What is the best external storage device for the Xbox One

Hi there,

just to be sure, are the games installed on the internal storage device or an external storage device?

If they are installed on an external storage device, please try and see what happens if the game is installed on the internal storage device and the external storage device is disconnected.

Hi there,

if this keeps happening to the external storage device I would start to think that the external storage device might be having some (hardware) issues and could stop working at all any time soon.

I personally would get a different external storage device to see what happens when using that one.

Hello jon,

We thank you for bringing this inquiry to our forums community, and understand that this concerns the number of external storage devices that can be plugged in at a time on Xbox One.

As already provided by Wishcatcher, our troubleshoot external storage detection on Xbox One support
article provides the following information:

• No more than three storage devices are connected to the console at the same time.

You can review the article for more information on storage device detection and other helpful tips.

Best wishes!

I'm using a Seagate Backup Plus 2TB 3.0 usb external hdd and I haven't had any problem at all. Below is a copy and pasted article for info on external hdd and FAQ.

A 256GB or larger storage device with USB 3.0.

Note: Any brand/drive should work, as long as it's at least 256GB and USB 3.0.

Note: You can connect up to two storage devices at the same time

Note: If the storage device is connected via a USB hub, it needs to support USB 3.0.

Note: Both USB powered and AC adapter powered will work.

External Storage FAQ

Q: What can I install on my external storage device?

A: You can install games, downloadable content, and apps on your storage device.

Q: Can I store game saves on the external storage device?

A: No. Game saves are automatically stored in the cloud and synced to the Xbox One console.

Q: Can I use the external storage device for music and video playback?

A: No. For the initial release of the external storage feature, media files, including music and videos, are not supported. We are considering this for a future release.

Q: Can I copy or move a game from my internal hard drive to my external storage device?

A: Yes. Check out the content management features by going the Manage page for the game or app.

Q: Can I use my external storage device with my PC as well as my Xbox One?

A: No. The external storage device will be formatted for use by the Xbox One console only. PCs won’t recognize the drive partition created by the Xbox One.

Q: Can I re-format my storage device from my Xbox One console?

A: If you'd like to remove all content from your storage device and start over, you can re-format your storage device on the Xbox One. To do this, go to Settings>System>Manage Storage, choose the external drive you want to format, and select Format. After
this is done, the Xbox One will treat it as a brand new drive.

Note: Formatting causes the storage device to wipe all data.

Q: Do I need to bring my game disc while roaming with my storage device?

A: Yes. The external storage device does not change the licensing for games, so if the game was installed from a disc, the disc is required to play the game.

This article describes Xbox One system requirements for external storage devices and what to do if your console can’t detect a connected external drive: https://support.xbox.com/en-US/games/troubleshooting/console-doesnt-detect-external-storage