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The best external hard drives
By Justin Krajeski This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to external hard drives. We've spent hundreds of hours researching and testing external drives to find the best options for any use and budget. If you want a dependable external drive that has plenty of storage space for documents and photos and is easy to take on the go, get the 2 TB Seagate Backup Plus Slim. But we also have recommendations if you want more storage space, if you want something more reliable or even faster, or if you need to regularly move large amounts of data from one computer to another with an external drive.
Seagate slapped a PlayStation logo on a hard drive to match your PS4
You've had the option of attaching external storage to the PS4 for a while. If you find the existing options just too gauche, though, you're in luck. Seagate is releasing an officially licensed Game Drive that brings 2TB of additional space to your PS4 while matching the aesthetics of the console. It's ultimately a standard portable USB drive with a PlayStation logo on top, but that's not necessarily a bad thing -- it's still an easy way to add extra room for games (roughly 50 more, Seagate said) or cart your library to a friend's place.
Samsung's latest external Thunderbolt 3 SSD is all about speed
Samsung has revealed its first NVMe-based portable SSD, the Portable SSD X5, which is targeted at IT pros and content creators who need to transfer large files quickly. It has a read speed of up to 2,800MB/s and write speed of 2,300MB/s (2,100 MB/s for the 500GB model). Those read and write speeds, combined with 40Gbps-bandwidth Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, will let X5 owners transfer a 20GB file in as little as 12 seconds, Samsung claims.
Seagate’s new PS4 hard drive tacks on 2TB of extra storage
Back in March, Sony released a PS4 update that finally let owners use external hard drives of up to 8TB with their consoles -- and any extra space is great when the average installed game takes up 40 to 50GB. Hot on the heels of its new Xbox One external HDD, Seagate has unveiled its first storage device for the PS4, coming in at 2TB.
Octuple your Xbox storage with this new Seagate hard drive
Both PS4 and Xbox One come with at least 500GB of storage, which seems colossal until one realizes each installed game typically takes up 40 to 50 gigabytes. Back in August 2015, hard drive maker Seagate released a 2TB external HDD specifically keyed to both Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Today, they've unveiled a new version that bumps up the space to 8TB and promises to work with every version of Microsoft's current-gen console -- including the upcoming Scorpio.
Xbox 360's latest update makes it an even better media center
For a lot of people, now that the Xbox 360 is in its twilight years it's transforming from a gaming device to more of a media center. It makes sense then that the first update going out to the console's preview program members is support for bigger external hard drives. Just how big? Two terabytes. Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb writes that the system won't reserve space on your drives in advance anymore, either -- if you only need 16GB for games, it'll only use 16GB for games. However! If you already have space dedicated to Xbox 360 storage you'll need to clear that before you can take full advantage of all that new room for game-related content. The functionality hits everyone's consoles sometime later this year. [Image credit: Blakkos/Flickr]
LaCie's latest portable drive is (almost) ideal for your new MacBook
Dead set on snagging one of those extra-slim MacBooks, but won't make the leap until you have an easy way to back up your files? LaCie has your back. It just unveiled a new version of its Porsche Design Mobile Drive that uses the same USB Type-C port as Apple's latest portable (and eventually, other computers), saving you the hassle of using an adapter just to offload that photo project or back up to Time Machine. It's not quite a dream storage device, though. You'll still need an adapter (thankfully included) to hook up to regular USB devices, and there's no passthrough port. Unless you get a hub, you'll have to choose between powering your Mac and expanding your storage. If that's no barrier, though, you can get the Mobile Drive in the second quarter in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB models. Pricing isn't available yet, but the regular USB models cost $80, $100 and $150 -- it won't be surprising if the USB Type-C versions are in that ballpark.
Toshiba stuffs 3TB into its latest portable hard drives
Portable hard drives don't hold nearly as much data as their desk-bound counterparts, but Toshiba is closing that gap in a big way. Both its simple Canvio Basics drives and sharing-friendly Canvio Connect II models (shown above) are some of the first (reasonably) portable drives to carry 3TB. That's obviously quite a bit more than the 2TB models you've seen before, and enough for you to stash your 4K videos on. They don't have any fancy new tricks in store, although that extra space could come in handy for the Connect II's PogoPlug-based remote access and bundled backup software. Mum's the word on pricing at the moment. With that said, it's safe to say the 3TB models will cost more than a similarly sized disk for your desktop.
Samsung's first portable SSD packs fast storage for relatively little cash
You don't exactly have a ton of options when it comes to portable solid-state drives. You can get fast performance or high capacity at a halfway affordable price, but rarely both. Samsung thinks it can strike that tricky balance with its first-ever external option, the Portable SSD T1. The USB 3.0 storage is based on the same speedy-yet-cheap V-NAND chips as the 850 EVO drive you might buy for your gaming PC, letting it hold a large chunk of your files without devastating your wallet or slowing down -- it reads and writes at 450 MB/s, or just about desktop-level speeds. The line starts off modestly with a 250GB drive that costs $180, but you can opt for 500GB ($300) or 1TB ($600) if you have a lot of games or movies to carry around. That's still expensive compared to spinning hard disks, but it's a relative steal for the performance. Look for the T1 to hit US stores around mid-January.
