Expanding the fun.
Space. It is no longer just the final frontier. It has quickly become one of the biggest narratives of this generation. Games are getting larger, and both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 originally shipped with hard drives that were not large enough to support a digital revolution. While the PS4 has a swappable drive, Microsoft took a more ideal approach by offering the ability to use external drives. There are a lot of options that work, but in my experience the best ones I have used come from Seagate’s Game Drive line.
While the 2TB option has been available for some time, for someone like me who deals in playing a lot of games regularly, it was already becoming too small for my needs. In comes the massive 4TB model. Massive in both storage space, and physical size, it sports the same look of the original 2TB model, but is twice as thick. When compared to my original 2TB drive it felt substantially larger; still not too large to be portable by any means, but still larger.
MSRP: $149.99
Price I’d Pay: $149.99
With all USB 3.0 options the Game Drive also does not require any external power, which may sound like a standard, but that doesn’t stop it from being extremely convenient.
It sports the same aesthetic design with the green top cover and a black base, and works just as easily as the previous drive. Plug it in, the Xbox One recognizes it, and formats it automatically. In seconds I upped my storage space from 2.5TB to 6.5TB, which is always a nice feeling.
To push its limits I started moving large and small titles to the drive and playing them. Games such as Halo 5, Quantum Break, and Doom all transferred within minutes, and playing them felt quick and snappy. External drives, especially ones using USB 3.0 often offer up quicker load times than the internal drive. The 4TB is no exception as games all came up without issue.
The next test was loading a game with a massive amount of DLC. For this test I ran Dead or Alive 5: Last Round and Rock Band 4, both of which I own nearly 400 pieces of downloadable content for each. Dead or Alive has been a sticking point for me over the years it has been out, but the Game Drive took it like a champ. It loaded faster than it ever has, and all my DLC was ready for me in the game. The same can be said for Rock Band 4, which searched and loaded all my DLC faster than the internal drive.
Those looking to boost the space on their Xbox One should definitely check out Seagate’s line of Game Drives. They are quick, easy, and offer faster loading times. The green aesthetic is also a nice touch, and it somehow doesn’t clash with my slick-looking Xbox One S either. The price might be a bit higher than a non-branded drive, but I think the reliability and quickness is worth the investment.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
