While not a sexy purchase, getting a cheap external hard drive is a wise move. And now is a particularly good time with all the back to school sales reminding us to pick up all the tech we need to get to prepare us for when school and college start again. So when you can get one of the best external hard drives in the business, that's compatible with your console and your PC, or one that can boost the memory retrieval in your gaming rig (AND is ideal for backing up all your data in this strange cross-gen period), then it's as close to a no-brainer as it gets. And that's where Amazon's My Passport sale comes in.
The hard drive market - for both HDDs and SSDs - is a full one, so picking out actual, proper standouts can be a bit daunting - even more so when there are regular price cuts. However, we really recommend Western Digital (WD) models as they are generally the best options out there; as a result, we've highlighted a few standouts from the sale.
The first easy recommendation we can give you is on our favorite for consoles. However, it is also an excellent all-rounder no matter what you need external storage for. The Western Digital My Passport with a massive 5TB of storage is just $107.99 right now. If you like to keep all of your, well, everything I'd guess, to hand and easily accessible, then this drive is for you.
In external SSD land, there is a great offer on the Western Digital My Passport Go drive. The 500GB model is probably the best value and is down to $79.99 right now but the 1TB and 2TB options have their attractions too. The latter has a solid $50 off and is down to $279.99 for example. A big investment for an external hard drive, but you get what you pay for with WD drives: reliability, speed, and durability.
For anyone looking for a PC SSD deal, then Amazon have you covered for an internal SSD option for your PC: the WD_Black SN750 SSD is going to be perfect for you, offering speedy memory retrieval and a reliable drive for any rig. Great if you're looking for a top SSD for comfortably less than $100, too: the 500GB drive is down to $79.95 right now.
Going back to school and work, as well as in the time of the current generation of consoles reaching their peak is a great addition to your tech setup.
Western Digital My Passport External HDD | 5TB | $149.99 $107.99 at Amazon
This is a tremendous price for a massive 5TB of excellent hard drive. It works out at just over $20 a terabyte, and if you throw in the WD My Passport quality, then this is a great buy if you are in need of something now to keep your expanding library live and readily accessible.
Western Digital My Passport Go External SSD | 500GB | $119.99 $79.99 at Amazon
With SSDs rapidly replacing traditional HDDs due to their sheer speed and efficiency and convenience, this is a great deal. The 1TB is on offer too, discounted by $50 to $279.99 if you really want to go all out on an external SSD.
Western Digital WD_Black SN750 Internal SSD | 500GB | $129.99 $79.95 at Amazon
A fine option for those looking to inject some speedy storage into their PC. While it's not the very fastest - the PCIe Express 4.0 type - it's certainly very fast and will be an excellent addition to most gaming rigs and home computers.
The 5TB version of the My Passport hard drive at this price offers incredible bang for buck value - and with its pacey speeds and epic reliability, it'll easily outlast the remainder of this console generation and should give you a boost for when the PS5 and Xbox Series X come around.
To ensure your decision is as informed as it can be for HDDs - and with consoles in mind - make sure you check out the full list of the best PS4 external hard drives , and the best Xbox One external hard drives, and our guide to the best PS4 SSD going too.
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Rob is the Deputy Editor of sister site, TechRadar Gaming, and has been in the games and tech industry for years. Prior to a recent stint as Gaming Editor at WePC, Rob was the Commissioning Editor for Hardware at GamesRadar+, and was on the hardware team for more than four years, since its inception in late 2018. He is also a writer on games and has had work published over the last six years or so at the likes of Eurogamer, RPS, PCGN, and more. He is also a qualified landscape and garden designer, so does that in his spare time, while he is also an expert on the virtual landscapes and environments of games and loves to write about them too, including in an upcoming book on the topic!