Portable Gaming: Use a USB SSD

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Introduction: Unlock Portable Gaming Power with an External SSD

PC gaming is awesome, right? You get access to a massive library of games, incredible graphics, and the flexibility to play how you want. But there’s often a catch, especially if you’re gaming on a laptop or a desktop with limited space: storage runs out fast. Modern games are huge, easily eating up 100GB or more each. This makes it tough to keep your favorite titles installed and ready to play.

Maybe you have a gaming laptop that you take between home, a friend’s house, or even when you travel. Or perhaps you have a desktop PC but want to play some of your games on a different computer in the house. Constantly uninstalling and reinstalling games is a pain and wastes precious gaming time.

This is where an external USB SSD comes in. Think of it as a portable expansion pack for your game library. It’s a fast, compact drive that connects to your computer using a simple USB cable. With an external SSD, you can carry a large collection of games with you and play them directly from the drive, no matter which compatible computer you’re using. It offers a fantastic blend of convenience, speed, and portability that traditional external hard drives just can’t match for gaming.

In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about using a USB SSD for gaming on the go. We’ll explain why storage speed is crucial, what different USB connections mean for performance, how to choose the right drive, set it up, install games, and get the best possible experience. By the end, you’ll understand if this setup is right for you and how to make the most of it.

The Need for Speed: Why Storage Matters in Gaming

You might think that your graphics card and processor are the only things that matter for gaming performance. They are super important, no doubt. But the speed of your storage drive also plays a significant role in how smooth and enjoyable your gaming experience is. Let’s look at why.

At a basic level, there are two main types of storage drives you’ll encounter: Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) and Solid State Drives (SSDs). Understanding the difference is key to seeing why SSDs are so much better for gaming.

HDD vs. SSD: A Fundamental Difference

Imagine a record player. A Hard Disk Drive works kind of like that. It has spinning platters (disks) inside, and a read/write head moves across the surface of these platters to find and access data. To get a piece of data, the platters have to spin to the right spot, and the head has to move to the right track. This involves physical movement, which takes time.

Solid State Drives, on the other hand, have no moving parts at all. They use flash memory chips, similar to the memory in a USB stick or your phone. Data is stored electronically in cells on these chips. To access data, the drive controller knows exactly where the data is stored electronically and can retrieve it almost instantly.

This difference in how they access data leads to a huge difference in speed. HDDs are mechanical and relatively slow for quickly finding and reading small pieces of data scattered across the disk. SSDs are electronic and can access data much, much faster, especially when the data isn’t stored in a single, continuous block.

Simplified: HDDs are like old record players with moving parts; SSDs are like modern digital music players with no moving parts. SSDs find data way faster.
Technical: HDDs rely on rotational speed (RPM) and head movement for data access, resulting in higher latency (the delay before data transfer begins) and slower random read/write speeds. SSDs use NAND flash memory and a controller to access data electronically, drastically reducing latency and providing much higher random read/write speeds, which are critical for operating systems and applications that access many small files. Sequential read/write speeds (for large, single files) are also much higher on SSDs.

How Storage Speed Impacts Your Gaming Experience

Okay, so SSDs are faster. But how does that actually affect you when you’re playing a game?

The most obvious impact is loading times. This includes the time it takes to launch the game itself, load into a level or map, or transition between different areas within a game. On an HDD, you might stare at a loading screen for 30 seconds, a minute, or even longer in some open-world games. On an SSD, that same loading screen might only appear for 5-15 seconds. This makes a huge difference to the flow of gaming and reduces frustration.

Another important area is texture streaming and asset loading. Many modern games use techniques to load high-resolution textures and game assets (like character models, environmental details) as you move through the game world. If your storage drive is slow, the game might not be able to load these assets fast enough. This can result in “pop-in,” where textures or objects suddenly appear or switch to higher detail levels right before your eyes, which can be distracting and break immersion. A fast SSD ensures these assets are ready when the game needs them, leading to smoother visuals.

