These 6 cheap external drives pair perfectly with Xbox One

The Xbox One’s biggest titles continue to grow in size, making it easier than ever to fill your console’s internal storage. External hard drives are the way to go if you run into this issue, with USB 3.0 support opening the console to a vast assortment of third-party solutions. To help you expand that storage, we rounded up the best external hard drives for Xbox One that won’t break the bank.

Staff favorite

Toshiba’s 1TB Canvio Basic drives are simple, compact, and among the cheapest Xbox-compatible drives. Tripling storage of entry-level Xbox One consoles, it’s the perfect budget upgrade to pair with internal storage.

• $45 at Amazon
• $47 at Best Buy

While Seagate offers a dedicated line of licensed Xbox One drives, its Portable lineup bears similar internals. Direct from the reputable hard drive manufacturer, get started at a lower price.

• $48 at Amazon
• $66 at Walmart

Expand your Xbox One storage for cheap with WD’s My Passport range. Starting at 1TB, you’ll get WD’s reliable drive technology, shrouded in one of the various colored plastic shells.

• $50 at Amazon
• $60 at Best Buy

Leap to 2TB with this WD Elements drive, delivering a low-cost storage upgrade for a few extra bucks. It’s barebones, cutting surplus software, so it’s ideal for simple plug-and-play with Xbox One.

• $63 at Amazon
• $65 at Walmart

This 4TB Seagate portable drive is all you need, hitting the highest capacity of its USB-powered drives. Formidable speeds and space for dozens of games make this ideal for any frequent gamer.

• $90 at Amazon
• $98 at Best Buy

Whether Game Pass aficionado or digital hoarder, this 8TB external drive provides an insane amount of storage for your Xbox One console. While you’ll be paying more than smaller options, you won’t be limited by your hard drive size again, with room for dozens of games. While there are Xbox-branded alternatives at this capacity, you’re saving by opting for a standard Seagate drive.

• $145 from Best Buy
• $125 from Walmart

Expand your storage

Pairing your Xbox One with an external hard drive increases the number of games you can install simultaneously. This ability is especially crucial when downloads are more significant than ever. And with several reliable yet affordable drives on the market, there’s no better time to upgrade.

The Toshiba Canvio Basics 1TB Portable External Hard Drive drive sits among our top picks for buyers on a budget, securing a low price and great gaming results. It’s one of the cheapest out there, but still reliable. If you’re getting a reputable name at a low price, with reasonable reliability, you won’t see much difference by choosing the lower-cost models.

However, don’t overlook the benefits of larger alternatives for Xbox One, with the WD 2TB Elements packing double the capacity for less than a $20 premium. You may also want to consider some of the best SSDs for Xbox One, which enable increased memory speeds and reduced loading times.

If you want more information on how to search for and pick an external hard drive for your console, we’ve rounded up everything you’d need to know.