LaCie's latest artist collaboration is a hard drive wrapped in Gorilla Glass
For the past two years, LaCie has revealed at least one new artist collaboration at CES, and this year is no different. Keeping with the reflective theme of last year's device, the 2015 edition is wrapped in Gorilla Glass and appropriately called Mirror. After teaming up with Philippe Starck and Christofle for previous releases, the company tasked French designer Pauline Deltour for a shiny 1TB hard drive that's covered in Corning's durable glass material and powered through a USB connection (no Thunderbolt here). To properly show the thing off on your desk, a stand of ebony wood provides a resting spot. If you're looking to keep the collection going, or just nab this particular entry, Mirror will arrive later this month for $280. What's that? You were hoping LaCie would have a new Rugged portable hard drive, too? Well, read on.
LaCie Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2 wields dual 500GB SSDs, Intel's latest port tech
When Intel officially ushered in Thunderbolt 2 back in June, it promised that we'd see devices sporting those blazing-fast speeds soon. It seems LaCie was one outfit poised to embrace the tech as the storage company has just announced the Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2. The successor to the original model, version 2.0 touts transfer speeds of 1,375 MB/s, thanks to Intel's port, and a new all-black paint scheme on its aluminum shell. Inside, two 500GB PCIe Gen 2 SSDs in RAID 0 can wrangle 4K and 3D video edits -- power that should properly arm the creative lot for hefty fieldwork. That interior space has also been designed to properly handle heat distribution so that the virtually silent, thermoregulated fan need only kick on every now and then. There's no word on pricing just yet, but the storage gadget is set to arrive later this quarter. We were able to see the new Little Big Disk in action in order to catch a glimpse of its speeds. During our time with the unit, we observed write speeds of 1,200 MB/s and read marks at 1,300 MB/s -- transferring a 300GB file in about four minutes. Thankfully, the drives that were set up ahead of our arrival, and had been sorting files for some time, remained at nearly room temp. With two of the Thunderbolt 2 drives set up in RAID 0, we witnessed 2,000 MB/s write speeds and 2,600 MB/s read numbers. Although the front plate of the new unit is glossy, the entire enclosure is still metal and the black paint job looks quite nice beside a new Mac Pro.
Seagate's Backup Plus line expands with Slim, Fast and desktop external drives for appropriately named file storage
We've been familiar with Seagate's Backup Plus line for quite some time now, and the company has just announced three new offerings under that moniker here at CES. The storage outfit has pulled the wraps off of Backup Plus Slim, Fast and desktop external hard drives, living up to each of those names with both automatic and scheduled backups. First, Fast is being touted as the first 4TB portable drive with dual 2TB drives in RAID 0. The unit is bus-powered at the hands of its USB 3.0 connection and claims speeds of 220 MB/s with a metal-topped plastic enclosure. It's set to ship for $300. Join us on the other side of the break for details on the rest of the group.
LaCie partners with Christofle on Sphère: a silver-plated limited-edition hard drive
Last year at CES, LaCie unveiled the Philippe Starck-designed Blade Runner to grab the attention of those who prefer their storage gadgets to be extra dapper. This time around, the outfit has teamed up with French silversmith Christofle on Sphère. The globe-influenced external hard drive is silver-plated and touts a 1TB capacity. File transfers are sorted via a USB 3.0 connection that doubles as the device's power supply. Just like its predecessor, the shiny Sphère is going to be in short supply when it arrives later this quarter with a $490 price tag, ready to upgrade the look of that workstation. We were able to take a closer look at the Sphère just ahead of the proper start of CES 2014. Despite what appears to be a weighty silver shell, the drive is quite light. The shiny exterior may double as a mirror in a pinch, but mucking it up with fingerprints will happen quickly. Aside from the branding inscriptions on the front and the iconic blue light, there aren't any other details aside from a cable slot around back on the unit's black base. Of course, less is more definitely applies here.
Western Digital refreshes MyBook external HDDs, offers 4TB for $180
If you recently put off snapping up some external storage, consider it good timing: Western Digital has refreshed its whole My Book line. While a 1TB option is now out of the picture, the external hard drives are still available in 2TB, 3TB and 4TB versions, although the Mac varieties are capped at 3TB. They retail for $130, $150 and $180, respectively -- in comparison, the original 4TB drive cost $250 when it debuted. Other than these changes, the HDDs mirror many of their predecessors' features, including their USB 3.0 connection, auto-backup software with hardware encryption, password protection, Dropbox integration and Time Machine compatibility for Mac. Those who prefer the Studio line's aluminum finish might shrug this news off, but those who'd like a regular My Book can snag one from Western Digital's online store or from select retailers.
