Best external hard drive for PS5, ranked by price per TB

PS5, PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro storage, ranked by value on Amazon.co.uk

Updated 1 hour ago

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Quick answer

An external USB drive cannot run PS5 games, but it is the cheapest way to store them and to play PS4 games directly. You archive PS5 titles on it and copy them back to internal storage to play, which beats redownloading. USB caps around 1,000 MB/s, well below internal NVMe.

As of 21 October 2026

PS5 requirements as published in Sony's M.2 SSD support page. Prices from Amazon.co.uk.

Best price per TB

£3.20

Compatible drives tracked

217

Page updated

1 hour ago

What an external drive does on a PS5

An external drive plays PS4 games directly over USB and stores PS5 games as an archive. PS5 games themselves must be moved to internal M.2 storage to run, because USB is too slow for the console's streaming.

For pure capacity per pound it beats any internal SSD, which makes it the natural home for games you are not actively playing.

Is an external drive right for you?

An external drive is right if

You want a cheap archive for PS5 games.
You play a lot of PS4 games.
You want maximum storage per pound.

You need an internal SSD instead if

You want to play more PS5 games at full speed.
You dislike copying games back to play them.
Load times and speed matter to you.

1TB 2TB 4TB 8TB With heatsink Cheapest

Compatible drives, live prices

Show price

Include used & renewedSort

Top 50 of 251 drives

Product	Capacity	Price	Price per TB	Tech	Prime	Buy
Aenllosi Case for WD Black P10 Game Drive Western digital External HDD	5 TB	£15.99	£3.20	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
Game Drive for Xbox 1TB External Hard Drive CH SN530 512G/1TB XA1 512G/1TB \| Aluminum Alloy, 7x6x3cm Compact, Supports CH SN530/XA1 Drives, Fast Load Times for xbox Certified, Data Rescue Services	1 TB	£18.39	£18.39	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
Seagate Game Drive for Xbox 5TB, External Hard Drive Portable, USB 3.2 Gen 1, White with built-in green LED bar, Xbox Certified, Data Rescue Services (STKX5000100)	5 TB	£134.99	£27.00	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
WD 5TB My Passport for Mac portable external storage, USB 3.0, Mac Compatible external hard drive, software for device management, backup and password protection, Time Machine Ready, Midnight BlueUsed	5 TB	£138.57	£27.71	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Seagate 5TB One Touch Portable Hard Drive \| USB 3.0 (STKZ5000404) \| Premium HDD with password protection, customizeable backup, Windows & macOS. Adobe CC trial. 2-Year Warranty + 2-Year Rescue	5 TB	£138.99	£27.80	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Seagate One Touch Hub 20TB, External Hard Drive Desktop HDD, USB-C & USB 3.0 port, for Computer Desktop Workstation PC Laptop Mac (STLC20000400)	20 TB	£588.32	£29.42	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
WD 5TB Elements AE Portable External Hard Drive, SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 1/USB 3.0, Plug-and-Play, Formatted for Windows, BlackUsed	5 TB	£149.68	£29.94	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Seagate Basic, 5TB, Portable External Hard Drive , USB 3.0, for PC Laptop (STJL5000400)Used	5 TB	£149.90	£29.98	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
Seagate 5TB Portable Hard Drive \| USB 3.0 (STGX5000400) \| Everyday HDD storage. Plug-and-play backup. Windows & macOS. Adobe CC trial included. 2-Year Warranty + Rescue Services	5 TB	£149.99	£30.00	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
WD 5TB My Passport portable external storage, external hard drive, USB 3.0, portable HDD with software for device management, backup and password protection, works with PC, Xbox &Playstation, BlackUsed	5 TB	£150.99	£30.20	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
WD 6TB Elements AE Portable External Hard Drive, SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 1/USB 3.0, Plug-and-Play, Formatted for Windows, BlackUsed	6 TB	£186.45	£31.08	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Avolusion PRO-Z 6TB External USB 3.0 Gaming Hard Drive for PS5	6 TB	£190.55	£31.76	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Western Digital WD 44TB My Book DuoDesktop RAID External Hard Drive USB 3.2 Gen 1	44 TB	£1,399.99	£31.82	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
WD 5TB Elements AE Portable External Hard Drive, SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 1/USB 3.0, Plug-and-Play, Formatted for Windows, Black	5 TB	£162.99	£32.60	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Avolusion PRO-X (White) 6TB USB 3.0 External Gaming Hard Drive for PS5 Game Console	6 TB	£195.73	£32.62	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
