting it specifically for PS5 use, which erases any existing data on that drive, a real risk worth backing up for before you connect anything you have used elsewhere.
Quick Picks
Our 4 recommendations at a glance. Tap a pick for the full verdict.
Best Internal Expansion Pick, Play PS5 Games Directly
Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB Solid State Drive - NVMe SSD for Xbox Series X|S, Quick Resume, Plug & Play, Licensed
PS5 owners who want to expand internal storage and play PS5-native games directly from the added space
Our take Check price for Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB Solid State Drive - NVMe SSD for Xbox Series X|S, Quick Resume, Plug & Play, Licensed (opens in a new tab)
Best External Pick for Backup and PS4 Game Play
Western Digital 1TB P40 Game Drive SSD - Up to 2,000MB/s, RGB Lighting, Compatible with Playstation, Xbox, PC, & Mac
PS5 owners who want external backup storage and the ability to play PS4 games directly
Our take Check price for Western Digital 1TB P40 Game Drive SSD - Up to 2,000MB/s, RGB Lighting, Compatible with Playstation, Xbox, PC, & Mac (opens in a new tab)
Best Budget External Pick for Backup and PS4 Game Play
Seagate 2TB Game Drive for Xbox, USB 3.0 (STKX2000400)
Budget-conscious PS5 owners who mainly need external backup storage
Our take Check price for Seagate 2TB Game Drive for Xbox, USB 3.0 (STKX2000400) (opens in a new tab)
Best Compact External Pick for Backup and PS4 Game Play
Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB Titan Gray, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Up to 1,050MB/s
PS5 owners who want a compact external backup drive
Our take Check price for Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB Titan Gray, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Up to 1,050MB/s (opens in a new tab)
Our Picks
Best Internal Expansion Pick, Play PS5 Games Directly1 of 4
Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB Solid State Drive - NVMe SSD for Xbox Series X|S, Quick Resume, Plug & Play, Licensed on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Seagate's Storage Expansion Card is an internal NVMe expansion card built to fit the PS5's internal expansion slot and meet Sony's official certification requirements, meaning PS5-native games installed on it can be played directly, unlike any external USB drive.
Best for
- PS5 owners who want to expand internal storage and play PS5-native games directly from the added space
Why we like it
The only pick here that runs PS5-native games directly. On price, it comes in below Western Digital 1TB P40 Game Drive SSD, which is worth weighing if cost is your deciding factor between the two.
On the other side, Cannot be used externally like a USB storage drive.
Key dimensions & specs
- 2TB capacity
- Internal NVMe expansion card for PS5's internal slot
- Sony-certified, Quick Resume compatible
- Plug and play, licensed for PS5
Pros
- The only pick here that runs PS5-native games directly
- Officially Sony-certified for PS5's internal expansion slot
- Supports Quick Resume for PS5-native titles
- Straightforward plug-and-play internal installation
Cons
- Price varies, check current listing before buying
- Requires opening the PS5's expansion slot cover to install
- Cannot be used externally like a USB storage drive
Best External Pick for Backup and PS4 Game Play2 of 4
Western Digital 1TB P40 Game Drive SSD - Up to 2,000MB/s, RGB Lighting, Compatible with Playstation, Xbox, PC, & Mac on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Western Digital's P40 Game Drive SSD is explicitly compatible with PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Mac, and works well as external USB storage for a PS5, storing PS4 backward-compatible games that can be played directly, and PS5-native games that must be copied back to internal storage first before playing.
Best for
- PS5 owners who want external backup storage and the ability to play PS4 games directly
Why we like it
On the other side, RGB lighting is cosmetic, not a functional benefit.
Key dimensions & specs
- 1TB capacity
- Up to 2000MB/s rated
- External USB, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Mac compatible
- RGB lighting
Pros
- Directly plays PS4 backward-compatible games from external USB
- Solid external backup and storage option for PS5-native games
- Broad cross-platform compatibility
- Strong rated speed for an external USB drive
Cons
- Cannot run PS5-native games directly, they must be copied to internal storage first
- Will likely need reformatting specifically for PS5 use on first connection, erasing existing data
- RGB lighting is cosmetic, not a functional benefit
Best Budget External Pick for Backup and PS4 Game Play3 of 4
Seagate 2TB Game Drive for Xbox, USB 3.0 (STKX2000400) on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
Seagate's 2TB Game Drive for Xbox works equally well as generic external USB storage for a PS5 despite the Xbox branding, suitable for backing up PS5-native game installs and directly playing PS4 backward-compatible titles.