Patching and installation times are also significantly faster on an SSD. Installing a new game or downloading a large update involves writing a lot of data to the drive. An SSD can handle this much more quickly than an HDD.

Finally, the overall responsiveness of your system while gaming can be affected. Games often access data in the background, even during gameplay. A slow drive can cause micro-stutters or hitches as the game waits for data. A fast SSD minimizes these delays.

Because of these factors, using an external HDD for modern gaming, while possible, is generally not recommended. The slow loading times and potential for in-game hitches can seriously detract from the experience. An external SSD, however, provides the necessary speed to make portable gaming enjoyable.

Understanding Connectivity: USB Standards and Gaming Performance

You’ve got a fast external SSD, but how it connects to your computer is just as important as the drive itself. The speed of the connection acts like a pipe – even if you have a super-fast drive, the data can only flow as quickly as the pipe allows. For external drives, this pipe is usually a USB connection.

USB standards have evolved quite a bit over the years, and their names can be a little confusing because they’ve been renamed. Here’s a breakdown of the relevant ones you’ll see when looking at external SSDs and computer ports:

USB 3.0 (Now called USB 3.2 Gen 1): This is one of the older “fast” standards. It offers a theoretical maximum speed of 5 Gigabits per second (Gbps).
USB 3.1 Gen 2 (Now called USB 3.2 Gen 2): This significantly increased the speed to a theoretical maximum of 10 Gbps.
USB 3.2 Gen 2×2: This standard doubled the lanes of Gen 2, boosting the theoretical maximum speed to 20 Gbps. You’ll see this less commonly than Gen 1 or Gen 2 ports.
Thunderbolt 3 / Thunderbolt 4: These are different technologies developed by Intel (often in partnership with Apple), but they commonly use the same USB-C shaped connector as modern USB ports. Thunderbolt offers a much higher theoretical maximum speed of 40 Gbps. While not strictly a “USB” standard, many high-performance external drives and enclosures use Thunderbolt for maximum speed, especially on compatible laptops and desktops.

What Gbps Means in Practice

Gigabits per second (Gbps) measures the raw signaling speed. When talking about storage speed, we usually use Gigabytes per second (GB/s) or Megabytes per second (MB/s). There are 8 bits in a byte. So, to get a rough idea of the maximum practical transfer speed in MB/s, you can take the Gbps number, divide by 8, and then account for some overhead (data used for error correction, protocol communication, etc.).

USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps): Roughly translates to a maximum real-world speed of around 400-450 MB/s.
USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps): Roughly translates to a maximum real-world speed of around 800-1000 MB/s.
USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps): Roughly translates to a maximum real-world speed of around 1600-2000 MB/s.
Thunderbolt 3/4 (40 Gbps): Can achieve real-world speeds of 2500+ MB/s, depending on the drive.

Matching SSD Speed and USB Port Speed

Here’s where the “pipe” analogy is important.

If you connect a fast SATA SSD (which maxes out around 550 MB/s) to a USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) port, the port speed (around 450 MB/s) becomes the limit. You won’t get the full speed of the SSD.
If you connect that same SATA SSD to a USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) port, the SSD speed (around 550 MB/s) becomes the limit. The port is faster than the drive needs.
If you connect a super-fast NVMe SSD (which might get 3000+ MB/s internally) using a USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) enclosure, the port speed (around 800-1000 MB/s) is the bottleneck. You’re not getting the full potential of the NVMe drive itself.
To get closer to the full speed of a fast NVMe SSD externally, you need a much faster connection, like USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps) or, ideally, Thunderbolt (40 Gbps), assuming your computer has those ports and your external drive/enclosure supports them.

The key takeaway? Your external gaming performance will be limited by the slower of the two: either the speed of the external SSD itself or the speed of the USB port you plug it into, plus any overhead from the enclosure’s controller chip and the cable quality. For the best external gaming performance, you’ll want an external SSD that supports at least USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) and a computer with a matching port.

