The best PS5 external hard drives can stop one of the most frustrating experiences with Sony’s current-gen console - the dreaded ‘storage is full’ notifications. Nothing is worse than downloading the latest PS Plus games only for the notification center to light up as you’re low on space. Whether you're still rocking out with the 825GB of the launch model or the 2TB of the PS5 Pro, external drives can help provide an upgrade to your storage without having t🌱o delve into the innards of your console.
We've been plugging all the latest and greatest PS5 hard drives and SSDs into our consoles for years now, running speed tests, checking sizes, and weighing all those benefits against the final price. While you won't be able to run games off external drives like the澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: best SSDs for PS5, we're still looking out for fast, reliable read and write speeds, a g🐎ood range of capacity options, and a strong, durable chassis that can stand the test of time.
Through that labor of testing love, we've come to the conclusion that the best PS5 external hard drive right now is the WD Black P40, with its sturdy shell and excellent speeds to match its capacity. While Western Digital's tiny portable SSD is our overall pick, there is a wealth of澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询: external hard drives for gaming out there at a variety of price points and we're here to give you the low-down on what's worth your PS5, time, and ❀money below.
Curated by
Curated by
Rosalie Newcombe
As someone who's not only been using the PS5 almost since launch but regularly needs extra storage for creating music, I've gotten myself more than familiar with external SSDs. Unlike internal drives, you can't run games off these, but having that extra storage on hand can make a world of di🧸fference, especially if you're constantly low on space. I hate the barrage of notifications that my PS5 is full up, so I'm here to guide you on what external SSD options out there can provide extra game, and even game capture, and storage - no matter your budget.
Recent updates
April 7 - For this update, our list of the best external hard drives for the PS5 has remained unchanged. Most recently, we reviewed the WD Black C50 2TB, however, as an Xbox Series X/S drive, it doesn't qualify for a spot on this list. Regardless, I updated the FAQ by including a section on how to set up and install a PS5 external hard drive, should you be looking at grabbing any of the ones below.
If it's plain and simple storage space you want without the various b🌳ells and whistles of portable SSDs, look no further t💞han the Seagate Portable Drive.
Thi༺s is Crucial's newest Pro model portable SSD, so it doesn't come very cheap. That said, its dinky size and the ability to keyring it makes it worth having.
If it's cheap and cheerful HDD storage you're looking for, the Toshiba Canvio Advance is a tওotal staple of the market. Just don♋'t expect fast speeds.
Portable SSDs don't exactly come cheap, but this older model tends to be one of the most aℱffordable ones, it's also tiny, so it'd be easy to take on the go.
Now that the P40 has arrived and stolen its spotlight, the P50 should be more prone to discounts. 🙈🎃It's not too far behind the P40's performance either.
Samsung's storage solutions are always a reliable option, and the T7 Shield is a sturdy option that follows on from the popular T5 that's tough to♍ find now.
If you want loads of room for games, 4TB will last you ages. This HDD My Passport from WD won't give you great speeds, but it's cheaper than༺ a 4TB SSD.
✅ You want super fast transfer speeds: The P40 was able to transfer 22GB worth of recorded PS5 game footage in no time at all, so 🍨if you're planning on transferring bit blocks of data, this is more then ideal.
Don't buy it if
❌ It's too pricey for your budget: The P40 is one of the more expensive external drives of this list, so it won't suit♔ everyone's bu🃏dget.
The WD_Black P40 SSD is the latest in WD's gaming-focused external hard drives, and it's one of the best performers you'll find. It takes the specs and design of the P50 and carries both over to a compact build that makes use of some 🐎beau🥀tiful RGB lighting.
Read and write speeds were great in testing. The 2000MB/s speed you see on the box is as good as you'll get in an external hard drive, but in reality, it translates to some great load times and transfer speeds on PS5 and PC. I had a load of game capture footage stored on my PS5 I had been meaning to move across to my computer for video editing, and even though it was about 30 clips 🅰spanning a total of 22GB, the P40 swallowed it up from the PS5 in about a minute. The same was true of games once I formatted it for some extra storage. I transfe༒rred three games that added up to 18GB, and it transferred in just shy of a minute.
