Gift Idea for Gamers
(Image credit: Microsoft)
Do not know what to get for the gamer in your life, or want to treat yourself but not sure what to get? Decent memory storage is a constant issue for gamers and can make a perfect gift. Considering the PlayStation 5 only has 860 GB, the Xbox Series X has 1 TB, and the Series S only has 500 GB, even the next-gen systems could use more memory. They may take special memory cards but support other external hard drives as well, similar to the PS4 and Xbox One. The Load Screen will explain the different options for additional memory and how it can be a good gift for any console or PC gamer. The Load Screen is not affiliated with any products mentioned in this article.
The PS5 and Xbox Series X/S require special memory cards comparable to the original Xbox and PlayStation, but the new cards are for optimized titles. This means that only PS5 and Xbox Series X/S titles need the system specific memory cards to be playable. Currently, the Xbox Series X/S has the lone option for this additional memory, check out the Seagate Storage Expansion Card page for more information. As of now, the PlayStation 5 does have a slot for a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD card, but there are no models available.
Luckily, gamers have more options, there are external memory drives that work for the new systems but do not support optimized next-gen games. Even PS4 and Xbox One console owners can benefit from the purchase of an external hard drive similar to those PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S owners. There are hundreds of options available in varying sizes, and most gamers could benefit from a 1 to 2 TB addition. Verifying that a potential external drive is rated for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One games on the product page is important since not all external hard drives are the same. There are external Solid State drives as well, but they are more expensive while offering better reliability.
Those looking to upgrade systems now or in the future could seriously benefit from a good external hard drive, even if it is just for transferring games. In households where bandwidth is an issue, redownloading the same 60 GB game again may not be feasible. Both Sony and Microsoft allow transferring of most older generation games from the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to the next-gen platforms. Each set has a list of titles that will transfer, and the updated lists can be found on the PlayStation 5 backward compatibility page and on the Xbox games compatible page. Although games bought on disc may require access verifying with the disc on the new system, especially for PlayStation 5.
Even PC gamers can benefit from an additional hard drive, but the options get more expansive and must fit the user’s needs. Not every PC gamer has room left in their current rig for an additional hard drive, and specific titles, such as Cyberpunk 2077 on Steam page, recommends a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD to run optimally. While external storage drives are nice for PC gamers, they may not be as good for gaming unless the drive is an SSD.
With game file sizes getting bigger than ever, including the ability to update your games to the next-gen consoles, having a good external hard drive will be necessary. PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S users can all benefit from additional external memory, making it a good gift idea for any console gamer. There is also a Seagate Expansion card for those Xbox Series X/S owners, but it is significantly more expensive than other external options and is only needed for Xbox Series X/S games. A properly rated external SSD or HHD would make gamers happier this year.
