Best Xbox expansion cards 2024

The best Xbox expansion cards are an important purchase to have as games continue to grow in size. Nobody likes having to uninstall an old favorite whenever a fancy new game enters the arena, and if you’ve got an expansion card to give you more storage on top of your Xbox’s built-in amount, you shouldn’t have to.

The amazing library of best Xbox Series X games is one of the main reasons to consider the Xbox Series X as one of the best gaming consoles of all time. But Xbox Series X storage is limited to 1 TB and the Series S is half that at 512 GB.

The problem is that you’ll run out of internal storage capacity after only downloading a couple of them, and Game Pass games make the internal storage space feel especially limiting. The Seagate Storage Expansion Card is one of the best buys right now, but it’s not the only choice. We’ve picked out a selection of the best HDD and SSD expansion cards so that you can download as many games as you want.

These are the best Xbox expansion cards today:

1. WD Black C50 Expansion Card – best expansion card
2. Seagate Portable Drive – best budget option
3. Seagate Storage Expansion card for Xbox Series X|S – premium choice
4. WD_Black P10 Game Drive – biggest storage capacity
5. Samsung T7 Shield – rugged choice
6. Crucial X10 Pro – best portable SSD

1. WD Black C50 Expansion Card

The best Xbox expansion card overall.

WD Black C50 Expansion Card specs:

Pros

• SSD designed for Xbox Series X
• Offers great performance with Quick Resume compatibility

Cons

• Some players may need more storage space
• Won’t work with Xbox One

Western Digital is one of the best manufacturers to go for when it comes to finding additional storage space solutions, and the WD Black C50 has been designed specifically for use on Xbox Series X. This means the experience is almost as smooth as what you’d get when playing it straight through the console. With 1TB of storage space available, you’re literally doubling your room for games. If you want a cheaper option, there’s also a 500GB model that is notably cheaper.

The C50 is compatible with the popular Quick Resume feature. No matter what the game, if it’s on the C50, you can just hop right back into it whenever you want to after you’ve been away – no need to worry about loading and navigating menus. During our testing, we couldn’t notice any discernable difference between loading games from the console’s storage or the WD C50 expansion card

The fact that it takes advantage of the Xbox Velocity Architecture means that you’ll be able to enjoy great performance even with huge recent games like Forza Horizon 5 and Starfield. It may not be the cheapest option for extra storage space, and admittedly, not the largest either, but it’s a really well-made product and good value for money.

Read our WD Black C50 review 

2. Seagate Portable Drive 1TB

This is the cheapest Xbox expansion card.

Seagate Portable Drive specs:

Pros

• Low cost
• Compatible with Xbox One

Cons

• Not specifically optimized for Xbox
• Some players will need more memory capacity

Seagate is the manufacturer that Microsoft officially endorses as the best solution for additional storage space on Xbox consoles, and it should be no surprise that they were responsible for the hard disk drive on the very first Xbox. This Seagate Portable Drive is portable and lightweight, and plus in via USB without the need for any additional software.

Playing games with this expansion card is by no means a bad experience, and casual gamers who prefer single-player experiences will be well served. If you prefer the thrill of things like the Diablo 4 multiplayer mode, then we’d suggest paying more for a faster model.

This Seagate Portable Drive is a good match for the Xbox consoles, even though it wasn’t specifically designed for that purpose. At 1TB, it gives as much additional space as the option we’ve given the number one spot, but it does so at one-third of the cost. If you don’t have a big budget, this is an ideal option for you.

3. Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S

The best premium Xbox expansion card.

Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S specs:

Pros

• Officially recommended by Microsoft
• Enables fantastic performance and compatibility

Cons

• Somewhat more expensive
• Won’t work with Xbox One

The Seagate Storage Expansion Card has been specifically designed for use on the Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S. With the 1TB of space, you’ll be doubling the storage capacity on your console, with the peace of mind that you’ll be able to enjoy the best possible performance with them too.

The downside is that it comes with a fairly large price tag. The compatibility is great, and if the performance of games is your highest priority, then it’s a good buy. It doesn’t outperform the WD_Black C50 by any significant extent, so if your budget is a key consideration, that model might be better for you.

This is a good futureproofed choice. As Xbox consoles continue to update and evolve, you will have a better chance of continued compatibility with Seagate than you will WD, and that extra peace of mind might well justify the extra cost for a lot of people.

4. WD_Black P10 5TB Game Drive

The WD_Black P10 gives you the largest amount of storage up to 5TB.

WD_Black P10 Game Drive specs:

Pros

• Designed for smooth gaming performance
• Enormous storage capacity

Cons

• Not specifically optimized for Xbox
• External HHDs may be cumbersome for some

We’re sure that some readers will be reading this article and feeling a bit confused. Why is the P10, with 5TB of storage space, at the bottom of this list, while the C10, which has 1TB, and costs the same amount, is at the top? Well, it all comes down to performance and compatibility.

The WD_Black C10 was specifically designed with the Xbox Series X in mind, which means that its games perform well when played through it, and features like the Quick Resume are fully compatible. Meanwhile, the P10 is compatible with Xbox consoles, but it’s just as compatible with the PlayStation 5, PC, or Mac devices, so the performance won’t quite meet the levels seen on the C10.