Disappointingly, the P40 is one of the pricier options up and down this list, particularly because it's a newer release from WD. For your money, you get the drive which comes with WD's Windows dashboard, a USB-C cable and USB-A adapter, a quick install guide, and a 5-year warranty I'd b🐲e surprised if you need to use. WD's solid build with forged aluminium means it's a sturdy piece of kit.
The best budget HDD for PS5
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(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)
(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)
(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)
2. Seagate Portable Drive
The best budget HDD for PS5
☆☆☆☆☆
Specifications
Capacity: Up to 5TB
Format: HDD
Reasons to buy
+
Reasonably priced
+
Solid performance for an HDD
+
USB 3.0
Reasons to avoid
-
Just an HDD
-
No USB-C
-
Not the sturdiest
Buy it if
✅ You want a HDD to back up older games: The Seagate Portable Drive is an affordable way to back up any games you don't want to have to reinstall,🌜 or just for storing any extra media too.
Don't buy it if
❌ You want to run PS4 games off the drive: This isn't going to cut down the loading speeds of PS4 games due to its less-than-ideal speeds, so 🐟if that's important it's best looking elsewhere.
The Seagate Portable Drive isn't going to knock your socks off. If you want to play games off an ꦓexternal drive, or you want to transfer games back and forth in record time, this probably isn't wha𓄧t you should go for. On the other hand, if you need a simple HDD for backing up files, storing older games you don't want to have to download, or just a basic hard drive for storing documents and media, it's hard to argue with what Seagate has here.
For starters, you're not going to find many external hard drives that come cheaper than this. You're talking 1TB under $50 / £50, and capacities of up to 5TB should you really need more space. While there's no USB-C out of the box, the Seagate Portable Drive is compatible with USB 3.0, so it's not all doom and gloom in terms of read and write speeds. Using USB 3.0, I've done hours of video editing off of this drive and never once encountered any stuttering or freezing🍬, so it's reliable enough for a traditional spinning disc drive.
The reasons you should avoid this drive are if you need anything more than what HDD can provide. If you want the speediest offering in a portable drive, opt for something 💜more expensive. Similarly, the plastic casing doesn't feel very sturdy, so if you want to avoid damage and some extremely tricky repairs, maybe opt for something el🌊se.
The most portable SSD for PS5
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(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)
(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)
(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)
(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)
(Image credit: Future / Duncan Robertson)
3. Crucial X10 Pro
The most portable SSD for PS5
Reasons to buy
+
Tiny size
+
Great speeds
+
Splash, dust, and drop resistant
Reasons to avoid
-
Fairly pricey even for 1TB
-
Short cable
Buy it if:
✅ You want a durable and portable SSD: The Crucial X10 Pro is designed to resistꦬ wear and tear and is resis🌄tant to splashes, dust, and drops - making it one of the best SSDs to take with you on the go.
Don't buy it if:
❌ Lacks the look of other external drives for gaming: If you want your external🐷 hard drives to have that 'gaming' edge to their desig🐼n, this isn't the portable SSD for you.
Crucial by Micron is no stranger to anyone that knows the digital storage market. In this portable SSD, the Crucial X10 Pro, the bra▨nd gives you either 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB of space in a tiny drive you can fit in your pocket. While I was a bit too scared to test its durability properly, it's marketed as being resistant to splashes, dust, and drops. For those reasons, we award it with the best external hard drive for portability.
Its speeds aren't too shabby either. Hooked up to the PS5, I managed to move a hefty 439.5GB from the console to the X10 Pro in 34 mins. While that might seem like a small eternity with today's Gen 5 🅘SSD speeds, just imagine the time it'd take to download that much raw data. Transferring 46GB worth of 2018's God of War from the hard drive to console storage, meanwhile, took only 5 minutes and 16 seconds. The speeds on the box here are 2,100MB/s read, and 2,000MB/s write, so it wouldn't shy away from the absolute best options on the top of this list.
The only problem is, this is meant for professionals, not necessarily gamers. That means it's arguably missing some gaming flare in its design, but I think for such a powerful drive in as small a package as it is, we can't make too many demands. On that "meant-for-professionals" note, it is fairly pricey. Regardless, this is definitely one of the best ex༒ternal hard drives on the marke💧t if you want a portable solution for gaming, work, or content creation.
