Seagate Game Drive SSD Review | Winning Performance

The Seagate Game Drive External SSD is a very affordable, portable SSD that has been tailor-made for gamers. Not only is it officially licensed for PlayStation, but the design also couples nicely next to a PS5 or PS4. It will be useful for users who are looking for additional storage space to save their games. It uses a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface that can peak speeds up to 1,000 MB/s, meaning it is considerably faster than your typical external HDD.

The Game Drive is available in 1TB and 2TB sizes. Supports PS5, PS4, PC, and Mac. Additionally, it is powered via USB, meaning you do not have to find a separate power adapter. But there is a significant caveat. You can store PS5 games on the drive, but not play them directly from it. And for games on PS4, you can play them. We'll cover its design, performance, gaming experience, thermals, compatibility, and price in this review.

Now, let’s take a look at its features and specifications.

·         USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface

·         10Gbps USB connection

·         Up to 1,000 MB/s sequential read speed

·         Up to 1,000 MB/s sequential write speed

·         Available in 1TB and 2TB capacities

·         Officially licensed for PlayStation

·         Compatible with PS5 and PS4

·         Compatible with PC and Mac

·         USB-C connectivity

·         Compact and lightweight design

·         No separate power supply required

·         96 × 50 × 11 mm dimensions

·         Around 66–69.5 g weight

·         PlayStation-inspired black and white design

·         Blue LED light bar

·         3-year limited warranty

Seagate's Game Drive SSD is compact and portable. It has dimensions of approximately 96 × 50 × 11 mm. It has a weight of about 66 to 69.5 grams, according to the measurement source. So, it is Perfect for carrying in a Backpack, Laptop bag, or even your gaming case.

The design is blatantly aimed at PlayStation users. It includes a black and white finish, PlayStation branding logo, and a blue LED light bar. Consequently, it resembles a base of bells rather than an ordinary external storage disk, a trend common in the best portable SSDs available in the market targeted to gamers.

This means Game Drive has USB 3.2 Gen 2 technology support. It also provides a 10Gbps interface; the largest sequential read and write speeds are up to 1,000 MB /s. We think that's a pretty decent standard for portable gaming drives. Transferring large games, videos, and other files is many times faster than with a mechanical HDD. Thus, gamers upgrading from an external HDD should witness a notable performance boost.

Of all the things that make a console, gaming performance is arguably the most important for PlayStation owners. Using the Game Drive allows you to install PS5 titles on a hard drive when there is no room left in either of the two SSD storage slots available for your console. This comes in handy as today's games can eat up a lot of space.

But you don't directly run PS5 games from the external SSD. They need to be copied back to the PS5's internal storage before playing. As a result, the drive is mostly used as extra storage for PS5 games.

Peak speeds are one thing, but I care more about sustained performance. If the SSD is transferred with a large amount of data, it starts to slow down after the cache fills up. The Game Drive gets solid performance for a 10Gbps external SSD. Eventually, longer transfers can get a bit more blue, but the drive is still totally fine for regular gaming and storage tasks.

The Game Drive can operate without an external fan or large heatsink. Otherwise, it can be fairly heat-tolerant in regular use. It will get warm during long transfers like all other portable SSDs. But that's to be expected from a small SSD. Thermal performance likely will not be as much of a concern if there is sufficient airflow around the drive.

The Seagate Game Drive is powered over USB. Therefore, there is no separately required power adapter. The SSD is made handy for gaming consoles, laptops, and desktops. You plug it into any compatible USB port, and the required power can be delivered.

Compatibility is another strong point. Compatible with PS5 and PS4 hardware, the Game Drive for PlayStation is PlayStation-designed. It can also be employed across PC and Mac frameworks.

But for PlayStation users, how it works with external storage is something that you need to familiarize yourself with. Ps5 games can also be housed on the drive, but you cannot play them directly. PS4 games, on the other hand, run directly from external storage.

Here is what it offers:

Pros

·         Compact and lightweight design

·         Up to 1,000 MB/s read and write speeds

·         Fast USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface

·         Official PlayStation branding

·         Works with PS5 and PS4

·         PS4 games can be played directly

·         PS5 games can be stored externally

·         Works with PC and Mac

·         No separate power adapter required

·         Good performance for everyday gaming

·         3-year limited warranty

Cons

·         PS5 games cannot be played directly from the drive

·         USB 3.2 Gen 2 is slower than newer interfaces

·         Faster external SSDs are available

·         PlayStation branding can increase the price

·         Not ideal for users who need the highest sustained transfer speeds

.The Seagate Game Drive External SSD is a good choice for gamers since it gives you added portable storage. It is rated for speeds up to 1,000 MB/s, has a small footprint, and comes with official PlayStation branding. Also, it will work via PS5, PS4, PC, and Mac.

The biggest advantage over PS5 is storage extension capabilities. You can transfer PS5 games to the drive when your internal storage is full. PS4 games will instead run natively on PS5;

However, the drive comes with a few caveats. Games for the PS5 will need to be transferred back over to internal storage before playing, but the kind of SSDs you can put into an external unit are already a lot quicker. Still, the Seagate Game Drive is a solid choice if you want an uncomplicated, dependable gaming SSD in your pocket. This is particularly tempting if you are able to pick up the 1TB or even the 2TB model for a good price.