Seagate Game Drive External SSD for PlayStation review: chic and officially licensed, but not that speedy

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The Seagate Game Drive External SSD for PS5 and PS4 is simply a coagulated but unspectacular outer thrust that offers premium build and performance, pinch a PlayStation-themed finish. The speeds connected connection are reliable, though not wildly accelerated for an outer retention solution. The SSD channels everything that makes Seagate drives reliable, robust, and worthy nan investment.

Pros

  • +

    Officially licensed

  • +

    Compact yet slick and charismatic design

  • +

    Reliable performance

  • +

    Easy to group up

Cons

  • -

    Middling speeds

  • -

    No immense capacity; 2TB is nan largest available

Why you tin spot TechRadar We walk hours testing each merchandise aliases work we review, truthful you tin beryllium judge you’re buying nan best. Find retired much astir really we test.

Seagate Game Drive External SSD: One-minute review

The Seagate Game Drive External SSD is simply a PlayStation-focused outer solid-state thrust (SSD) for gamers connected Sony’s console looking for an other retention boost. Compatible pinch PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC, this outer SSD offers a speedy - though not blistering - plug-and-go action and channels an atrocious batch of what makes Seagate 1 of nan go-to brands for gaming storage.

The thrust has a very slick creation and robust-feeling build. A hardy rectangular cuboid successful form, nan thrust feels for illustration it could easy withstand a driblet aliases bump, while besides being very convenient to transportation and worldly into a pocket. It shares nan PS5 family’s artistic (the thrust looks correct astatine location adjacent to Sony’s console) pinch its sleek achromatic finish, achromatic underside and cable, and smart bluish RGB ray that runs on nan beforehand edge.

Seagate hasn’t published immoderate claimed publication and constitute speeds, which is unusual. But from our testing, nan thrust proved to beryllium reliable - if not ace speedy - for an outer difficult drive. It handled transfers from and to a PS5 astatine reasonable times, which you tin publication much astir below, and it sits comfortably supra HDDs, albeit beneath nan top-end outer SSDs for illustration nan WD Black P40. However, it is arsenic easy to usage arsenic immoderate outer difficult thrust competitor, offering a elemental plug-and-use acquisition pinch either a USB-C aliases USB-A cable.

As an SSD it still demands a higher value of admittance than immoderate HDD solution, truthful that should beryllium taken into information if you conscionable request value-busting storage. While you salary a spot of a premium for nan sanction and charismatic licensing here, its wide decent capacity makes this a thrust we tin easy recommend. You get what you salary for present and this is simply a really coagulated

PS5 outer difficult drive

and apical

portable SSD

for mixed usage too.

The Seagate Game Drive External SSD being held successful a manus complete a achromatic array top

(Image credit: Future)

Seagate Game Drive External SSD: Price and availability

  • 1TB: $129.99 / £139.99; 2TB: $219.99 / £229.99
  • Same value scope arsenic soul PS5 SSD options
  • The largest capacity is 2TB

Coming successful 2 sizes, nan Seagate Game Drive External SSD offers 1TB and 2TB solutions for outer storage. The deficiency of a larger 4TB (or bigger) thrust whitethorn irk some, but nan value would skyrocket and those capacities look to still beryllium reserved for much accepted HDDs.

The value constituent puts it successful established outer PS5 SSD territory pinch nan likes of nan WD Black P40, P50, and Samsung T7 Shield for company, though it is much costly than nan Crucial X8 and X9, and WD My Passport SSD range.

While a caller merchandise astatine clip of writing, gaming retention products are ever awesome candidates for income events and value cuts and nan Seagate Game Drive External SSD should beryllium snapped up instantly erstwhile it inevitably receives a discount.

A last prize that nan thrust offers is that it besides comes pinch a 14-day proceedings (for caller users) of PS Plus Premium which is simply a pleasant small other if you’re caller to nan PS5 console.

Seagate Game Drive External SSD: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Price $129.99/£139.99 (1TB) aliases $219.99/£229.99 (2TB)
Capacity 1TB / 2TB
Dimensions0.433 x 1.969 × 3.78 / 11 x 50 x 96mm
Weight 2.33oz / 66g

The Seagate Game Drive External SSD a cablegram and a its container connected a achromatic array top

(Image credit: Future)

Seagate Game Drive External SSD: Design and features

  • Slick officially licensed design
  • Lightweight but coagulated successful nan hand
  • Cool LED flourish

The first (and best) point to statement astir nan Seagate Game Drive External SSD is that it is very successful keeping pinch nan PlayStation 5 aesthetic. It captures nan contrasting white-on-black artistic excellently, and nan bluish LED connected nan drive’s beforehand that lights up erstwhile it's plugged successful really completes nan look.

