Can I use a normal external SSD hard drive instead of the XBOX certified External SSD

Hi Jakob,

Yes, you can use any SSD or HDD on Xbox as long as it's a minimum of 128GB and USB 3.0/3.1, but keep in mind that Series X|S optimised games need to be installed on the Series X|S internal storage or one of the official expansion cards (WD or Seagate). This applies to games like MSFS and Starfield.

This support article explains everything you need to know about the storage on your console:

Manage storage on your Xbox console | Xbox Support

Hope this helps.

My laptop has an SSD and an HDD, would the HDD work instead of the external hard drive? Windows 11 is running on the SSD not HDD.

There is an improvement when using SSD drives especially in games where the load times are already long (GTA5, The Witcher 3 etc). If I were buying an external drive, I would go SSD over a normal external hard drive not just for this generation but to ensure
it lasts well into the next gen. There are loads of tests carried out by external organisations like Digital Foundry that show benefits of SSD drives.

With installed games, you would still need the disc if it was a physical purchase or the account you used to purchase the game to play whatever was on the SSD.

Interesting. I have the game and all it's DLC installed on an external hard drive with no issues. The only difference I can see is that you're using an SSD hard drive where I use a plain old WD Elements.

I'm wondering if it's something to do with the nature of how SSD drives store data compared to none SSD drives.

Do you have the external drive set as the default location for all downloads/installs in the storage settings on the Xbox ?

because of their higher prices I would only be able to afford a small (256GB) SSD drive

Hi

Don't be fooled into buying an external SSD, most are far too expensive for what they are. I'm not saying not to buy an SSD though.

The cheapest option is to make your own. All you need is a standard 2.5" SSD and an external USB 3.0 drive enclosure. SSD's on their own work out a lot cheaper and a Drive enclosure costs only $10. External SSD use the same tech, just in a glued together
case.

It's not complicated either. Putting an SSD hard drive in an enclosure is as easy as changing batteries in a TV remote.

My external SSD is a 2.5" Corsair MX500 SSD drive.