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Samsung has released its first USB4 external drive, the Portable SSD P9, available in 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB capacities with rated sequential speeds up to 4,000 MB/s read and 3,800 MB/s write. The 2TB model tested costs $649, with the 1TB starting at $339 and the 8TB model priced at $2,879.
External USB drives connected to a PlayStation 5 can archive PS4 and PS5 game installs, store screenshots and video clips, and transfer media to a computer, though not all functions work simultaneously on one drive. Game archiving requires a USB 5 Gbps (USB 3.0) drive between 250GB and 8TB, formatted specifically as USB Extended Storage, which erases existing data and can't be used with a hub. Screenshots and clips instead require a standard exFAT or FAT32 formatted drive, meaning separate drives are needed for games versus media.
External SSDs use flash storage that speeds up file transfers and editing directly from the drive, while offering greater durability, quieter operation, and lower power draw thanks to having no moving parts. External hard drives remain the cheaper option per gigabyte, with examples like a 2TB Seagate HDD costing less than a 1TB Samsung T9 SSD.
Sharge has unveiled the Disk Pro 2, a follow-up to its popular Disk Pro external SSD, this time allowing users to install their own M.2 drives up to 8TB in 2230, 2242, or 2280 sizes. The device comes in two variants: a Lite version with HDMI 2.0 output and a 5W minimum power draw, and an Ultra version with HDMI 2.1 supporting 4K@144Hz or 8K@30Hz, a faster card reader, and just 1.5W minimum power consumption. Both models include active cooling, magnetic attachment, and 80W passthrough charging.
Lexar marked its 30th anniversary by launching the Muse, an external SSD measuring just 3.8mm thick, which the company calls the world's thinnest portable drive. To achieve that slimness, it uses a proprietary magnetic SnapLink cable with pogo pins instead of a built-in port, plus an optional sleeve that lets the drive attach magnetically to a phone. The drive offers USB 10 Gbps speeds, with claimed reads up to 1,050 MB/s and writes up to 1,000 MB/s.
At Gamescom 2026, Samsung introduced its new P Series of external SSDs, the professional-grade P9 and the more general-purpose P7, both using USB4 connectivity. The P9 reaches sequential read speeds of 4,000MBps and write speeds of 3,800MBps, roughly double the previous T9 generation, while the P7 emphasizes broad device compatibility and drop-test durability.