External vs. Internal: Comparing SSD Gaming Performance

So, how does gaming from an external SSD compare to gaming from an internal one? As we’ve seen, the connection type is a major factor.

Let’s look at some typical speed ranges you might see:

Internal SATA SSDs: These connect directly to the motherboard via a SATA port and typically offer sequential read speeds up to around 550 MB/s. This is the baseline for what many people consider “fast” storage compared to HDDs.
Internal NVMe SSDs (PCIe 3.0): These connect directly to the motherboard via an M.2 slot using the faster PCIe interface. PCIe 3.0 NVMe drives can reach sequential read speeds up to around 3500 MB/s.
Internal NVMe SSDs (PCIe 4.0): Newer motherboards and CPUs support PCIe 4.0, which doubles the bandwidth. PCIe 4.0 NVMe drives can hit sequential read speeds of 7000 MB/s or even higher.

Now, compare that to external speeds:

External SATA SSDs via USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps): Limited by the USB connection to around 400-450 MB/s. This is similar to, or slightly slower than, an internal SATA SSD.
External NVMe SSDs via USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps): Limited by the USB connection to around 800-1000 MB/s. This is significantly faster than internal or external SATA, but still much slower than what the NVMe drive could do internally.
External NVMe SSDs via USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps): Can reach speeds up to around 1600-2000 MB/s, getting closer to PCIe 3.0 NVMe speeds.
External NVMe SSDs via Thunderbolt 3/4 (40 Gbps): Can potentially reach speeds of 2500+ MB/s, offering performance that rivals or even exceeds some internal PCIe 3.0 NVMe drives.

Real-World Gaming Impact: Will You Notice the Difference?

This is the big question. Will you actually feel the difference between, say, 1000 MB/s (USB 3.2 Gen 2 external NVMe) and 3500 MB/s (internal PCIe 3.0 NVMe) when playing games?

For many games, especially those that aren’t constantly loading new assets or have very short loading screens already, the difference might be less dramatic than the raw numbers suggest. Going from an HDD to any SSD (internal or external) provides the most significant, noticeable improvement in loading times.

However, in games with frequent or long loading screens, or those with aggressive texture streaming, the faster speeds offered by a USB 3.2 Gen 2 external drive (around 1000 MB/s) will definitely be faster than an external SATA drive (around 450 MB/s). Compared to a high-end internal NVMe drive (3000+ MB/s), the external drive will likely still have longer loading times, but the difference might be measured in seconds rather than tens of seconds.

For example, a game level that loads in 10 seconds on an internal NVMe might take 15 seconds on a USB 3.2 Gen 2 external NVMe, but 30+ seconds on an external HDD.

Are external speeds fast enough for modern games? Generally, yes. A USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) external SSD provides speeds that are more than adequate for playing most modern games with significantly reduced loading times compared to HDDs. While not as fast as the very fastest internal NVMe drives, the performance is still excellent and a massive upgrade for portability.

Beyond the theoretical maximums, real-world performance can also be affected by the quality of the SSD controller chip, the enclosure’s bridge chip that translates between NVMe/SATA and USB, and even the quality of the USB cable you use. Using the cable that came with the external SSD is usually the best bet.

Choosing the Right External SSD for Your Gaming Needs

Selecting the perfect external SSD involves balancing several factors: how much space you need, how fast you want it to be, how durable it is, and how much you’re willing to spend.

Capacity: How Much Space Do You Actually Need?

This is perhaps the most straightforward consideration. Modern games are storage hogs. Titles like “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III” can demand well over 200GB, “Baldur’s Gate 3” is over 120GB, and many other AAA games easily exceed 50GB or 100GB.

If you only plan to have a few large games installed at any given time, a 1TB external SSD might be sufficient. However, if you want a portable library of 10-15 large games, you’ll quickly fill that up. For most gamers looking to use an external drive as their primary portable game library, 2TB or even larger (4TB+) is a much more practical choice. While more expensive upfront, it saves you the hassle of constantly managing space later on.