The Best Backup Hard Drive For PS5
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(Image credit: Toshiba)
(Image credit: Toshiba)
(Image credit: Toshiba)
(Image credit: Toshiba)
4. Toshiba 1TB Canvio Advance
The best backup drive for PS5
Reasons to buy
+
Budget price
+
Decent transfer speeds
+
Available in different colors
Reasons to avoid
-
Speeds don't rival an SSD
-
Not very sturdy
Buy it if
✅ You're still rocking the PS4: If you haven't 🤡completely written off your PS4, this drive is great 𒁃for storing extra games, or even transferring them over to your PS5.
Don't buy it if:
❌ You want the fastest transfer speeds: As an HDD, the Canvio Advance isn't going to rival the speeds of t🌠he best external PS5 SSDs🌠.
The Canvio Advance is a simple way to bring those backed-up PS4 games ov🍰er to ✤your new console. Touting simple HDD speeds, the Canvio Advance is a cheap and cheerful hard drive for PS5, and one of our favorites to recommend to gamers who don't need the best of the best. It is superior to the Basics range from Toshiba in every way but just performs exactly as needed - just as well as most other HDDs, and often for a lower price.
This one's roughly the same cost as the Basics, but comes with a few extra tricks. The read and write speeds are marginally faster, there's a two-year warranty, and if you fancy turning the Canvio Advance into a PC drive it has password protection and automatic backup, which is lackin🐎g from the Basics model.
Anyway, using it is still as easy as ever. Just plug i✤t into your PS4 and format it as extended storage. As a result of this, the Advance doesn't require an external power source and just functions over USB.
The best budget external SSD for PS5
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(Image credit: Future / GamesRadar)
(Image credit: Future / GamesRadar)
(Image credit: Future / GamesRadar)
5. Crucial X6
The best budget external SSD for PS5
☆☆☆☆☆
Specifications
Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
Storage type: SSD
Sequential Read: Up to 800MB/s
Sequential Write (non-official): Up to 500MB/s
Reasons to buy
+
Super compact design
+
Cheaper than the competition
+
Much quicker than a traditional HDD
Reasons to avoid
-
'Only' 540 MB/s in smaller capacities (still feels quick though)
-
Cable is very short
Buy it if
✅ You want a more affordable portable SSD: The Crucial X6 is one of the more affordable portable SSDs out there, and still m𓂃anages to come in 1TB, 2TB and 4TB versions that aren't as expensive as other drives.
Don't buy it if
❌ You need a longer cable: The Crucial X6 🦹requires a USB-C connection, so it will dangle from your PS5 due to its short cable. If you're worried about that, this may not be the drive for you.
External SSD options can get pretty pricey fast, even for smaller drives. But if you're after a cheaper option, with a decent capacity that will still thrash a traditional HDD for speeds then ▨we think the Crucial X6 is a great pick.
You can get a 1TB version here for a similar price of SSDs with less than half of the storage. The Crucial X6 is fantastic f🌌or storing and playing PS4 games. So much so, you won't feel you have to transfer them to the PS5 to get fast loading times. Compa𒆙red to running games on a standard external HDD we managed to decrease loading times on Resident Evil 7 from game selection to gameplay from around 90 seconds to just one minute. Storing PS5 games here is a great idea too as it only took us 3 minutes 48 seconds to move 30GB compared to 7:16 when using an HDD.
A USB-C connection means you'll have to plug it into the front of the PS5 and the Crucial X6 is left hanging and it'll only just reach the table (assuming your PS5 is vertical), but it's super light🅺, so there's no risk of it getting loose. If you like the look of this one, but want an even faster version, you'll want to take a look at the . Overall, we think this is among the best PS5 e🐷xternal hard drives.
The best value external PS5 SSD
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(Image credit: WD)
(Image credit: WD)
(Image credit: WD)
(Image credit: WD)
(Image credit: WD)
6. WD Black P50 Game Drive
The best value external PS5 SSD
Reasons to buy
+
Excellent speeds
+
Robust build
+
Purpose-built for gaming
Reasons to avoid
-
Pricier than many other models
Buy it if:
✅ You want some of the fastest read & write speeds: The P50 is one of the best ext♕ernal SSDs out there for not ju🍨st the PS5, but one of the best SSDs overall thanks in part to its 2000MB/s incredibly fast speeds.
