Most of CNET’s top picks for external SSDs are compatible across platforms, including Windows PCs, Macs and gaming consoles, though you may need to format the drive for your specific system.

Note that the Sony PS5 lets you store and play PS4 games from an external drive, but not PS5 games. Microsoft’s Xbox Series X can store Series X games on an external hard drive, but you’ll have to transfer them to internal storage before playing them. Both consoles let you expand internal storage. The Xbox Series X uses a proprietary Seagate-made storage expansion card while the PS5 uses a more standard M.2 SSD.

All these drives have been used and anecdotally tested by CNET editors, and three of our favorites are shown here. The entire list can be found at cnet.com.

Rugged external mini SSD: SanDisk Extreme Portable 1TB SSD

Western Digital, which owns SanDisk, sells its WD My Passport SSD as well this SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD for basically the same price at about $96. I like the design of this model a little better, and it’s technically ruggedized with an IP65 rating, meaning it can withstand a sustained spray of water. Also, it’s dust- and shock-resistant and has a USB-C interface. The latest version offers speeds up to 1,050MB/s (just over 1GB per second) and is right around $90 for the 1TB version. While step-up models like the SanDisk Extreme Pro offer faster read/write speeds with the right computer, that may be overkill unless you regularly work with very large files. Your speed will vary if you’re moving a mishmash of files to or from the USB drive, but when copying a single large file you should be able to get close to that fast transfer speed.

Pros

Rugged design

Fast transfer speed

Fairly affordable

Cons

Doesn’t offer ultrafast transfer speed

Best ultrafast gaming SSD for PCs, consoles: WD Black P40 Game Drive

First released in 2022, the WD Black P40 has come down in price and is now pretty affordable at about $120. It’s an ultrafast SSD that’s more geared toward recent Windows PCs equipped with USB 3.2 Gen2x2 dual-lane architecture that allows for a theoretical 20Gbps data transfer rate. It can also be used with consoles and Macs. It’s capable of speeds up to 2,000MB/s.

Rated for surviving drops of up to 2 meters, the drive is durable and has an RGB lighting element that can be customized with a Windows PC. You do pay a bit of a premium over the WD Black D30, which comes with a stand and is more geared to game consoles. This drive is more future-proof as PCs are increasingly equipped with USB 3.2 Gen2x2. Kingston’s XS2000 has similar specs for around $10 less for the 1TB model, but some users have noted this drive offers slightly better write speeds.

Pros

Durable design

Ultrafast transfer speed

RGB lighting element for Windows PCs

Cons

Slightly bigger and heavier than some SSDs

Best value SSD: SanDisk 1TB Portable SSD

This is SanDisk’s entry-level SSD, and while it doesn’t have quite the same speedy performance as the step-up Extreme model, it still has solid performance just a step or two behind with 800MB/s speeds compared with 1,050MB/s (that’s about 1GB per second).

The Extreme model is also ruggedized, while this one isn’t. SanDisk says it’s drop-tested to 2 meters.

To get the 1TB SSD capacity version costs around $85, while the 2TB goes for around $140. They offer more than enough speed for general use.

Pros

Compact and lightweight

Among the cheapest 1TB and 2TB SSD options

Reasonably fast transfer speeds

Cons

Doesn’t offer ultrafast transfer speeds

For more reviews of personal technology products, please visit www.cnet.com.