Are you running out of space on your console? So you can expand the memory with an external SSD.
The latest versions of Xbox and PlayStation have fast discs. If you then need to expand with an external USB drive, it is advisable to choose a fast SSD such as an NVMe drive. However, keep in mind that an external SSD connected via a USB port will never reach the same speed as the internal one. The USB ports on both consoles simply aren’t fast enough. This means that you cannot play an Xbox Series X | S or PS5 game on an external USB drive. However, you can play PS4 and Xbox One games. The D30 is primarily intended for storing games, data, movies, and more.
You can connect the D30 to any USB port on the Xbox Series X | S. On the Playstation 5 you need to avoid the USB-A port on the front, otherwise it’s open.
I tested the WD Black D30 Game Drive NVMe SSD. It is an external NVMe SSD with a maximum data transfer rate of 900 MB / s (megabytes per second). My test sample has an Xbox logo but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t fit other sources. Namely, the D30 fits Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Windows, and Mac. The Xbox version includes a one-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate so you can play hundreds of games.
The D30 looks weird. It is somewhat reminiscent of a container, which makes it eye-catching. My copy was black with a white frame. There is also an all black version. Many competing outdoor units are used horizontally. The D30 comes with a stand so you can choose between landscape and portrait. For me, there was no doubt: standing. It’s delicious.
I used CrystalBenchMark on a Windows 10 PC to measure the transfer speed of the D30. CrystalBenchMark is widely used to measure the transfer rates of various types of disks. Sequential read speed was measured at 934MB / s, which is actually slightly better than the promised 900MB / s. The write speed (sequential) was, as expected, slightly lower: 834 MB / s. For other measurement values, please refer to the image below.
In a not so scientific test, but which I think reflects reality well, I moved files between my computer and the D30. (The computer has an NVMe SSD with a measured write speed of 1,729MB / s and a fast USB port.) Reading a large 3.26GB file took 5.55s, which equates to 601MB / s. s. The corresponding write value was 7 s, which is 477 MB / s. Reading 2,755 small files for a total of 3.26 GB took 19.19 s, which equates to 174 MB / s. The write value for these small files was 21.82 s corresponding to 153 MB / s.
To give you an idea of how fast the Xbox Series X and PS5 transfer files to and from the D30 respectively, I’ve moved three games to each console. The data shown is the average of two tests. The values I report are:
Title – game size – transfer time
Xbox X series
From Xbox Series X to the D30
Little Nightmares II – 5.8 GB – 33.1 s
Life is Strange: True Colors – 33 GB – 7 min 52 s
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – 42.2 GB – 11 min 17 s
From D30 to Xbox Series X
Little Nightmares II – 5.8 GB – 40.9 s
Life is strange: True Colors – 33 GB – 2 min 4 s
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga – 42.2 GB – 4 min 15 s
PlayStation 5
From PS5 to D30
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series – 8.26 GB – 59.2 s
Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced – 14.78 GB – 1 min 46 s
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – 39.18 GB – 4 min 40 s
From D30 to PS5
Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series – 8.26 GB – 43.5 s
Oddworld: Soulstorm Enhanced – 14.78 GB – 1 min 48 s
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales – 39.18 GB – 3 min 58 sec
In this test, the D30 didn’t impress as much as it did in CrystalBenchMark. Transfer times are quite long. However, I have never done such a test before. Therefore, I cannot make any comparisons. In the test I do not report a transfer speed in MB / s. This is because times cannot be converted directly into transmission rates. Games not only need to be moved, they also need to be uninstalled or installed on the internal drive. Another thing I noticed is that the difference between switching to or from D30 varied greatly between games. For some games it took even longer to switch from the D30 than it was surprising at as write speeds are generally higher than read speeds.
The WD Black D30 Game Drive NVMe SSD delivers what the manufacturers promise. The speed according to CrystalBenchMark even turned out to be slightly better – 934 MB / s. However, I think the transfer times to and from consoles are on the longer side. That it looks delicious is a definite plus. It’s just a shame that external SSDs are expensive in general, even the D30.
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