Don't buy it if
❌ You're worried the temperature of your SSD: The P50 never over-heated during ou💙r testing, but it did get noticeably warm when in use which is worth watching out for.
The P50 is one of the best external drives for any device right now, particularly if you need more storage for video games. However, it's probably the best PS5 external hard drive in terms of value for money right now, since it has most of the same specs we love about the P40, at a cheaper rate. It offers speeds and performances often reserved for those drives within the 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:best gaming PCs and on 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:SSDs for gaming lists. All encased within a unit that has a 🐓quality, cool design, and a robust buiꦗld.
Speaking of that unit, on its outside the P50 is military metal-styled, rectangular in shape, and features slick molded metal in black along with the traditional W𓄧D_Black aesthetics and markings. Its USB-C port can be used on your devices as either a USB-A or USB-C connection and in our testing, we got the same speeds through either port so it shouldn't matter which you have free or available, or if you change the device it's used with during its lifetime. There's a small but clear LED indicator on one of the short ends which is always a help, but one small downside is that it does get a little warm when in use so it'll pa🦂y to keep that in mind when positioning it.
When it comes to speeds, what you're told you're getting and what happens is pretty much bang on. It's incredible performance for an external SSD and the stated speeds of 'up ✨to 2000MB/s' were on the money in our testing. Real-world performance-wise, the P50 gives you everything a high-quality external SSD should do: games were loaded incredibly quickly, files were retrieved in the snap of a finger, and the performance levels were incredibly consistent.
The best external SSD for PS5 from Samsung
(Image credit: Future)
7. Samsung T7 Shield
The best external SSD for PS5 from Samsung
☆☆☆☆☆
Specifications
Capacity: 1TB
Storage type: SSD
Sequential Read: Up to 1,050 MB/s
Sequential Write: Up to 1,000 MB/s
Reasons to buy
+
Fast sequential performance
+
Small form factor
+
Tactile, rugged design
Reasons to avoid
-
Cable isn't the longest around
-
T9 now offers better performance
Buy it if
✅ You want to transfer large PS5 games in minutes: During our testing, games like the (53.73 GB) Demon Soul's remake on the PS5 transferred from the PS5 t𝓀o this drive in just 4 minutes 30 seconds.
Don't buy it if
❌ You want the newest external Samsung SSD: The Samsung T7 Shield is a fast and reliabl💧e external SSD, however, more recent Samsung SSDs like the T9 SSD, outdo it in performance.
The Samsung T7 Shield was recently surpassed by the new T9 SSD, which does offer better performance than this. Unfortunately, that drive is more expensive, and the increased durability of the T7 Shield makes is better value ju🅺st now. In the coming months, that may change though.
The T7 boasts double the performance of the T5, and our testing proves that's very much the case. While the 1,050 MB/s read and 1,000 MB/s write don't exactly rival NVMe counterparts, as far as external drives go, the Samsung T7 Shield is certainly up there in terms of sequential performance. At $159.99 / £134.79 for a 1TB model or $289.99 / £250.99 for 2TB, it's far from the cheapest PS5 exter♊nal hard drives around, but those speeds, and tank-like shell, may justify 🌞the added cost for you.
We found that the claimed figures were largely lived up to with game transfers, as Demon's Souls (53.73 GB) made the leap from the PS5's internal storage to the Samsung T7 Shield in 4 minutes 30 seconds. That's roughly in keeping with the maximum sequential performance, and solid figures from an external driv🅘e plugged in via USB 3.2 on the back of the console. There's also an included USB C to USB C cable in the box, too.
Another main selling point of this drive, much like others in the line-up, is the rugged nature of its outer casing. Samsunꦆg has stated that the T7 Shield is able to withstand all manner of harsh conditions, with drop tests being done four times from three meters in the air onto solid concrete with no signs of physical damage to the casings or internals.