The thrust is simply a compact accessory and tin easy fresh successful nan thenar of your hand. It’s besides overmuch thinner than a accepted HDD, truthful will request to beryllium positioned cautiously and appropriately if you intend to support it plugged successful permanently. Speaking of which, nan thrust comes pinch a USB-C cablegram and a USB-A cablegram truthful it’ll beryllium dealer’s prime erstwhile it comes to which larboard to use. The cablegram itself is plentifulness agelong capable excessively - thing that personally irked maine successful erstwhile years erstwhile stiff, short cables governed nan position outer drives would person to take.

The astir important characteristic to retrieve for PS5 owners is that you cannot play PS5 games straight from nan Seagate Game Drive External SSD. It tin beryllium utilized to play PS4 games from it and is simply a good intends to do so, while besides allowing you a retention spot for your PS5 games to transportation complete to your console erstwhile you’re ready. It performs those transfers nicely too, arsenic you’ll publication astir below.

The Seagate Game Drive External SSD being held successful a manus complete a achromatic array top

(Image credit: Future)

Seagate Game Drive External SSD: Performance

  • Strong but not spectacular speeds
  • Not arsenic accelerated arsenic soul options - aliases competing outer SSDs
  • Still overmuch faster than competing HDDs

The Seagate Game Drive External SSD is simply a coagulated performer and is worthy of its spot successful nan brand’s pantheon - but won’t rustle immoderate socks off. The thrust is overmuch faster than immoderate outer HDD competitor but has middling speeds that mean it doesn’t compete astatine nan very highest extremity of nan spectrum, wherever drives from nan likes of WD Black and Samsung sit.

On PS5, I transferred a 122.2GB installation of Diablo 4 to nan Seagate thrust successful 10 minutes and 18 seconds and it was transferred backmost to nan console successful 16 minutes and 26 seconds. Star Wars Outlaws (a 51.6GB file) was moved to nan SSD successful 4 minutes and 25 seconds and past backmost again successful 6 minutes and 57 seconds. My smallest single-game transportation was Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown astatine 25.5GB and this was transferred successful 2 mins 12 seconds to nan SSD and backmost again successful 3 minutes and 26 seconds. Lastly, a 53.59GB bundle of games (Unravel Two, Pentiment, SOMA, and nan Dead Space Remake) was transferred successful 3 mins and 59 seconds and backmost again successful 6 minutes and 58 seconds.

This is encouraging, peculiarly if you've sewage a bunch of smaller games aliases PS4 games; nan thrust transferring this bundle of games successful astir half nan clip of a azygous PS5 crippled of nan aforesaid is notable.

On PC, difficult thrust testing package CrystalDiskMark 8.0.5 was capable to put immoderate numbers to nan capacity successful position of publication and constitute speeds. After aggregate tests, nan Seagate Game Drive External SSD thrust presented mean publication speeds of 439.83MB/s and an mean constitute velocity of 415.63MB/s.

These speeds aren’t massively impressive, particularly erstwhile compared to its competition, and put nan thrust firmly successful nan beardown but not spectacular space.

Compared to nan likes of nan WD_BLACK P40 Game Drive, nan speeds conscionable don’t stack up; it finds itself successful nan aforesaid campy arsenic nan Lexar SL200, Samsung T5, and Seagate Fast SSD. However, nan upside of this is that nan thrust ne'er gets basking and tin support going each time agelong astatine nan aforesaid rate, making it ace reliable overall, and cleanable if you request a PS5, aliases PS5 Pro, workhorse.

But moreover if it’s not swimming successful nan fastest of waters, fixed its reliability, simple-to-use nature, and slick officially-licensed design, nan Seagate Game Drive External SSD is an easy thrust to recommend.

The Seagate Game Drive External SSD adjacent to a PS5 and DualSense controller connected a achromatic desk

(Image credit: Future)

Should I bargain nan Seagate Game Drive External SSD?

Buy it if...

You want a premium, officially licensed outer retention solution for PS5
The Seagate Game Drive External SSD is cleanable for PS5 users, not slightest because it’s an officially licensed merchandise and beautifully shares nan aforesaid aesthetics arsenic nan console. Factor successful its reliable job, past it's an perfect retention companion for PS5 users.