Speed: Matching the Drive to Your Computer’s Ports

As we discussed, the speed is limited by the slowest link. To get the best performance, you should aim for an external SSD that is at least as fast as the fastest USB port you have available and plan to use for gaming.

If your computer only has older USB 3.0 (Gen 1) ports, buying a super-fast Thunderbolt external drive won’t give you Thunderbolt speeds. A USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) drive will perform similarly to a Gen 1 drive in this scenario (around 400-450 MB/s).
If your computer has USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) ports, an external SSD supporting this speed (often an NVMe-based external drive) will give you speeds up to around 1000 MB/s. This is a great sweet spot for performance and compatibility on many modern laptops and desktops.
If your computer has USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps) or Thunderbolt (40 Gbps) ports, and you want the absolute fastest external performance, look for drives or NVMe enclosures that specifically support these standards.

Recommendation: For most people with reasonably modern computers (purchased in the last 5-7 years), aiming for a USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) external SSD offers the best balance of speed and compatibility. These are often NVMe drives inside a USB enclosure, providing excellent performance that significantly beats external HDDs and SATA SSDs over slower USB ports.

Durability and Portability

Since you’re using this drive “on the go,” its physical characteristics matter.

Physical Size and Weight: Most external SSDs are very compact and lightweight, much smaller than external HDDs. This makes them easy to slip into a laptop bag.
Ruggedized Options: Some external SSDs are built with extra protection against drops, dust, and water. If you plan to travel a lot with the drive or are prone to accidents, a ruggedized model might be worth the extra cost for peace of mind.
Operating Temperature: SSDs generate heat, especially under heavy load (like loading game assets). External drives rely on their enclosure for cooling. Some enclosures are better than others. If a drive gets too hot, it might “thermally throttle,” meaning it intentionally slows down to cool off, which can impact performance during long gaming sessions. Look for drives with metal enclosures or good reviews regarding sustained performance.

Cost: Balancing Budget and Performance

External SSDs are more expensive per gigabyte than traditional external HDDs. The price generally increases with capacity and speed.

A basic external SATA SSD will be cheaper than an external NVMe SSD.
A USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) NVMe external SSD will be more expensive than a Gen 1 (5 Gbps) SATA external SSD.
Thunderbolt drives are typically the most expensive.

Decide on your budget and prioritize based on your needs. If maximum speed isn’t critical and you just want faster loading than an HDD, a more affordable Gen 1 drive might suffice. If you want noticeably faster loading times and have compatible ports, investing in a Gen 2 or faster drive is worthwhile.

Specific Features and Types

You’ll mainly see two types of external SSDs:

Pre-built External SSDs: These are ready to go out of the box. They contain an SSD and a USB controller chip inside a finished enclosure. Examples include drives from Samsung (T series, X5), Crucial (X series), WD (My Passport SSD), and others.
M.2 NVMe SSD + Enclosure: You can buy an internal M.2 NVMe SSD separately and then purchase a compatible external enclosure with a USB or Thunderbolt connection. You install the NVMe drive into the enclosure yourself. This can sometimes be slightly cheaper or allow you to use a specific high-performance NVMe drive you already own or prefer. Ensure the enclosure’s controller chip supports the speed you want (e.g., 10 Gbps, 20 Gbps, 40 Gbps) and is compatible with the type of NVMe drive (SATA M.2 vs. NVMe M.2 – most modern fast ones are NVMe).

Other features like UASP support (improves performance for SSDs over USB), TRIM support (helps maintain SSD performance over time), and hardware encryption are good to have, though less critical specifically for gaming performance. Most modern external SSDs and operating systems support UASP and TRIM automatically.

Getting Started: Setting Up Your External SSD

Once you’ve got your external SSD, setting it up is usually a quick and easy process.

