Essential portable hard drives for gamers

This cheap and cheerful HDD is your best bet for backing up old game files and expanding storage on a budget. It offers a simple backup solution with ample capacity for less demanding storage needs.

A staple for reliable and affordable mass storage, the WD My Passport offers copious storage space for a very reasonable price. It's an excellent value choice for backing up old game files and expanding libraries where speed is not the primary concern.

This durable and highly portable SSD offers swift speeds and robust protection against drops, water, and dust, making it a reliable travel companion for gamers. Its 256-bit encryption adds an extra layer of security.

The Samsung T7 Shield is praised for its exceptional durability and reliable performance, making it perfect for gamers who need a robust drive for travel or challenging environments. It offers a great balance of speed, security, and ruggedness.

Officially licensed for PlayStation and Xbox, this HDD offers huge extra space for console game libraries, making it ideal for storing and playing backward-compatible games directly from the drive. Its plug-and-play setup ensures ease of use.

This portable SSD offers top-tier speed and portability in a tiny form factor, making it perfect for gamers who need to take their game libraries on the go with maximum performance. It's resistant to splashes, dust, and drops, ensuring data safety.

This SSD is a strong all-rounder, offering excellent value for budget-conscious gamers by ticking boxes for speed, capacity, build quality, and compatibility. It provides fast NVMe-level speeds for shorter game load times.

This SSD is highly recommended for its exceptional speed and durability, making it ideal for running games directly from the drive on PC and for storing current-gen console games. Its customizable RGB lighting and shock-resistant casing add to its appeal for gamers.

Specifically designed for Xbox, this SSD offers ultra-fast storage for backward-compatible titles and quick transfers for Xbox Series X|S games. Its seamless compatibility and Xbox-green LED lighting make it a perfect accessory for console gamers.

For gamers and content creators who demand the absolute fastest transfer times for large game files and 4K content, the Samsung T9 is an excellent choice. It leverages USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 for superior speed and includes dynamic thermal guard.