WD 6TB Elements AE Portable External Hard Drive, SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 1/USB 3.0, Plug-and-Play, Formatted for Windows, Black	6 TB	£197.87	£32.98	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
WD 6TB My Passport portable external storage, external hard drive, USB 3.0, portable HDD with software for device management, backup and password protection, works with PC, Xbox &Playstation, Red 3 other listings of this model £198.99 £206.99 £206.99	6 TB	£198.99	£33.17	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Seagate Expansion 22TB External Hard Drive HDD - USB 3.0, with Rescue Data Recovery Services (STKP22000400)	22 TB	£731.66	£33.26	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
Seagate Basic, 5TB, Portable External Hard Drive , USB 3.0, for PC Laptop (STJL5000400)	5 TB	£169.00	£33.80	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
WD_BLACK 5TB P10 Game Drive, Works with PlayStation, Portable External Hard Drive, Speeds Up to 130 MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen 1, Play and Store PS4 games; archive PS5 games, White 1 other listing of this model £181.99	5 TB	£169.99	£34.00	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Avolusion PRO-Z Series 8TB USB 3.0 External Gaming Hard Drive for PS5 Game Console (White) - 2 Year Warranty	8 TB	£277.05	£34.63	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
WD 6TB My Passport Ultra, portable external storage, external hard drive, software with defense against ransomware, backup and password protection, Works with PC, Xbox S\|X, PS5, PS4, Midnight Blue	6 TB	£208.99	£34.83	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Avolusion T8 Series 4TB USB 3.0 External Gaming Hard Drive for PS5 Game Console (Black) - 2 Year Warranty	4 TB	£139.40	£34.85	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
ADATA HV620S 4TB, Slim External Hard Drive, 2.5", USB 3.2 Gen1, 11.5mm Thick, Black - AHV620S-4TU31-CBK (work with PS5/XBOX)	4 TB	£139.95	£34.99	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
WD 4TB My Passport portable external storage, external hard drive, USB 3.0, portable HDD with software for device management, backup and password protection, works with PC, Xbox &Playstation, BlueUsed	4 TB	£139.99	£35.00	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
Avolusion T8 Series 8TB USB 3.0 External Gaming Hard Drive for PS5 Game Console (Black) - 2 Year Warranty	8 TB	£279.98	£35.00	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
WD 6TB My Passport Works with USB-C, portable external hard drive, USB 3.2 Gen 1, software for device management, backup, password protection, Works with PC, Mac, Chromebook, Gaming Consoles, Grey	6 TB	£211.99	£35.33	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
WD 6TB My Passport for Mac portable external storage, USB 3.0, Mac Compatible external hard drive, software for device management, backup and password protection, Time Machine Ready, Midnight Blue	6 TB	£211.99	£35.33	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
WD_Black P10 6TB Game Drive, Portable External Hard Drive, Speeds Up to 130 MB/s, Works With Console, PC, Playstation, Xbox, Save Up to 125 games, Portable Game Drive, Black 4 other listings of this model £213.99 £213.99 £218.99 £218.99	6 TB	£213.99	£35.67	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Seagate Expansion Portable, 5TB, External Hard Drive, 2.5 Inch, USB 3.0, for Mac and PC, 2 year Rescue Services (STKM5000400)	5 TB	£179.00	£35.80	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
WD 5TB My Passport Works with USB-C, portable external hard drive, USB 3.2 Gen 1, software for device management, backup, password protection, Works with PC, Mac, Chromebook, Gaming Consoles, Grey	5 TB	£179.99	£36.00	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Avolusion PRO-Z 4TB External USB 3.0 Gaming Hard Drive for PS5	4 TB	£144.34	£36.09	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Seagate 4TB Portable Hard Drive \| USB 3.0 (STGX4000400) \| Everyday HDD storage. Plug-and-play backup. Windows & macOS. Adobe CC trial included. 2-Year Warranty + Rescue Services	4 TB	£149.88	£37.47	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Seagate Game Drive Hub 8TB, External Hard Drive Desktop, USB 3.2 Gen 1, Dual USB-C and USB-A ports, Xbox Certified, with RGB LED lighting, Data Rescue Services (STKW8000402)	8 TB	£299.99	£37.50	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