Unboxing and Connection

Most external SSDs are plug-and-play. Take it out of the box, find the included USB cable, and connect one end to the drive and the other to a suitable USB port on your computer. For the best speed, make sure you’re plugging it into the fastest port available (e.g., a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port if your drive supports it). USB-A ports are typically blue or teal inside for faster speeds, while USB-C ports are reversible and can support various speeds depending on the computer’s configuration. Check your computer’s manual if you’re unsure about port types and speeds.

Your operating system (Windows, macOS) should detect the new drive automatically.

Formatting the Drive

Before you can use the drive to store files (like games), it needs to be formatted. Formatting prepares the drive by creating a file system, which is like setting up a filing cabinet system that tells the computer how to store and organize data on the drive.

While some drives might come pre-formatted, it’s often a good idea to format it yourself to ensure it’s using the optimal file system for your operating system and needs.

Why Formatting is Necessary: Without a file system, the drive is just raw storage space. Formatting divides the space into partitions (if needed) and sets up the structure that allows the operating system to write and read files.

Recommended File Systems for Gaming:

Windows (NTFS): This is the native file system for Windows and is the best choice if you’ll primarily be using the drive with Windows computers. It supports large file sizes (necessary for games) and large partition sizes.
macOS (exFAT or APFS):
- exFAT: This is a good option if you need to use the drive with both Windows and macOS computers, as both operating systems can read and write to exFAT drives. However, it lacks some of the robustness and features of native file systems.
- APFS: This is the modern native file system for macOS. It’s optimized for SSDs and offers good performance on Macs. Choose this if you’ll only be using the drive with macOS devices.

Step-by-Step Guide for Formatting in Windows:

Connect your external SSD to your Windows PC.
Open the Start Menu and type “Disk Management,” then select “Create and format hard disk partitions.”
In the Disk Management window, find your external SSD. It will likely appear as a disk with unallocated space or an existing partition.
Right-click on the partition (or the unallocated space if it’s a new drive) and select “Format…”.
In the Format window:
- Choose the file system: NTFS is recommended for Windows.
- Leave the Allocation unit size as “Default.”
- You can enter a Volume label (a name for the drive, e.g., “GamingSSD”).
- Make sure “Perform a quick format” is checked (this is usually sufficient and much faster).
- Click “OK.”
A warning will pop up saying formatting will erase all data. Confirm by clicking “OK.”
Disk Management will format the drive. Once complete, it should show a healthy partition with the file system you selected.

Step-by-Step Guide for Formatting in macOS:

Connect your external SSD to your Mac.
Open Finder, go to Applications > Utilities, and open Disk Utility.
In Disk Utility, find your external SSD in the sidebar under “External.”
Select the drive itself (not just a volume listed under it).
Click the “Erase” button in the toolbar.
In the Erase dialog:
- Enter a Name for the drive (e.g., “GamingSSD”).
- Choose the Format: APFS is recommended for Mac-only use; ExFAT if you need Windows compatibility.
- Choose the Scheme: GUID Partition Map is the standard for modern drives.
- Click “Erase.”
Disk Utility will format the drive. Once complete, it will mount on your desktop and appear in Finder.

Assigning a Drive Letter (Windows)

In Windows, drives are accessed via drive letters (like C:, D:, E:). Your external SSD will automatically be assigned the next available letter. If you want to change it for easier identification (e.g., always assign it G: for Gaming), you can do this in Disk Management:

Open Disk Management (as described above).
Right-click on the partition of your external SSD.
Select “Change Drive Letter and Paths…”.
Click “Change…”.
Choose a new drive letter from the dropdown menu.
Click “OK” and confirm the change.

Initial Testing (Optional but Recommended)

To get a sense of the real-world speed you’re achieving, you can use a disk benchmark tool.

Windows: CrystalDiskMark is a popular free tool. Download and run it, select your external SSD’s drive letter, and run the default tests. Pay attention to the “Seq1M Q8T1” or “Seq1M Q1T1” results for sequential read/write speeds, and the “RND4K Q32T1” or “RND4K Q1T1” for random read/write speeds (random speeds are very important for game loading).
macOS: Blackmagic Disk Speed Test is a simple, free tool available on the Mac App Store. Select your external SSD and click “Start.” It will simulate video writes and reads to give you an idea of the drive’s performance.

