Prime real estate
There are a ton of options when it comes to space for consoles today. I have reviewed multiple Seagate products, all have been high quality, and with the size of games these days almost necessary. I have always felt like size was king. I need more space, that was until I discovered SSD. First with my PC and installing Windows on it. Booting up from an SSD is game-changing. Now I have tried it with games loading and I am sold. While it is still considered a luxury item (these things are expensive) the benefits are undeniable.
For this review we tested the Seagate 500GB drive for Xbox One. I loaded multiple games onto it and tested them against a separate external hard drive. For testing I used the 8TB Game Drive. I loaded the games from the continue screen to actual game play. Below are a few examples of games and their speeds on each drive.
Tekken 7 has been a bane for Xbox One owners. Load times between fights are horrific. So this was one of the first games I installed. These speeds are from selecting a character, to the start of the fight.
External 8TB Game Drive: 23.69 seconds
External 500GB SSD: 16.62 seconds
This is a really big difference, especially for a fighting game where getting in and out of matches is imperative. Next up is Shadow of the Tomb Raider which has a lengthy initial load.
External 8TB Game Drive: 45.05 seconds
External 500GB SSD: 26.77 seconds
This time we shaved off almost 20 seconds, which is massive. Finally I tested Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, another title that has an extensive load from the start screen.
External 8TB Game Drive: 45.12
External 500GB SSD: 34.99 seconds
While not as impressive as Tomb Raider, taking off ten seconds is a massive achievement. SSD is so much faster in every case I tested. Shaving off those seconds caused me to setup my most played games to load directly from it. It is a nice option, and again totally a luxury item. It is also worth noting that the footprint is super tiny. These drives are small and easy to pack away in an entertainment center. It is also a perk that they are whisper quiet. No noise whatsoever.
The price tag is high, but the results speak for themselves. For those that prioritize speed over space this is a no-brainer. Getting in and out of games is crucial for someone like me and the Seagate SSD delivers. While the price is high, it is worth it if you can afford it. Now if I can somehow find room in my budget for the 2TB SSD in the future.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