Best for
- Budget-conscious PS5 owners who mainly need external backup storage
Why we like it
0 caps speed below newer external drives.
Key dimensions & specs
- 2TB capacity
- USB 3.0
- External USB storage, works with PS5 despite Xbox branding
Pros
- Large 2TB capacity for backup storage at a budget price
- Directly plays PS4 backward-compatible games from external USB
- Good value per gigabyte for backup storage
Cons
- Cannot run PS5-native games directly, they must be copied to internal storage first
- Will likely need reformatting specifically for PS5 use, erasing existing data
- USB 3.0 caps speed below newer external drives
Best Compact External Pick for Backup and PS4 Game Play4 of 4
Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB Titan Gray, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Up to 1,050MB/s on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
2 Gen 2 speed and the same PS4 direct-play, PS5 copy-back limitation as any external USB drive on this console.
Best for
- PS5 owners who want a compact external backup drive
Why we like it
The real tradeoff against that pick: Cannot run PS5-native games directly, they must be copied to internal storage first.
On the other side, No official IP rating.
Key dimensions & specs
- 1TB capacity
- Up to 1050MB/s rated
- USB 3.2 Gen 2, external USB
- Slim metal body
Pros
- Compact, easy to keep alongside a PS5 for backup storage
- Directly plays PS4 backward-compatible games from external USB
- Reliable, widely reviewed platform
- Good everyday backup speed
Cons
- Cannot run PS5-native games directly, they must be copied to internal storage first
- Will likely need reformatting specifically for PS5 use, erasing existing data
- No official IP rating
How We Chose These Portable SSDs for PS5
Each pick was assessed across 4 criteria weighted for real-world use.
- Internal expansion versus external USB function distinguished
- Clearly separated the one internal NVMe expansion card, which plays PS5-native games directly, from external USB drives, which only play PS4 games directly and require copy-back for PS5-native titles.
- Sony certification for internal expansion verified
- Confirmed the internal expansion pick meets Sony's official certification requirements for the PS5 internal expansion slot.
- Flagged that PS5 typically requires formatting a new external drive specifically for PS5 use on first connection, which erases existing data.
- Verified external USB picks work across PlayStation and other platforms as backup and PS4-compatible game storage.
What to Look for in a Portable SSD for PS5
Key buying criteria so you get the right fit the first time.
Plan around real usable capacity, not the number printed on the box
Storage manufacturers advertise capacity in decimal gigabytes and terabytes (1 GB equals 1,000,000,000 bytes), but operating systems report free space in binary units (1 GB equals 1,073,741,824 bytes), and on top of that gap, formatting itself consumes a further slice of raw capacity for the file system's own bookkeeping.
Together these two factors mean a drive advertised as 1TB will typically show up as roughly 930GB in your file explorer, a predictable shortfall rather than a defect, but one that catches buyers off guard if they plan their storage needs around the advertised round number.
Before buying, mentally subtract roughly 7 percent from the advertised capacity to estimate real usable space, and size up a tier if your actual storage need is close to the advertised number rather than comfortably under it.
Check the NAND flash type where the manufacturer discloses it
NAND flash memory, the actual chip technology storing your data, comes in different types based on how many bits each memory cell stores, with TLC (three bits per cell) generally offering better sustained write speed and longer-term endurance than QLC (four bits per cell), which packs more capacity per chip but at the cost of slower performance once any built-in cache is exhausted.
This matters concretely because many drives use a small pool of faster cache memory to accelerate the beginning of a transfer, and once that cache fills during a large or sustained copy, the drive falls back to its native NAND speed, which is a much bigger drop on a QLC drive than a TLC one, sometimes cutting write speed by more than half.
Manufacturers don't always advertise NAND type prominently, so check the product listing's technical details or search the model number alongside "NAND type" before assuming a drive uses the faster TLC type.
Confirm your device's actual port and cable support the drive's rated speed
A portable SSD's rated speed, such as 1050MB/s or 2000MB/s, is the maximum the drive's own controller can achieve, but real-world speed is always capped by the slowest link in the chain: the drive itself, the cable connecting it, and the port on your computer or console, whichever of the three supports the lowest maximum speed.