Avolusion Pro-T8 Series PROT8BK-8TB-PS5 8TB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive for PS5 Game Console - Black	8 TB	£308.53	£38.57	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Slim Portable External Hard Drive HDD - USB 3.0/Type-C High-Speed Storage - Compatible with Windows, Mac, Laptop, PC, Desktop, PS4, PS5 Xbox - Backup for Data, Movies, Games & Photos (Black, 1TB)	1 TB	£39.48	£39.48	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
WD My Passport 4TB Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.2 Gen 1, Red 1 other listing of this model £181.77	4 TB	£168.00	£42.00	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
Toshiba Canvio Gaming 4TB - Portable 2.5’’ External Hard Drive compatible with most PlayStation, Xbox and PC consoles, USB 3.2. Gen 1 Technology, Black (HDTX140EK3CA)	4 TB	£169.99	£42.50	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
WD_BLACK P10 4TB Game Drive, Portable External Hard Drive, Speeds Up to 130 MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen 1, Works with Playstation, Xbox, PC, Includes One Month Discord NITRO offer, Camo 1 other listing of this model £169.99	4 TB	£169.99	£42.50	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
WD_BLACK P10 2TB Game Drive for Xbox, Xbox storage expansion, Portable external hard drive, On-the-Go Access to your Library, up to 130 MB/s, Includes 1 month Pass UltimateUsed	2 TB	£88.07	£44.04	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
LaCie 5TB Rugged Portable Hard Drive \| USB-C (STFR5000800) \| All-terrain portable HDD, drop, crush & rain resistant, bus-powered. Adobe CC trial included. 3-Year Warranty + 3-Year Rescue	5 TB	£220.99	£44.20	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Seagate Game Drive for Xbox 5TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD - USB 3.2 Gen 1, Black with Built-in Green LED bar, Xbox Certified, 3 Year Rescue Services (STKX5000403)	5 TB	£225.53	£45.11	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
WD My Passport 2TB Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.2 Gen 1, BlueUsed	2 TB	£91.48	£45.74	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive, USB-C connectivity, USB 3.2 Gen 1 / USB 3.0 interface, compatible with Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices, BlackUsed	2 TB	£92.99	£46.50	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Seagate Expansion Desktop, 4TB, External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, 2 year Rescue Services (STKP4000402)	4 TB	£191.05	£47.76	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Seagate 2TB Portable Hard Drive \| USB 3.0 (STGX2000400) \| Everyday HDD storage. Plug-and-play backup. Windows & macOS. Adobe CC trial included. 2-Year Warranty + Rescue Services	2 TB	£95.99	£48.00	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Toshiba Canvio Partner 2TB Portable 2.5’’ External Hard Drive, USB 3.2, Mac & Windows compatible. (HDTB520EK3AB)Used	2 TB	£97.18	£48.59	HDD · USB	Prime	Buy on Amazon
Seagate FireCuda Gaming HDD 2TB, External Hard Drive HDD, PC Gaming, Starfield Special Edition, USB 3/2, Data Rescue Services (STMJ2000400)	2 TB	£97.91	£48.96	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
Sonnics 1TB Desktop External Hard Drive USB 3.0 high speed for XBOX ONE & PS4	1 TB	£48.99	£48.99	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon
ModusTech Facet 1TB External Hard Drive Portable USB-C/USB 3.1 Plug & Play Ultra-Slim HDD Hard drive for Backup, Gaming, PC, Mac, Laptop, PS4, Xbox, Smart TVUsed	1 TB	£49.97	£49.97	HDD · USB	-	Buy on Amazon

Show all 251 drives

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Keep comparing: The 11.25mm height rule, Does the PS5 need a heatsink?, PS5 SSD heatsinks, 2TB with heatsink, PS5 Slim SSD.

Frequently asked questions

Can you play PS5 games from an external hard drive?

No. PS5 games must run from internal NVMe storage. You can store them on an external USB drive and copy them back to play, which avoids redownloading.

Can the PS5 play PS4 games from an external drive?

Yes. PS4 games run directly from a USB external drive on the PS5, with no copying needed.

What external drive is best for a PS5?

For storage and PS4 play, a USB 3.0 external hard drive offers the most capacity per pound. Sort by price per terabyte to find the best value.

How fast is an external drive on PS5?

USB caps at around 1,000 MB/s, well below internal NVMe. That is fine for storing and copying games and for playing PS4 titles, but not for running PS5 games.

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Last updated: 2026-10-21 06:04:07 UTC. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date indicated on Amazon.co.uk and are subject to change. Any price displayed at the time of purchase will apply. CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED AS IS AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.