You worth SSD speeds complete HDD capacity
If you person nan fund for an SSD past nan capacity you get present complete an HDD is sizeable and you won’t look back. If you’re looking for a boost to speeds and capacity complete an older HDD solution past this is it.

You only request a smaller retention amount
If you’re only aft a (relatively) smaller magnitude of outer retention past nan Seagate Game Drive External SSD is an perfect outer retention solution for you, particularly if you worth its tidy speeds.

Don't bargain it if...

You request maximum worth from an outer retention solution
As an SSD, this thrust does person a higher value of admittance than accepted HDDs. If you’re happy to forego apical speeds to maximize your bang for buck, past an HDD whitethorn beryllium a amended fresh for you.

You want nan absolute fastest outer SSD velocity going
While competent and reliable, nan publication and constitute speeds of nan Seagate Game Drive External SSD aren’t enormously beastly by immoderate means, and location are faster outer SSDs disposable if that characteristic is of paramount value to you.

Also consider...

Still not sold connected nan Seagate Game Drive External SSD for PS5 and PS4? Here’s really it compares to 2 akin products truthful you tin compare.

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Row 0 - Cell 0 Seagate Game Drive External SSDWD Black P40Seagate Game Drive for PS%
Price$129.99/£139.99 (1TB) / $219.99/£229.99 (2TB)$129.99/£175.99 (1TB) / $219.99/£278.99 (2TB)$89.99/£109.99 (2TB) / $149.99/£209.99 (5TB)
Capacity1TB / 2TB500GB / 1TB / 2TB2TB / 5TB
Dimensions0.43 x 1.97 × 3.78in / 11 x 50 x 96mm4.2 x 2 x 0.51in / 107 x 50.8 x 13mm0.8 x 2.9 x 4.4in / 20.5 x 76 x 113.5mm
Weight2.33oz / 66g2.7oz / 77.1g8.8oz / 249g

WD Black P40 Game Drive
If you must person nan champion speeds imaginable successful your outer difficult thrust for PS5 past nan WD Black P40 Game Drive is 1 of nan champion options astatine nan apical extremity of nan market. Offering blistering speeds for an outer difficult drive, WD Black’s gaming retention pedigree, and a slick look to boot, this is simply a value premium option.

For much information, cheque retired our afloat WD BLACK P40 Game Drive review.

Seagate Game Drive for PS5
If you conscionable request a elemental outer retention solution connected PlayStation past nan Seagate Game Drive for PS5 is easy to recommend. Despite being an HDD alternatively than an SSD nan capacity is reliable and excellent, and nan value, and bang for backmost present are terrific. If you’re looking to maximize what you get and request a larger capacity, past this is simply a good option.

For much information, cheque retired our afloat Seagate Game Drive for PS5 review.

How I tested nan Seagate Game Drive External SSD: One-minute review

  • Used nan thrust astir each time for astir 2 weeks
  • Played PS4 games from it, and regularly moved PS5 games to and from it
  • Compared it to my soul PS5 SSD and different outer HDDs connected PS5
  • Compared it to my day-to-day HDD connected PC

I incorporated nan Seagate Game Drive External SSD into my PS5 setup and utilized it arsenic an hold of my console’s retention for astir 2 weeks. In that time, I copied and stored aggregate PS5 games galore times - timing each transportation manually arsenic good arsenic utilizing nan PlayStation’s ain estimates - and ran PS4 games from nan thrust too. I utilized some nan drive’s cables and tested successful some nan PS5’s USB-A and USB-C ports.

I tested nan Seagate Game Drive External SSD against different Seagate outer HDDs connected PS5 to corroborate its velocity and nan summation successful capacity nan SSD offers. I besides made nan aforesaid comparison pinch my regular outer HDD, nan Lacie Rugged, connected PC.

Read much astir really we test

First reviewed October 2024.

Rob Dwiar

Managing Editor, TechRadar Gaming

Rob is nan Managing Editor of TechRadar Gaming, a video games journalist, critic, editor, and writer, and has years of acquisition gained from aggregate publications. Prior to being TechRadar Gaming's Managing Editor, he was TRG's Deputy Editor, and a longstanding personnel of GamesRadar+, being nan Commissioning Editor for Hardware location for years, while besides squeezing successful a short stint arsenic Gaming Editor astatine WePC conscionable earlier joining TechRadar Gaming. He is besides a writer connected tech, gaming hardware, and video games but besides gardens and landscapes, combining nan 2 areas successful an upcoming book connected video crippled landscapes that you tin backmost and pre-order now.

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