The best 4TB external PS5 HDD
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(Image credit: Western Digital)
(Image credit: G-Technology)
(Image credit: G-Technology)
8. WD My Passport 4TB Portable Hard Drive
The best 4TB external PS5 HDD
Reasons to buy
+
Masses of storage
+
Really great price
+
Great transfer speeds for an HDD
Reasons to avoid
-
Basic speeds
Buy it if
✅You want a simple but reliable external PS5 HDD: The WD My Passport portable hard drive is a reasonable priced HDD that doesn't have the speeds of modern SSDs, but still comes in 4TB versions worthy enough to store your﷽ e🐻xtra PS5 games.
Don't buy it if
❌ 4TB isn't enough for your needs: The WD My Passport 4TB Portable Hard Drive is great value for money, however, it doesn't go a🃏ny larger than 4TB. So if you need 8TB, or even more storage to keep all your PS4/PS5 games stored way, this won't be for you.
Long having ruled over the external storage market in the PS4 and Xbox One generation, the My Passport drive from Western Digital is still one of the most reliable, convenient, and versatile HDDs you can buy. It's only bumped down to a 'lower position on this list due to our take that SSDs 𝓀shade it over HDDs in the PS5 generation. However, for anyone looking for a standard, reasonably priced PS5 e♋xternal hard drive that's an HDD this remains a top, top option.
It's a simple USB connection, it's small and sturdy - about the size of a smart phone - and the My Passport series' aesthetic is pleasing and brings further style to a quality HDD, meaning it'll slot seamlessly in💛to your setup and be unobtrusive even if it's on show.
In terms of specific capac﷽ities, we'd probably go for the 4TB version. This is because we've seen the biggest savings on the 4TB, and you do get better value, generally, with the bigger drives. A 4TB HDD will provide easily enough space for 50+ games, and loads of saves, data, and media too.
The best for big storage
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(Image credit: Seagate)
(Image credit: Seagate)
(Image credit: Seagate)
(Image credit: Seagate)
9. Seagate Expansion 6TB HDD
The best for big storage
☆☆☆☆☆
Specifications
Capacity: 6TB, 12TB
Storage Type: HDD
Sequential Read: 160MB/s
Sequential Write (non-official): 120MB/s
Reasons to buy
+
Great price
+
Holy hell, that's a lot of storage
Reasons to avoid
-
Again, HDD speed
Buy it if
✅ You have space for it: The Seagate Expansion 6TB HDD is a chonky drive, so make sure youꦇ have space for it in you're gaming ♒setup.
Don't buy it if
❌ You need a hard drive you can take on the go: You could take the 😼Seagate Expansion 6TB HDD with you, but it would take up a 🦂lot of space. If you need your external hard drive to be as portable as possible, better look elsewhere.
You'll never have to worry about the sheer capacity of your external storage again (probably) with this ridiculously well-priced 6TB offering from Seagate. It's an absolute unit, and kind of goes against the portability perk one of the best PS5 external hard drives is supposed to give you, but it does maintain a slick and slim finish and size. You can get capacities from 6TB up to 12TB. But we think this 6TB monster represents the best value for money. I mean, how much space do you really need for PS4 and PS5 games? At last count, the entire Game Pass library only adds up to about 10TB, and with PS Plus being a bit less than that, it's doubtful you'd need more than 6 if you wanted to download everything.
Setup is easy as you like, with a simple plug and play, but due to its thiccness, you will have a mains power to plug in as well as the USB 3.0. That latter connection offers great HDD speeds for transfer✨s, and if you get a 6TB drive, you're probably look🎃ing at about 80-100 PS4 games.
When reviewing the best PS5 external hard drives, we asses each SSD and HDD based on various factors, including capacity, speed, and price. While not all storage options will have the 𒆙same specs, appropriately weighing up what each option offers for its MSRP is crucial, ultimately helping us make recommendations for specific use cases and scenarios.
We start by checking what each brand tells us their PS5 external hard drives can offer in the way of sequential read and write speeds. We measure data transfer times across both PC and PS5 to ensure the process of moving games between the system and the hard drive is smooth and fast. These transfers consist of larger games, spanning the PS4 and PS5's r𓆉elease catalog. Our go-tos include God of War 2018, Resident Evil 7, and Demon's Souls.
