The Seagate Game Drive SSD offers a sleek design and impressive speed, making it a compelling storage solution for PlayStation consoles. This review dives into its features, performance, and value.
Design and Features
The Seagate Game Drive SSD is a 10Gbps USB external SSD specifically designed to complement the aesthetics of Sony’s PlayStation consoles. Its compact dimensions (approximately 2.2 x 4.13 x 0.43 inches) and lightweight design (2.5 ounces) make it highly portable.
The officially licensed PlayStation logo adorns one end of the drive, alongside the Type-C port and a subtle activity light. The other end showcases a stylish PlayStation-inspired blue LED bar, adding a touch of visual flair.
The drive’s overall aesthetic is undeniably PlayStation-centric, creating a cohesive look when paired with a PS4 or PS5. Seagate offers a three-year warranty on the Game Drive SSD, although a TBW (Terabytes Written) rating isn’t specified. While TBW typically influences warranty coverage, it’s unlikely to be a concern within the warranty period given the endurance of modern SSDs. It’s important to note that reaching the TBW limit doesn’t render the drive unusable; it simply prevents further writing while still allowing data access.
Pricing and Availability
The Seagate Game Drive SSD is available in 1TB ($130) and 2TB ($220) capacities. The premium price reflects the drive’s design and performance, making it a more expensive option compared to standard external SSDs. Whether the premium for the PlayStation-themed aesthetics is justifiable depends on individual preferences.
Performance Benchmarks
The 2TB Seagate Game Drive SSD demonstrated impressive performance in our tests, ranking among the fastest 10Gbps USB SSDs we’ve evaluated. While 20Gbps and Thunderbolt 4 offer higher speeds, 10Gbps remains the more common interface, making this drive’s performance highly relevant for most users.
In CrystalDiskMark 8, the Game Drive SSD excelled in multiple queue write tests and delivered competitive results in other benchmarks. Its random performance was particularly noteworthy.
While not matching the Crucial X9 Pro in 48GB transfer speeds, the Game Drive SSD still performed admirably.
In our 450GB single file write test, the drive performed respectably within the expected range for 10Gbps USB.
Overall, the Seagate Game Drive SSD delivers solid performance that is unlikely to disappoint most users. The speed differences compared to slightly faster 10Gbps drives are likely to be imperceptible in real-world usage.
Final Verdict
The Seagate Game Drive SSD is a stylish and speedy external storage solution tailored for PlayStation enthusiasts. Its attractive design, solid performance, and convenient portability make it a compelling option. However, the premium price warrants consideration, especially if visual aesthetics and PlayStation branding aren’t paramount.
Testing Methodology
Our drive tests are conducted using Windows 11 (64-bit) on an X790 motherboard with an i5-12400 CPU, 64GB of Kingston Fury DDR5 4800MHz RAM, integrated 20Gbps USB and Thunderbolt 4, and Intel integrated graphics. 48GB transfer tests utilize an ImDisk RAM disk, and the 450GB file transfer originates from a 2TB Samsung 990 Pro.
Tests are performed on newly formatted and TRIM’d drives for optimal results. Real-world performance can vary due to factors like drive capacity and usage patterns. Performance results are specific to the tested drive and capacity, and component variations may occur.
