Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD: One-minute overview
The Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD is a PlayStation-focused exterior solid-state drive (SSD) for avid gamers on Sony’s console searching for an additional storage enhance. Appropriate with PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC, this exterior SSD presents a speedy – although not blistering – plug-and-go possibility and channels an terrible lot of what makes Seagate one of many go-to manufacturers for gaming storage.
The drive has a really slick design and robust-feeling construct. A hardy rectangular cuboid in kind, the drive feels prefer it may simply face up to a drop or bump, whereas additionally being very handy to hold and stuff right into a pocket. It shares the PS5 household’s aesthetic (the drive appears to be like proper at residence subsequent to Sony’s console) with its modern white end, black underside and cable, and sensible blue RGB gentle that runs alongside the entrance edge.
Seagate hasn’t printed any claimed learn and write speeds, which is uncommon. However from our testing, the drive proved to be dependable – if not tremendous speedy – for an exterior arduous drive. It dealt with transfers from and to a PS5 at cheap occasions, which you’ll learn extra about beneath, and it sits comfortably above HDDs, albeit beneath the top-end exterior SSDs just like the WD Black P40. Nevertheless, it’s as straightforward to make use of as any exterior arduous drive competitor, providing a easy plug-and-use expertise with both a USB-C or USB-A cable.
As an SSD it nonetheless calls for a better worth of admittance than any HDD answer, in order that ought to be considered in the event you simply want value-busting storage. When you pay a little bit of a premium for the title and official licensing right here, its total respectable efficiency makes this a drive we will simply advocate. You get what you pay for right here and this can be a actually stable PS5 exterior arduous drive and high transportable SSD for combined use too.
Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD: Worth and availability
- 1TB: $129.99 / £139.99; 2TB: $219.99 / £229.99
- Similar worth vary as inner PS5 SSD choices
- The biggest capability is 2TB
Coming in two sizes, the Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD presents 1TB and 2TB options for exterior storage. The shortage of a bigger 4TB (or greater) drive might irk some, however the worth would skyrocket and people capacities appear to nonetheless be reserved for extra conventional HDDs.
The worth level places it in established exterior PS5 SSD territory with the likes of the WD Black P40, P50, and Samsung T7 Defend for firm, although it’s dearer than the Essential X8 and X9, and WD My Passport SSD vary.
Whereas a brand new product at time of writing, gaming storage merchandise are all the time nice candidates for gross sales occasions and worth cuts and the Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD ought to be snapped up instantly when it inevitably receives a reduction.
A last bonus that the drive presents is that it additionally comes with a 14-day trial (for brand spanking new customers) of PS Plus Premium which is a nice little additional in the event you’re new to the PS5 console.
Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD: Specs
| Worth | $129.99/£139.99 (1TB) or $219.99/£229.99 (2TB) |
| Capability | 1TB / 2TB |
| Dimensions | 0.433 x 1.969 × 3.78 / 11 x 50 x 96mm |
| Weight | 2.33oz / 66g |
Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD: Design and options
- Slick formally licensed design
- Light-weight however stable within the hand
- Cool LED flourish
The primary (and greatest) factor to notice concerning the Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD is that it’s very consistent with the PlayStation 5 aesthetic. It captures the contrasting white-on-black aesthetic excellently, and the blue LED on the drive’s entrance that lights up when it is plugged in actually completes the look.
The drive is a compact accent and may simply match within the palm of your hand. It’s additionally a lot thinner than a conventional HDD, so will should be positioned fastidiously and appropriately in the event you intend to maintain it plugged in completely. Talking of which, the drive comes with a USB-C cable and a USB-A cable so it’ll be seller’s selection relating to which port to make use of. The cable itself is loads lengthy sufficient too – one thing that personally irked me in earlier years when stiff, brief cables ruled the place exterior drives must take.
A very powerful characteristic to recollect for PS5 house owners is that you simply can not play PS5 video games instantly from the Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD. It may be used to play PS4 video games from it and is a advantageous means to take action, whereas additionally permitting you a storage spot in your PS5 video games to switch over to your console if you’re prepared. It performs these transfers properly too, as you’ll examine beneath.
Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD: Efficiency
- Robust however not spectacular speeds
- Not as quick as inner choices – or competing exterior SSDs
- Nonetheless a lot quicker than competing HDDs
The Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD is a stable performer and is worthy of its place within the model’s pantheon – however received’t blow any socks off. The drive is way quicker than any exterior HDD competitor however has middling speeds that imply it doesn’t compete on the very highest finish of the spectrum, the place drives from the likes of WD Black and Samsung sit.
On PS5, I transferred a 122.2GB set up of Diablo 4 to the Seagate drive in 10 minutes and 18 seconds and it was transferred again to the console in 16 minutes and 26 seconds. Star Wars Outlaws (a 51.6GB file) was moved to the SSD in 4 minutes and 25 seconds after which again once more in 6 minutes and 57 seconds. My smallest single-game switch was Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown at 25.5GB and this was transferred in 2 minutes 12 seconds to the SSD and again once more in 3 minutes and 26 seconds. Lastly, a 53.59GB bundle of video games (Unravel Two, Pentiment, SOMA, and the Lifeless Area Remake) was transferred in 3 minutes and 59 seconds and again once more in 6 minutes and 58 seconds.
That is encouraging, significantly in the event you’ve acquired a bunch of smaller video games or PS4 video games; the drive transferring this bundle of video games in roughly half the time of a single PS5 sport of the identical is notable.
On PC, arduous drive testing software program CrystalDiskMark 8.0.5 was in a position to put some numbers to the efficiency by way of learn and write speeds. After a number of assessments, the Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD drive offered common learn speeds of 439.83MB/s and a median write velocity of 415.63MB/s.
These speeds aren’t massively spectacular, particularly when in comparison with its competitors, and put the drive firmly within the robust however not spectacular house.
In comparison with the likes of the WD_BLACK P40 Recreation Drive, the speeds simply don’t stack up; it finds itself in the identical camp because the Lexar SL200, Samsung T5, and Seagate Quick SSD. Nevertheless, the upside of that is that the drive by no means will get scorching and may maintain going all day lengthy on the identical price, making it tremendous dependable total, and ideal in the event you want a PS5, or PS5 Professional, workhorse.
However even when it’s not swimming within the quickest of waters, given its reliability, simple-to-use nature, and slick officially-licensed design, the Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD is a simple drive to advocate.
Ought to I purchase the Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Additionally contemplate…
Nonetheless not bought on the Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD for PS5 and PS4? Right here’s the way it compares to 2 comparable merchandise so you may examine.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD | WD Black P40 | Seagate Recreation Drive for PS% |
| Worth | $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) |
| Capability | 1TB / 2TB | 500GB / 1TB / 2TB | 2TB / 5TB |
| Dimensions | 0.43 x 1.97 × 3.78in / 11 x 50 x 96mm | 4.2 x 2 x 0.51in / 107 x 50.8 x 13mm | 0.8 x 2.9 x 4.4in / 20.5 x 76 x 113.5mm |
| Weight | 2.33oz / 66g | 2.7oz / 77.1g | 8.8oz / 249g |
How I examined the Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD: One-minute overview
- Used the drive practically each day for round two weeks
- Performed PS4 video games from it, and usually moved PS5 video games to and from it
- In contrast it to my inner PS5 SSD and different exterior HDDs on PS5
- In contrast it to my day-to-day HDD on PC
I integrated the Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD into my PS5 setup and used it as an extension of my console’s storage for round two weeks. In that point, I copied and saved a number of PS5 video games quite a few occasions – timing each switch manually in addition to utilizing the PlayStation’s personal estimates – and ran PS4 video games from the drive too. I used each the drive’s cables and examined in each the PS5’s USB-A and USB-C ports.
I examined the Seagate Recreation Drive Exterior SSD in opposition to different Seagate exterior HDDs on PS5 to verify its velocity and the rise in efficiency the SSD presents. I additionally made the identical comparability with my every day exterior HDD, the Lacie Rugged, on PC.
First reviewed October 2024.