These tests will show you the actual speeds you’re getting through your specific USB connection and enclosure, which might be slightly lower than the theoretical maximums but give you a good baseline.

Populating Your Portable Library: Installing and Running Games

Now for the fun part: getting your games onto the external SSD and playing them!

Installing Games Directly

The easiest way is to install games directly to the external drive from the start. Most major game launchers allow you to choose the installation location.

Steam: When you click “Install” on a game, Steam asks you to choose a “Steam Library Folder.” You can create a new library folder on your external SSD. Go to Steam > Settings > Storage, click the “+” button, select your external drive, and click “Add.” Now, when installing a game, you can select this new library folder on your external drive.
Epic Games Store: When installing a game, click “Browse” next to the installation path and navigate to a folder on your external SSD. You might want to create a dedicated folder like “Epic Games” on the drive.
Xbox App (PC Game Pass): The Xbox app also lets you choose the installation drive. Go to Settings > Install Options and select your external SSD from the dropdown menu for where games are installed by default. You can also choose a custom install location when installing individual games.
Other Launchers (Origin, Ubisoft Connect, Battle.net, etc.): Most other launchers have a similar option during the installation process to select the installation directory. Just point it to a folder on your external SSD.

Moving Existing Games

What if you already have games installed on your internal drive and want to move them to the external SSD? Most launchers have built-in tools for this, which is much safer and easier than just manually copying files.

Steam: This is very easy. Go to Steam > Settings > Storage. Select the drive where the game is currently installed. Check the box next to the game(s) you want to move. Click the “Move” button and select your external SSD from the dropdown list. Steam will handle the transfer.
Epic Games Store: The Epic Games Launcher has a “Move” option. Find the game in your Library, click the three dots next to its title, and select “Move.” Choose the new location on your external SSD.
Xbox App (PC Game Pass): In the Xbox app, go to your Library, click the three dots next to the game you want to move, select “Manage,” then go to the “Files” tab. Click “Change Drive” and select your external SSD.
Other Launchers: Check the specific launcher’s settings or game management options. Some have built-in move functions, while others might require you to uninstall and reinstall the game to the new location. Avoid manually copying game folders unless you know exactly what you’re doing, as it can sometimes break registry entries or file paths that the launcher expects.

Running Games

Once the games are installed or moved to your external SSD, running them is exactly the same as if they were on an internal drive. Simply open the game launcher (Steam, Epic, etc.), find the game in your library, and click “Play.” The launcher knows where the game files are located on the external drive.

Managing Multiple Computers

One of the biggest advantages of this setup is using the same game library on different computers. As long as the computer has the game launcher installed and you’re logged into your account, the launcher should detect the games on the external SSD when you connect it.

For example, if you install Steam games on your external SSD, you can plug that drive into another computer, install Steam, log in, and Steam should automatically recognize the games on the external drive. You might need to point Steam to the library folder on the external drive the first time (Steam > Settings > Storage > Add Library Folder), but usually, it detects it automatically.

This makes it incredibly convenient to switch between playing on your desktop at home and your laptop on the go, or playing at a friend’s house without needing to download huge game files again.

Optimizing Your External Gaming Experience

While using an external SSD is largely plug-and-play, there are a few things you can do to ensure you’re getting the best possible performance and a smooth gaming experience.

Ensure Correct USB Port Usage

This is crucial. Always plug your external SSD into the fastest available USB port on your computer that matches or exceeds the speed capability of your drive.

If you have a USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) external SSD, plug it into a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port on your computer. Plugging it into an older USB 2.0 or USB 3.2 Gen 1 port will limit its speed significantly.
USB-A ports often use color coding to indicate speed: black is usually USB 2.0, blue is often USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), and teal or red can indicate USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) or faster. USB-C ports can support various speeds (USB 3.2 Gen 1, Gen 2, Gen 2×2, or Thunderbolt) depending on the computer’s hardware. Check your computer’s specifications or manual if you’re unsure.