0 port, or connected with a cable rated for a lower USB generation, will perform no better than a much cheaper drive rated for that lower speed, making the expensive drive's extra speed ceiling completely wasted money in that specific setup.
Check your computer, phone, or console's actual port specification (not just its connector shape, since USB-C and USB-A shapes don't indicate speed) and confirm any cable you use is rated for that same speed tier before expecting a fast drive's full rated performance.
Understand that a drive's speed rating reflects a burst, not sustained performance
The headline speed figure on a portable SSD's packaging is typically measured using a short benchmark that primarily tests the drive's fast cache memory, not its sustained real-world performance across a large, continuous file transfer that runs long enough to exhaust that cache.
This is the single most common reason a portable SSD feels slower in real use than its marketing suggests: copying a single large video file or a folder of thousands of photos can run well past the point where the cache empties, causing the transfer to visibly slow down partway through, something a short benchmark screenshot never reveals.
If your actual use case involves large sustained transfers, specifically look for reviews or listings that mention sustained write speed after cache exhaustion, not just the peak burst number on the box.
Compare warranty length as a genuine (if imperfect) signal of manufacturer confidence
A storage device's warranty length, commonly ranging from one to five years across different brands and models even at similar price points, reflects the manufacturer's own actuarial confidence in how long that specific NAND and controller combination will reliably hold data, since a company offering a longer warranty is accepting more financial risk on a component they presumably trust more.
This isn't a well suited signal on its own, a shorter warranty doesn't automatically mean an unreliable drive, but at a similar price point between two otherwise comparable drives, the one backed by a longer warranty is making a more concrete promise about its own longevity rather than just a marketing claim.
Check the stated warranty length directly in the listing or manufacturer's spec sheet, and weigh it alongside NAND type and brand reputation rather than treating any single signal as decisive on its own.
How to Choose a Portable SSD for PS5
| Recommended pick in this comparison | |
|---|---|
| Western Digital 1TB P40 Game Drive SSD | |
| Large media libraries or video work | Seagate 2TB Game Drive for Xbox |
| Seagate 2TB Game Drive for Xbox | |
| Western Digital 1TB P40 Game Drive SSD | |
| No firm budget ceiling, prioritizing speed or NAND quality | Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB Titan Gray |
- Better sustained write speed and longer-term endurance, especially once any onboard cache is exhausted during a large transfer. In this comparison: check each listing's specs directly, NAND type isn't always disclosed.
- More capacity per dollar, at the cost of a bigger sustained-speed drop once the cache fills on long transfers. In this comparison: none explicitly confirmed in this specific roundup, check the listing before assuming.
NAND type isn't explicitly confirmed for every pick here, check each specific listing's technical details if sustained speed matters to your workflow.
| Drop and water resistance for field use | Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB Titan Gray |
|---|---|
| Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB Solid State Drive |
For Large Sustained Transfers (Video Editing) Specifically
- TLC NAND specifically, a stated sustained write speed (not just the peak burst number), and a USB generation on both drive and host that actually supports the rated speed.
- Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB Titan Gray fits this specifically: Compact, easy to keep alongside a PS5 for backup storage.
By Rating Confidence: Highest Rated vs Most Reviewed
| Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB Solid State Drive | |
| Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB Solid State Drive |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play PS5 games directly from an external USB SSD?
PS5 only allows PS4 backward-compatible games to run directly from external USB storage. PS5-native games must be copied back to internal storage or a certified internal expansion drive before playing.
What is the difference between the internal expansion card and the external drives in this guide?
The internal NVMe expansion card installs inside the PS5 and lets you play PS5-native games directly from it. The external USB drives are for backup storage and directly playing PS4 games only.
Will I lose data when I connect a new drive to my PS5?
Likely yes on first connection. PS5 typically requires formatting a new external drive specifically for PS5 use, which erases existing data, back up first.
Do I need an officially certified drive for the PS5 internal expansion slot?
Yes, Sony requires the internal expansion drive to meet specific certification and speed requirements, an uncertified drive may not function correctly.
Bottom Line
Best overall: Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB Solid State Drive - NVMe SSD for Xbox Series X|S, Quick Resume, Plug & Play, Licensed — best internal expansion pick, play ps5 games directly pick in this roundup. See the full verdicts above for every pick, with pros, cons and who each one suits.
Browse all portable ssds for ps5 on Amazon — Prime-eligible options with current pricing.