We measure these transfer times agains🧔t the marketed speeds of the drive to ascertain the true value of each device. We then go in-game, measuring loading times on a cold boot of the same titles on a PlayStation 5 to explore a device's real-world performa𒅌nce.
Unlike the best PS5 SSDs, incorporating one of the best PS5 external hard drives alongside your console is a lot more straightforward. For one, you don't have to take apart your expensive bit of Sony gaming tech, and instead, just need to locate one of the available USB ports on the front, or back of the console, and plug the drive right in and away you go.
If you have a launch model PS5, you will have one USB-C and one USB-A port at the front of your console, and two USB-A ports at the back. Insert your external hard drive to one of these ports, and next you'll need to format the drive, which you can do by going from: Settings > Storage > USB Extended Storage > Format as USB Extended Storage.
Remember to back up anything that's currently on the external hard drive, as formatting it for your PS5 will wipe it clean of any data. Don't say we didn't warn you.
Afterwards, you can now move games from your internal PS5 storage to the external drive. Whenever you want to move a game, be sure to sel𓂃ect "Movable to USB Extenꦺded Storage" when dealing with external drives.
The best PS5 external hard drives: FAQ
(Image credit: Western Digital)
Is 1TB enough for PS5?
We think that 1TB forജ an internal SSD is going to be the sweet spot for most players. This would give your PS5 just over 1.5TB of proper usable space, and also ensures you're not paying silly money for the 2TB and up variants of the SSDs - this is where prices can skyrocket (some 2TB models are a𒁃bout the same price as a whole PS5!).
Externally, you do get way more bang for your buck, and we'd say a 1TB model is probably a minimum, a starting point. Particularly in sales season, you'll find high-quality 2TB and up ♈models - of SSDs - coming down to the same prices as their smaller counterparts. HDDs will get you even further and 4TB and 5TB models will get you all the st🉐orage you'll ever need, for a low price - if you're happy with slower speeds.
Is external SSD or HDD better for PS5
We would always suggest you go for SSD over HDD, as performance is exponentially better in solid state drives. Looking to the future, you'll get more money out of an S🌱SD, especially🌼 with prices on them being at their most affordable rate in years. While you may find higher capacities of HDD, we'd advocate for SSD if you want the best futureproofing.
Can I use any external hard drive for PS5?
PS5 external hard drives utilize the USB 3.0 port on the back of the system in order to provide the fastest transfer times available. This means the vast majority of USB-powered drives can work with the system. However, they will need to be formatted correctly, and a lot of the time that means wiping them clean of any exiꦰsting data on the drive first.
When you initially plug in an external drive, t✤he PlayStation 5 will prompt you to format it if you need to, so it's a quick and easy process. Just ensure you've transferred any existing data off of it first.
Do games run slower on a PS5 external hard drive?
Unfortunately, PS5 games can't be played fr🐭om an external drive, even if it's an external SSD. While you can store games o♉n an external drive, you'll just need to transfer them back to internal storage before you play them.
The good news is, you can play PS4 games from an external drive, and since the internal storage of the PS4 was an HDD, you shouldn't experience any slow-downs🐽 if you run games from an external drive. If you use an external SSD, you may even experience quicker load times than are typical for PS4 games.
Can you use an external hard drive for the PS5 and PS4?
Yes, you can use an external hard drive for bಌoth the PS4 and the PS5. However, PS5 games cannot run off an external hard drive, and so will only be able to be stored on your drive. Your PS4 games, however, will be playable from the external hard drive.
Ever since I first held a NES controller in my hand I've been obsessed with gaming, and the hardware it runs on. I could hook up a NES and SNES to a telly, without instructions, before I could walk. Even now, nothing is more exciting then taking a console, or handheld, out the box for the first time and setting it up. This obsession transformed into a love of ꧋games and game music, which lead to my music degree and dream of becoming the Scottish Nobuo Uematsu. After sharing my love of games through music, I began to share my love through words on sites like TechRadar and iMore. This lead to becoming a Hardware staff writer for PCGamesN, and later the Senior Tech Writer for Dexerto, covering all things Steam Deck, 🅠PlayStation and Nintendo. With that experience, I was able to level up as Hardware Editor for GamesRadar+, where I'm still just as Nintendo, PlayStation and gaming tech obsessed as ever.
