Best External Hard Drives for PS5 by Price per TB
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Buy the largest external hard drive you need as a parking spot for PS5 games and a home for PS4 games; choose an external SSD only if you play a lot of PS4 games from the drive, because PS5 games must move back to console or M.2 storage to run.
PS5 storage fills fast — even the 2TB PS5 Pro has about 1.89 TB usable. An external drive is the cheapest way to add room, and the list below ranks today's offers in the PS5's supported range, from 250 GB to 8 TB, by price per TB, so you can see which drive gives you the most storage for the money.
The catch matters: USB extended storage can run PS4 games directly, but PS5 games can only be parked there and copied back to console storage or an M.2 SSD before you play. That makes a big hard drive the right buy for most people, while an external SSD earns its higher price per TB mainly if you play PS4 games from the drive itself.
Avolusion PRO-H1 4TB 7200RPM USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps) External Hard Drive (for Windows or MacOS Desktop PC/Laptop) (Renewed)
$139.99 · $35.00/TB as of Sep 26, 01:31 PM EDT
Ranks #1 at $35.00/TB — 10% above the typical external HDD across all sizes. Renewed condition, USB.
Seagate Expansion 6TB External Hard Drive HDD - USB 3.0, with Rescue Data Recovery Services (STKP6000400)
$234.99 · $39.17/TB as of Sep 26, 01:31 PM EDT
Ranks #2 at $39.17/TB — 15% below the typical external HDD of similar size. New condition, USB.
Seagate Desktop Drive 8000 GB 8TB external Hard Drive, 3.5 Inch, USB 3.0, PC & Notebook, Xbox & PS4, Modellnr.: STGY8000400
$314.48 · $39.31/TB as of Sep 26, 01:31 PM EDT
Ranks #3 at $39.31/TB — 10% below the typical external HDD of similar size. New condition, USB, 3.5".
Western Digital 8TB My Book Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, External HDD with Password Protection and Backup Software - WDBBGB0080HBK-NESN
$329.99 · $41.25/TB as of Sep 26, 01:31 PM EDT
Ranks #4 at $41.25/TB — 6% below the typical external HDD of similar size. New condition, USB.
WD 5TB My Passport, Portable External Hard Drive, Black, backup software with defense against ransomware, and password protection, USB 3.1/USB 3.0 compatible - WDBPKJ0050BBK-WESN
$213.00 · $42.60/TB as of Sep 26, 01:31 PM EDT
Ranks #5 at $42.60/TB — 15% below the typical 5TB external HDD. New condition, USB.
Western Digital WD 5TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive for Windows, USB 3.2 Gen 1/USB 3.0 for PC & Mac, Plug and Play Ready - WDBU6Y0050BBK-WESN
$213.50 · $42.70/TB as of Sep 26, 01:31 PM EDT
Ranks #6 at $42.70/TB — 14% below the typical 5TB external HDD. New condition, USB.
WD 6TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive for Windows, USB 3.2 Gen 1/USB 3.0 for PC & Mac, Plug and Play Ready - WDBHJS0060BBK-WESN
$258.00 · $43.00/TB as of Sep 26, 01:31 PM EDT
Ranks #7 at $43.00/TB — 7% below the typical external HDD of similar size. New condition, USB.
WD 6TB My Passport, Portable External Hard Drive, Black, Backup Software with Defense Against ransomware, and Password Protection, USB 3.1/USB 3.0 Compatible - WDBR9S0060BBK-WESN
$259.00 · $43.17/TB as of Sep 26, 01:31 PM EDT
Ranks #8 at $43.17/TB — 6% below the typical external HDD of similar size. New condition, USB.
UnionSine 4TB Ultra Slim Portable External Hard Drive HDD-USB 3.0
$177.93 · $44.48/TB as of Sep 26, 01:31 PM EDT
Ranks #9 at $44.48/TB — 6% below the typical 4TB external HDD. New condition, USB.
WD 4TB My Passport, Portable External Hard Drive, Black, Backup Software with Defense Against ransomware, and Password Protection, USB 3.1/USB 3.0 Compatible - WDBPKJ0040BBK-WESN
$180.10 · $45.03/TB as of Sep 26, 01:31 PM EDT
Ranks #10 at $45.03/TB — 5% below the typical 4TB external HDD. New condition, USB.
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What to look for
Match the size to your library. Sony accepts USB drives from 250 GB to 8 TB, but single PS5 games can pass 130 GB — a recent Call of Duty with its content packs does, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is about 150 GB. A 250 GB drive holds only one or two titles like that, so a multi-terabyte drive is the practical choice for a parking spot.
Follow the connection rules, or the drive won't work as extended storage. The PS5 needs SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps or faster, doesn't support USB hubs, and uses one extended storage drive at a time. Plug into a rear USB-A port or the front SuperSpeed USB-C port; the remaining front port is slower and not suitable, however good the drive behind it is.
Speed matters only if you play PS4 games from the drive. Digital Foundry's tests found a SATA SSD over USB loaded PS4 games about as fast as the console's internal drive, an NVMe drive in a USB enclosure was no faster than SATA, and a 5 TB hard drive was slowest in nearly every test — one Fallout 4 load took 36 seconds against 13 on the SSDs. For parked PS5 games, a hard drive's speed barely matters.
FAQ
Can you play PS5 games from an external hard drive?
No. PS5 games can be stored on USB extended storage but must be copied back to console storage or an M.2 SSD to play. Copying them back is usually quicker than downloading them again, and it saves bandwidth.
What size external hard drive works with a PS5?
Any drive from 250 GB to 8 TB that supports SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps or faster. Because big PS5 games run 130 GB or more, multi-terabyte drives make the most sense as a place to park them.
External SSD or hard drive for PS5?
A hard drive is the cheaper pick for parking PS5 games; an SSD makes sense if you play PS4 games directly from the drive. In Digital Foundry's tests, a SATA SSD over USB loaded PS4 games about as fast as the internal drive, while a hard drive was clearly slower.
Which USB port should I use for PS5 external storage?
A rear USB-A port or the front SuperSpeed USB-C port — Sony recommends a SuperSpeed 10 Gbps port. The remaining front port is slower and not suitable, and USB hubs aren't supported.