Best External SSD for PS5 (2026)
A PS5 USB extended-storage drive holds games. It does not launch PS5 games. Sony’s guide says PS5 games move to USB storage and must be copied back to console storage, or to an M.2 SSD, before they play. PS4 games can play from the USB drive. The drive has to be SuperSpeed USB at 5 Gbps or faster, from 250 GB to 8 TB, plugged in directly. One USB extended-storage drive is active at a time. Sony’s footnote also says a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 device is limited to a single-lane 10 Gbps connection.
Use the Samsung Portable SSD T7. Samsung rates it USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10 Gbps, up to 1,050 MB/s read and 1,000 MB/s write with Gen 2 and UASP. That is the USB class Sony’s page already lists as SuperSpeed USB 10 Gbps. The box includes a USB-C to USB-A cable. Capacities from 500 GB to 4 TB sit inside the 250 GB to 8 TB window.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Reviewed October 2026 · Specs checked against the manufacturer pages named below
USB 3.2 Gen 2 at 10 Gbps, with a USB-A cable in the box, inside Sony’s size window.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Rated 2,000 MB/s on Gen 2×2. Sony says that class of device links at 10 Gbps.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓USB4 speeds need a USB4 host. On a 10 Gbps USB-C port OWC lists 990 MB/s.
Check Price at Amazon Read full review ↓Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate affiliate, we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
How We Tested
Port lists and transfer figures below are copied from the manufacturer pages named in each section. This page does not add its own benchmark.
The external SSDs
Samsung Portable SSD T7 View on Amazon
| Line | MU-PC, USB 3.2 Gen 2 |
|---|---|
| Rated speed | Up to 1,050 MB/s read, 1,000 MB/s write |
| Condition | Host and cable must support USB 3.2 Gen 2, with UASP on |
| Size | 85 × 57 × 8.0 mm |
| Box | Drive, USB-C to C cable, USB-C to A cable |
Sony accepts SuperSpeed USB 5 Gbps, 10 Gbps, and 20 Gbps, then caps a Gen 2×2 device at a single-lane 10 Gbps link. The T7 is already a 10 Gbps drive, so its rating and the console’s USB lane are the same class. You still copy a PS5 game back to console storage or an M.2 SSD to play it.
Plug it into the console, not through a hub. If another USB extended-storage drive is already assigned, this one waits. PS4 games can be installed to the USB drive and played there. Leave Samsung’s optional password off before the console formats the disk.
- The interface is 10 Gbps, which is the USB mode these hosts actually run
- Both cable types are in the box
- Samsung lists 500 GB through 4 TB
- Optional password can be left off
- There is no 20 Gbps or 40 Gbps mode on this drive
- The 1,050 / 1,000 figures need Gen 2 and UASP
- A password-locked drive is rejected for iPhone ProRes
- It will not use a Thunderbolt 4 pipe
Kingston XS2000 View on Amazon
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 |
|---|---|
| Rated speed | 2,000 MB/s read, 2,000 MB/s write |
| Kingston’s FAQ | A Thunderbolt or USB4 port does not deliver 2,000 MB/s |
| Size | 69.54 × 32.58 × 13.5 mm, 28.9 g |
| Box | Drive, rubber sleeve, 12-inch USB-C to C cable |
The XS2000 is a good small drive, 28.9 g, up to 4 TB, and Kingston lists consoles as compatible. Its 2,000 MB/s number needs USB 3.2 Gen 2×2. Sony’s PS5 extended-storage footnote says Gen 2×2 devices are held to a single-lane 10 Gbps connection. The sticker and the console disagree, and the console wins.
The cable in the box is USB-C to USB-C. A USB-A port on the console needs a USB-C to A cable, which the T7 already includes. PS5 games stored here still copy back to console storage or M.2 storage to launch.
- 2,000 MB/s is real on a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 host
- Pocket size, 28.9 g
- 500 GB through 4 TB
- Kingston lists iOS and iPadOS
- The 2,000 MB/s line needs a Gen 2×2 port
- Kingston says Thunderbolt and USB4 commonly stop at 10 Gbps for this drive
- The included cable is USB-C to C only
- IP55 applies with the sleeve fitted
OWC Express 1M2 View on Amazon
| Interface | USB4, also used on Thunderbolt ports |
|---|---|
| Apple Silicon row | 3,189 MB/s on USB4 at 40 Gb/s |
| PC row | 3,836 MB/s on USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 |
| 10 Gbps row | 990 MB/s on a 10 Gb/s USB-C port |
| Form | Enclosure for an M.2 NVMe, or a ready-to-run drive |
Sony’s M.2 slot is where an internal NVMe can download, update, and launch PS5 games. The Express 1M2 does not go in that slot. It is a USB4 enclosure. OWC’s 3,189 and 3,836 MB/s cells belong to USB4 and Thunderbolt hosts. The 10 Gbps USB-C cell is 990 MB/s.
Used on the PS5’s USB port, it follows the same extended-storage rules as the T7: 250 GB to 8 TB, no hub, one active USB extended drive, PS4 games playable, PS5 games copied back to play. The enclosure’s USB4 headline does not promote it into the M.2 bay.
- Speaks USB4, so a Thunderbolt 4 Mac can use the 40 Gb/s mode
- OWC prints a separate number for Apple Silicon
- The 10 Gbps row is published, so a slower port is not a surprise
- Works as a finished drive or with your own NVMe
- 3,836 MB/s is the PC row, not the Apple Silicon row
- A 10 Gb/s port is the 990 MB/s row
- The stick inside a DIY build sets the ceiling under those figures
- It is an enclosure story, not a sealed Thunderbolt 5 brick
USB holds PS5 games. Console storage or an M.2 SSD plays them.
Comparison Table
| Drive | On the PS5 USB port | Plays PS5 games from the drive |
|---|---|---|
| T7 | USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10 Gbps class | No. Copy back first. |
| XS2000 | Gen 2×2 sticker, 10 Gbps lane | No. Copy back first. |
| Express 1M2 | USB enclosure, 990 MB/s on the 10 Gbps row | No. The M.2 bay is a different install. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play a PS5 game straight from this SSD?
No. Copy it back to console storage, or to an M.2 SSD, and play it from there. PS4 games can play from the USB drive.
Will a 20 Gbps portable SSD run at 20 Gbps?
Sony says USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 devices are limited to a single-lane 10 Gbps connection.
What size is allowed?
250 GB minimum, 8 TB maximum. These drives fall inside that, from 500 GB up to 4 TB.
Can I use a USB hub?
No. Sony says the drive connects directly, and only one USB extended-storage drive is active at a time.
Final Verdict
The T7 matches the PS5’s useful USB lane: 10 Gbps, inside the 250 GB to 8 TB window, with a USB-A cable included. The XS2000’s 2,000 MB/s rating needs Gen 2×2, and Sony holds that class of device to 10 Gbps. The Express 1M2 stays a USB shelf. PS5 games play from console storage or an M.2 SSD.