Using the fastest port ensures the data transfer “pipe” is as wide as possible for your drive.

Use a High-Quality Cable

The cable connecting your external SSD to your computer matters. A poor-quality or incompatible cable can limit the speed, even if both the drive and the port are fast. Always use the cable that came with your external SSD if possible, as it’s designed to work correctly with that specific drive and enclosure. If you need a longer cable or a replacement, make sure it’s rated for the correct USB standard (e.g., a “USB 3.2 Gen 2 cable” for a 10 Gbps connection).

Keep Drivers Updated

Ensure your computer’s USB drivers and chipset drivers are up to date. These drivers help your operating system communicate efficiently with the hardware, including the USB ports and controllers. You can usually find driver updates on your computer or motherboard manufacturer’s website.

Avoid Other High-Bandwidth USB Devices

If you have multiple high-bandwidth USB devices (like webcams, audio interfaces, or other storage drives) plugged into ports controlled by the same internal USB controller, they could potentially compete for bandwidth and slightly impact performance. For critical gaming sessions, try to minimize other demanding USB devices connected to the same controller as your external SSD. This is less of an issue with modern systems that have multiple robust USB controllers, but it’s something to keep in mind if you encounter unexplained performance issues.

Consider Thermal Throttling

SSDs, especially fast NVMe drives, generate heat when they’re actively reading or writing data. External enclosures help dissipate this heat, but under prolonged heavy load (like continuous game loading and asset streaming), the drive inside can get hot. If it gets too hot, the SSD’s controller might intentionally slow down its performance to prevent damage – this is called thermal throttling.

While most external SSDs are designed to manage heat reasonably well, ensuring good airflow around the drive can help. Don’t cover it or place it in an enclosed space while gaming. If you notice performance dipping during long gaming sessions, heat could be a factor.

Enable UASP (Usually Automatic)

UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) is a technical feature that allows USB storage devices to process commands more efficiently, similar to how internal SATA and NVMe drives communicate. This can improve read and write speeds, particularly for SSDs handling multiple requests at once (common in gaming). Most modern operating systems (Windows 8 and later, macOS) and external SSDs/enclosures that support USB 3.0 or later automatically use UASP if both the computer and the drive support it. You usually don’t need to do anything to enable it, but it’s worth knowing that this technology contributes to the better performance of SSDs over USB compared to older protocols.

The Ups and Downs: Pros and Cons of External SSD Gaming

Like any technology solution, using a USB SSD for gaming has its advantages and disadvantages.

Pros: The Benefits

Portability: This is the main draw. You can easily unplug the drive and take your entire game library (or a large chunk of it) with you to play on a different computer.
Increased Storage: It’s a simple way to add a lot of fast storage to a computer that has limited internal space or is difficult to upgrade internally (like many thin and light laptops).
Improved Loading Times: Compared to playing games from an external HDD or a slow internal drive, an external SSD will dramatically reduce loading screens and improve asset streaming.
Easy Setup: For the most part, it’s plug-and-play after initial formatting. Game launchers make installing and moving games straightforward.
Frees Up Internal Space: By moving large games to the external drive, you free up valuable space on your primary internal SSD, which can keep your operating system and frequently used applications running smoothly.

Cons: The Drawbacks

Performance Bottleneck: Even the fastest external connection (USB 3.2 Gen 2, 2×2, or Thunderbolt) will likely be slower than a direct internal NVMe connection, especially high-end PCIe 4.0 drives. You won’t get the absolute maximum speed the SSD is capable of.
Cost: External SSDs are more expensive per gigabyte than external HDDs. Faster drives and larger capacities cost more.
Requires a Free USB Port: The drive needs to be physically connected, taking up a USB port that you might need for other peripherals.
Physical Connection: The drive and its cable are external. There’s a small risk of accidentally unplugging it during gameplay (which would crash the game) or damaging the cable/port.
Potential for Heating: Under heavy load, the drive can get warm, and in some cases, thermal throttling could occur, although this is less common with typical gaming workloads compared to sustained large file transfers.

