We run two sets of tests when we’re looking at external hard drives for the Xbox Series S and Series X. First, we connect them to a PC and run the CrystalDiskMark benchmark to test their raw sequential and random read/write speeds. Sequential speeds are an indication of how fast the drive can read or write large quantities of data in one sustained burst, which makes a big difference when you’re first running a game, loading a saved game, streaming in all the models and textures in a level, or transferring a game from one drive to another. Random read/write speeds cover smaller data transfers, and make an impact when you’re running a game directly from the hard drive. The Seagate Storage Expansion Cards are the only external SSDs on market designed to leverage the Xbox Velocity Architecture and deliver the exact same performance as the internal SSD. Other games like Destiny 2 and Assassin's Creed Valhalla need more than 70GB each, and even smaller games like FIFA 21 take up almost 40GB now thanks to the enhanced visuals. While Toshiba sells a gaming-specific version of its Canvio external HDD, the Canvio Flex is the current king when it comes to price, performance and value. It’s cheaper than most competitors, yet also one of the fastest portable HDDs we’ve tested. Our PC benchmarks place its sequential read/write speeds over a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A connection at 151.5MB/sec and 158.9MB/sec, and there’s precious little in it between the Canvio Flex and Canvio Gaming when it comes to random read/write speeds. Plugged into the Xbox Series X, it’s very competitive with the Seagate FireCuda Gaming Hard Drive, taking four seconds longer to load a saved game in Prey, but coming first by just under three seconds in Red Dead Redemption 2. You can also save a minute or so over slower drives when it comes to moving or copying installed games. Sure, it’s nowhere near as speedy as an SSD, but if you just want a drive for archiving Series S/X games and playing your old Xbox One favourites, this could be all you need. Up to 120 FPS: Requires supported content and display. Use on Xbox Series S as content becomes available.

Official Xbox accessories, or those carrying the Designed for Xbox seal of approval, are typically of a very high quality and should be considered first. But third-party options from the likes of Nacon, Turtle Beach and others also provide a high-quality experience at lower price points. Ultimately, there's excellent options across all budgets. Do I need a headset for Xbox Series X and Series X? Above all, we endeavor to test the best Xbox Series X and Series S accessories based on how useful they will be to you, the player. We believe that our choices collectively form a greatly enhanced experience on Xbox Series X|S. Whether that be the boosted storage capacity offered by Seagate's excellent expansion card, or the ease of multimedia access provided by PDP's Game Remote Control, each item on our list offers conveniences in several different forms. You want better mic monitoring: Overall, the Xbox Wireless Headset's mic monitoring is its biggest weakness.If you're wanting to make the most out of the best Dolby Atmos games available on Xbox Series X then the Xbox Wireless Headset has you covered. We found in our testing that this headset has a wide variety of customization, with several different EQ settings so you can find the right balance between modes ideal for gaming and media consumption, too. While you can load and store games on a portable hard drive to free up space, there are some limits to what these devices can do. For example, you can only play Xbox Series X-optimised games that are stored on the console itself or a Seagate Storage Expansion Card. Use with digital games only; console does not play physical discs. 120 FPS: Requires supported content and display; use on Xbox Series S as content becomes available. Xbox Game Pass: Game catalogue varies over time (xbox.com/gamepass). Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) requires Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and supported game; may require supported Bluetooth controller (all sold separately). Select regions and devices. Streaming limitations apply, server availability and wait times may vary. Requires internet, ISP fees apply. xbox.com/cloudgaming

A full install of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II with the Warzone 2.0 Battle Royale mode will take well over 100GB on the internal SSD. Ditto for Forza Horizon 5. Go for this year’s big exclusive, Starfield, and you’re looking at around 125GB. Sign up to Xbox Games Pass and make use of its extensive library, and you could see your available storage space reduced to zero before you know it. Say you bought FIFA 21 on your old Xbox One and it hasn't been upgraded with the 4K graphics and 60fps. You can store and play that version of FIFA from either the internal or external drive. But if you have the Series X version, the console can't read that data from the external hard drive, so you'll have to either put it on the console's memory or buy the expansion card.Yep, that's right. Despite having "for Xbox" in its name, Seagate's Game Drive works just as well with PC when it's plugged in via its bundled USB cable. It supports the USB 3.2 Gen 1 standard, so not super brand-new like the cutting-edge USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard, but still pretty modern. It draws its power from its USB connection, too, so you don't need to plug it into the mains for it to work, and its bundled cable should be long enough to rest it on the top of your PC regardless of whether you plug it in on your motherboard. Xbox Game Pass: sold separately; game catalogue varies over time. See xbox.com/gamepass and https://www.ea.com/ea-play/terms and https://www.ea.com/ea-play for details. There are some cosmetic reasons to go for the FireCuda Gaming Hard Drive, not least that it comes in a range of different designs featuring classic Xbox heroes and Marvel and Star Wars fan favourites. Like the FireCuda SSD, it also has a cool illuminated bar on the front edge that flashes when the drive is busy. Yet the real reason to pay a little extra is that its performance is very good. On paper, the Toshiba Canvio Flex has faster sequential read/write speeds, while its random read/write speeds aren’t far behind. In practice, though, we found the FireCuda slightly faster to load some games and two or three seconds faster when loading save games, although the Toshiba had the edge on Prey. The difference isn’t that significant, but if you like the styling then this drive won’t let you down when it comes to performance. Considering the substantial space Xbox games occupy on Series X or Series S nowadays, opting for an internal storage expansion can be pricey. However, a simpler alternative is grabbing a reliable external game drive and plugging it in.