The Xbox One X launched in late 2017. If you own the system, chances are that you will quickly run out of room on the default internal hard disk drive. Fortunately, the gaming console are compatible with USB external hard drives. Below, you can find our buying guide for the best Xbox One X external HDDs and SSDs going into 2018.
Native 4K Assets and Textures
Before we begin, let’s talk a little bit about the Xbox One X. What separates Microsoft’s system from other home consoles, is that it is capable of running native 4K assets and textures in supported games such as Forza Motorsport 7, Gears of War 4, Halo 5: Guardians and many other titles.
In order to do so, however, you will have to download massive patches that will take up huge chunks of the default internal hard disk drive of the Xbox One X. So far, Microsoft’s home console comes with an 1 TB hard drive. So, if you are planning to play even a moderate amount of games on the system, then you will most likely run out of room on the internal HDD sooner rather than later in 2018 and beyond.
Internal vs. External Drives on Xbox One
While the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 supports internal and external hard drives, the Xbox One, Xbox One S and Xbox One X do not. If you want to replace the internal HDD on Microsoft’s family of gaming systems, you will have to void your warranty. Thus, you are limited to external hard drives if you want to add more storage to the Xbox One X or any other Xbox One systems.
SSD vs. HDD
There are two main external hard drive types for the Xbox One X: Solid State Drive and Hard Disk Drive. SSDs are considerably faster, in terms of loading times, when compared to HDDs. With that said, Solid States are also vastly more expensive in addition to being limited in terms of size options when put up against the standard hard drives.
Desktop vs. Portable External Hard Disk Drives Comparison
If you decide to go with a standard external HDD for your Xbox One X in 2018, there are two alternatives: Desktop and Portable.
External Desktop Hard Disk Drives use a power adapter while the Portable External Hard Disk Drives do not (instead, they draw power through the USB connection). The desktop version also provides bigger size options and are a little faster (7200 RPM when compared to 5400 RPM). Both types have similar pricing range.
Below, you can find our lists for the best Xbox One X external SDDs, desktop HDDs and portable HDDs:
Top External SSDs for Xbox One X going into 2018
- Samsung T5 Portable SSD (250 GB, 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB Size Options)
- SanDisk Extreme 500 Portable SSD (120 GB, 240 GB, 250 GB, 480 GB and 500 GB Size Options)
- Seagate Xbox One SSD Game Drive (512 GB Size Option)
- Western Digital My Passport SSD Portable Storage (256 GB, 512 GB and 1 TB Size Options)
Best Desktop External HDDs for Xbox One X going into 2018
- Seagate Expansion Desktop External Hard Drive (2 TB, 3 TB, 4 TB, 5 TB and 8 TB Size Options)
- Seagate Xbox One Desktop Game Drive (8 TB Size Option)
- Western Digital My Book Desktop External Hard Drive (3 TB, 4 TB, 6 TB, 8 TB, 12 TB, 16 TB and 20 TB Size Options)
Top Portable External HDDs for Xbox One X going into 2018
- Seagate Expansion Portable External Hard Drive (2 TB, 3 TB and 4 TB Size Options)
- Seagate Xbox One Portable Game Drive (2 TB and 4 TB Size Options)
- Western Digital Elements Portable External Hard Drive (1 TB, 2 TB, 3 TB, 4 TB and 6 TB Size Options)
Recap
If you care more about loading times, then we recommend getting an external SSD for the X. If you want the biggest size options, we recommend getting a compatible Desktop External HDD (alternatively, you can also check out the Portable External HDDs if you don’t have room to plug in an AC adapter on your power supply).
So, if you are an Xbox One X owner, or planning to get one in 2018, make sure to check out the compatible HDDs and SSDs we mentioned above.