Real-World Scenarios: Where External SSDs Shine

Using a USB SSD for gaming isn’t necessary for everyone, but it’s an excellent solution in several common situations:

Gaming on Multiple Laptops/Desktops: This is perhaps the most compelling use case. If you have a gaming desktop at home and a gaming laptop for travel, or multiple computers in your household, an external SSD lets you maintain one central game library that you can easily plug into any machine. No need to install games multiple times or worry about syncing save files (though cloud saves handle that part).
Expanding Storage on Laptops with Limited Upgradability: Many modern ultraportable or thin gaming laptops have limited internal storage options. They might have only one M.2 slot, or the storage might even be soldered to the motherboard. An external SSD is often the only practical way to significantly increase your available game storage on these devices.
Playing Games on Work/School Computers (where allowed): If you have downtime on a work or school computer and are permitted to install and play games, an external SSD allows you to do so without installing large game files directly onto the computer’s internal drive. Just plug in your drive and launch your games. (Always check your organization’s IT policy first!).
Testing Games Before Committing to Internal Storage: Large games take a long time to download and install. If you’re unsure if you want to keep a massive game installed permanently, you can install it on your external SSD first. If you like it and want the absolute best performance, you can then move it to your internal NVMe drive later.
Creating a Portable “Game Library” for LAN Parties or Travel: Heading to a friend’s house for a gaming session? Just grab your external SSD with all your favorite multiplayer games pre-installed. It’s far more convenient than relying on their internet connection for last-minute downloads.

The Future of Portable Gaming Storage

The technology behind external storage continues to evolve, promising even faster and more convenient options in the future.

We’re already seeing the rollout of faster USB standards like USB4 and the upcoming Thunderbolt 5. These standards offer even higher bandwidth (up to 80 Gbps or even 120 Gbps in some configurations for Thunderbolt 5), which means external drives could potentially get even closer to the speeds of the fastest internal NVMe SSDs.

As NVMe SSDs become more common, manufacturing processes improve, leading to increased storage density and potentially lower costs per gigabyte over time. This means larger capacity external NVMe drives will become more affordable.

We can also expect to see more devices, including laptops and desktops, equipped with these higher-speed USB and Thunderbolt ports as standard, making it easier to take advantage of faster external storage.

While an external connection might always have some inherent overhead compared to a direct connection to the motherboard’s PCIe lanes, the gap is narrowing. It’s possible that in the future, the performance difference between a high-end internal NVMe drive and a high-end external drive over the latest connection standard will be negligible for the vast majority of gaming tasks.

Conclusion: Is an External SSD Right for Your Gaming Lifestyle?

Using a USB SSD for gaming on the go is a fantastic solution for expanding your game library and making it portable. It offers significantly faster loading times compared to traditional external hard drives and provides a convenient way to access your games on multiple computers.

While an external connection might not deliver the absolute peak performance of the fastest internal NVMe drives, a good quality external SSD connected via a fast USB port (like USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt) provides speeds that are more than sufficient for a great gaming experience with much-reduced loading times.

This setup is particularly beneficial for gamers who:

Play on multiple computers.
Have laptops or desktops with limited internal storage that’s hard to upgrade.
Want a convenient way to carry a large game library with them.

When choosing an external SSD, prioritize capacity (2TB+ is recommended for a decent game library) and speed (aim for USB 3.2 Gen 2, 10 Gbps, or faster if your computer supports it). Look for reputable brands and consider durability if you plan to travel frequently with the drive.

Ultimately, if you value portability and need more space for your growing game collection, a USB external SSD is a worthwhile investment that can significantly enhance your gaming lifestyle. Evaluate your own needs, the ports on your computer, and your budget, and you’ll be able to find the perfect portable storage solution to keep your games ready whenever and wherever you want to play.