Of course, while it may not be the best performance-wise, it’s definitely unrivaled in storage capacity. With 5TB, you’ve got the storage space of five Xbox Series X consoles squeezed into one. When you think of the number of games you can store inside it, as well as the huge number of hours that you’ll get out of all of them, you’ll see that the P10 will keep you going for quite some time.

5. Samsung T7 Shield

The best rugged expansion card for Xbox Series X.

Samsung T7 Shield specs:

Pros

• Rugged design keeps data safe
• Works with Xbox One

Cons

• Not specifically optimized for Xbox
• Lacks options for larger storage space

Are you somebody who travels around a lot? Do you have Xbox Series X consoles in different homes, and you transport your games and data between them with the help of an external drive? Well, in that case, we recommend the Samsung T7 Shield.

When you’ve got so much precious data stored inside your expansion cards, and the unlocks that you achieved as the culmination of countless hours of gaming, the last thing you want is for anything to risk that data being damaged or corrupted. Rugged expansion cards like the T7 offer the peace of mind that comes with just a little extra durability.

This product is IP65-rated which means that it is particularly resistant to damage from dust and water. We’re sure that’s a sigh of relief to anybody who can’t be bothered to clean their house (only joking). The fact is, rugged expansion cards like this are an appealing choice to anybody, regardless of how they prefer to play, or what their setup is.

Even if your expansion card sits beside your Xbox Series X in your living room and never gets moved around, it can still be worn down in the same way that any electrical device can. The T7’s rugged design helps it resist this kind of wear and tear and is ideal for anyone who is especially cautious about the safety of their data.

6. Crucial X10 Pro

The best portable Xbox expansion card.

Crucial X10 Pro specs:

Pros

• Portable
• Great storage sizes

Cons

• Not specifically optimized for Xbox
• Expensive compared to other options

When it comes to digital storage devices, Crucial is right up there with the likes of Western Digital, Seagate, and Samsung, consistently offering powerful and reliable devices. The Crucial X10 Pro is arguably the best yet, combining great performance with sublime portability.

Clocking in at just 6.5cm x 5cm and just 1cm thick, weighing 42g, the Crucial X10 Pro really is small; you could easily fit it inside your pocket or bag. In fact, it also features a loop to attach it to your bag, for example, and given it’s both splash and dust-proof, it can travel alongside you. Despite its remarkably small profile, the X10 is also capable of up to 4TB of storage space, which will hold a hefty library of games to take with you on the go. After all, you don’t want to lug a large drive around with you if you travel frequently.

With its emphasis on portability and durability, the Crucial X10 Pro is more pricey than a standard SSD or HHD, though it’s worth it if you’re often on the move and need a way to store your games.

How we chose the best Xbox expansion cards

Here’s what to consider when choosing an Xbox expansion card:

• Price: The most expensive Xbox expansion cards aren’t necessarily the best for you. We’ve included cards at a range of prices.
• Storage: Everyone needs different amounts of storage space, which is why you’ll find a range of different sizes in this guide.
• Durability: You only want to be looking at expansion cards that will stand the test of time, and won’t fall to corruption within a year.
• SSD vs HHD: Some players will prefer an internal SSD, while others will want an external HHD, both have their benefits, and both have their place in this list.
• Compatibility: Obviously, every expansion card on this list is compatible with the Xbox Series X, but some have been designed specifically with performance on that console in mind.

To find out more about our listing criteria, read our how we test page. If you have any other questions, check out the FAQs below:

Is a 2TB Xbox expansion card worth it?

Yes, absolutely, if you’re somebody who enjoys big, next-gen games. These days triple-A releases can easily fill your console’s native memory capacity in no time, and you’ll end up in the position of having to replace games as new ones come out. The extra 2TB of space allows you to conveniently expand your library.

How many games can 2TB hold?

That all depends on what type of games you like to play, but let’s assume that you go for the absolute biggest. The Starfield file size was just shy of 140GB, so you could fit about 14 Starfield-size games in 2TB. On the flip side, if you’re an indie fan who buys games that are about 1GB each, you can have 2,000 of them (it might be too big if you don’t really go for bigger games).

Will Xbox expansion cards get cheaper?

Yes, they will. As with all storage solutions, as time goes by and technology improves, it becomes cheaper and cheaper for manufacturers to create larger storage devices. Because of this, 2TB hard drives, for example, will most likely be a lot cheaper in five to 10 years. Of course, games will also probably be larger at that point, so they won’t actually be as valuable as it once was.

Is Seagate the only Xbox expansion card?

As seen in the list above, Seagate is no longer the only manufacturer of Xbox expansion cards, with Western Digital now in the competition. For now, those are the only two brands with official expansion cards in the market, but there are still plenty of storage solutions available.

However, as the Xbox Series X gets older, and possibly gets a new hardware refresh mid-gen, it’s likely that more storage manufacturers will introduce alternative expansion cards for Xbox players. Considering all of the new Xbox games coming out, you’ll need a high-quality expansion card in the future.

We hope that helps you find the right expansion card for your Xbox. Check out more Xbox accessories and the best Xbox controllers. Still using the last generation? We also have a list of the best Xbox One accessories specifically. If you need a bargain, there’s also our best Xbox deals guide to look at.