Best external SSDs for gaming: Portable performance drives for any budget

Updated Best external SSDs for gaming: Portable performance drives for any budget Don't leave performance on the table... Take it with you! By Jon Jacobi Contributor, PCWorld May 29, 2026 9:00 am PDT --> Image: SK Hynix Maybe your gaming laptop doesn’t have enough storage. Or maybe you simply want to render your game library portable between systems. Rather than upgrade your internal storage — add a speedy external SSD. Not only will you have a lot more fast storage for your games, you can use it on any system you wish. But choosing the external SSD that’s right for your needs means sorting through a dizzying array of protocol and speed options. Making a poor choice might leave you feeling hard done by, either monetarily or performance-wise. Luckily for you, we’ve tested multitudes of the wee beasties and can offer recommendations guaranteed to improve your gaming experience. At a glance Best 80Gbps external SSD for gaming LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 ↓ See why we picked it View Deal View Deal Show Pros & Cons Pros Supports Thunderbolt 5 and USB4 Impressive 80Gbps performance for creative pros Rugged IP68-rated design Longer than average five-year warranty Cons Expensive Requires 80Gbps Thunderbolt 5/USB4 port for full performance Hide Pros & Cons Best 40Gbps USB4 external SSD for gaming Adata SE920 ↓ See why we picked it View Deal View Deal Show Pros & Cons Pros Fastest pre-populated 40Gbps SSD we’ve tested Fan-cooled enclosure Also fast on the Mac Cons Pricier than USB 3.2×2 (20Gbps) Hide Pros & Cons Best 40Gbps external SSD enclosure for gaming TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus ↓ See why we picked it View Deal View Deal Show Pros & Cons Pros Second-fastest USB4 enclosure to date Solid, thermally excellent design Good-looking Cons Bulky Hide Pros & Cons Best 20Gbps external SSD for gaming PNY RP60 ↓ See why we picked it View Deal View Deal Show Pros & Cons Pros Handsome, IP65-rated design (dust proof, wat