Major Nelson: Xbox One won't support external storage at launch
We hope you weren't counting on using the Xbox One's USB ports for external storage from day one; as it turns out, you'll likely have to be patient. Speaking at the PAX Prime expo this weekend, Microsoft's Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson) mentioned that external drive support wouldn't be available at launch because the Xbox team was "working on other things." It's not certain when the feature will arrive, Hryb says. We've reached out to Microsoft to verify the statement. If it's accurate, though, you'll want to be cautious when filling the Xbox One's built-in 500GB drive with Xbox Game Store downloads.
Oyen Digital MiniPro enclosure dresses your hard drive like a Mac Pro
A few months ago I reviewed an external hard drive enclosure I was pretty fond of -- the Mercury On-The-Go-Pro. Today I want to tell you about one I like even more: The Oyen Digital MiniPro enclosure. The two enclosures actually are very similar in functionality. They both allow you to take your old laptop hard drives, insert them into the enclosure, and turn those old drives into useful spare external drives. They also both offer one USB 3.0 port and two Firewire 800 ports. The reason I like the Oyen Digital MiniPro more, however, is because its design mirrors the Mac Pro. It's made from a solid aluminum housing that Mac Pro users know and love. Because of this, it actually looks like it was designed by Apple. The enclosure is also bus-powered, so no power cord is required. The Oyen Digital MiniPro enclosure comes in black or silver aluminum and is US$69.95. It's available on Amazon and at the company's store.
Toshiba Canvio Connect drive backs up mobile devices through Pogoplug
While we're used to connected hard drives that share their contents with phones and tablets, the reverse isn't common -- why don't many of these drives safeguard our mobile content from the start? Toshiba is as baffled as we are, so it's launching its Canvio Connect portable drive with handheld access in mind. While the USB 3.0 disk has no built-in networking of its own, a software bundle for Macs and PCs (we've confirmed that it's Pogoplug) lets travelers back up photos and videos from their Android and iOS devices, reach the drive's files through the internet and partake in 10GB of free cloud storage. The new Canvio can also serve as a traditional external drive for computers, although it's still improved in that space when the enclosure is about a third shorter than that of its predecessors. Toshiba expects the mobile-savvy Connect to arrive in mid-May at prices ranging from $99 for a 500GB model through to $190 for a 2TB version.
WD SmartWare Pro automates backups to both Dropbox and external drives
We're used to external hard drive makers offering some kind of backup software to add value, although it's usually forgettable for the experienced users among us -- what we erase while we're busy setting up Windows 8 File History, Time Machine or a cloud service. Western Digital thinks some cloud integration of its own will get us looking at its new, standalone WD SmartWare Pro app. While the client can automatically back up file changes to a local drive as they happen, it can also schedule backups to both the drive and a Dropbox account. The extra-cautious can backup that Dropbox account to the external disk, and the whole affair isn't limited to the company's MyBook drives, either; just about any old USB storage will do. It will cost a minimum of $30 ($20 on sale) for a three-computer SmartWare Pro license, but those who want both physical and cloud-based safety nets might consider the money well-spent.
Mercury On-The-Go-Pro enclosure keeps your old internal drives useful
People often think there are only two options for old Mac laptops: sell them or throw them away. But there's a third option that can keep parts of your old MacBooks useful for a long time -- a hard drive enclosure. An enclosure allows you to turn any internal hard drive into an external one. I recently used the Mercury On-The-Go-Pro from OWC. It has allowed me to turn an internal 500 GB hard drive from a MacBook into an external USB 3.0 / Dual Firewire 800 drive that's useful on the lastest MacBook Pro with Retina display. I literally got the Mercury On-The-Go-Pro in the post this morning and 20 minutes later I was using my old internal drive as an external one. Keep in mind, I had already removed my hard drive my old laptop. But once that was done, converting it into an external drive with the Mercury On-The-Go-Pro was a snap. I simply inserted the hard drive into the enclosure's motherboard, then screwed it in place to the Mercury On-The-Go-Pro's clear acrylic enclosure. I then plugged my new external drive into a USB 3.0 port on my Mac and it transferred data at full USB 3.0 speeds. Besides the USB 3.0 port, the enclosure offers two FireWire 800 ports, which allows you to have quick transfer speeds on older Macs that lack USB 3.0, but still have the faster-than-USB 2.0 FireWire 800 ports. The best thing about the Mercury On-The-Go-Pro too is that it's bus-powered, so there's no need for an external power supply. The Mercury On-The-Go-Pro FireWire 800/USB 3.0 enclosure is Mac and PC compatible and costs US$64.99. A USB 3.0-only model is $37.99.
Toshiba unveils 2TB Canvio Basics and Special Edition portable drives
It's still not all that easy to track down a 2TB portable drive. Thankfully, Toshiba is making that extra-large capacity more ubiquitous by shipping an upgrade to its Canvio line of USB 3.0 disks. Both the no-frills Canvio Basics 3.0 and a Canvio Special Edition with a backup software bundle now carry 2TB inside, up from 1.5TB half a year ago. Not satisfied with just the storage boost? You might be with the price: the 2TB Canvio Basics' $190 starting point is lower than what its WD competition reached when new, and the $220 official price for a Special Edition (we're already seeing $190 at Best Buy) isn't that much of a stretch.
