With 8TB of storage, there's room for well over 200 games (or a few dozen extremely large games). Considering the Xbox One X will unpack 4K assets on top of existing game installations, storage solutions are going to become increasingly important.
This Game Drive Hub does a little more than simply store games, however. Let's take a look.
Features and specs
- Data transfer rate: 220 MB/s
- HDD speed: 5400 rpm
- Storage: 8 TB
- Weight: 1.1kg
- Dimensions: 4.1 x 19.8 x 11.8 cm
- Ports: 2x USB 3.0 front-facing, USB 3.0 Xbox connectivity, A/C power
- Price: $200
The Game Drive Hub is, for the most part, a standard mains-powered USB 3.0 HDD. While it's slightly less convenient than a USB-powered HDD, the trade offs include huge storage capacity and two front-facing USB ports, expanding the capabilities of the Xbox One S and X. You can even use the USB ports to daisy chain additional storage devices if you want to go nuts, but I think for the most part, 8 TB of storage should serve the average gamer pretty well.
8 TB of storage grants 8000 GB, and with game installations ranging from 30, to 50, to 100, it should be quite difficult to fully fill this thing.
At 5400 RPM, the Seagate Game Drive Hub will afford no speed boosts over the internal Xbox One S HDD, and will actually be a little slower than the Xbox One X's 1 TB HDD, which has been granted boosted speeds to handle the longer load times that will accompany 4K games.
Indeed, 4K games running on the Xbox One X will unpack additional assets to deliver higher-quality textures, so we could see game installations balloon over 100 GB. Until Microsoft launches Xbox One X SKUs with larger storage solutions, external HDDs such as this will be a welcome boost.
Design and functionality
The Game Drive Hub has a solid weight at 1.1kg, meaning that it won't slide all over the place when you have several other devices plugged into it. A lot of "hub" type devices seem to get this wrong, so it's nice that Seagate has ensured their Game Drive Hub has a decent weight to it.
It's quite an attractive looking piece of kit, too, for an external HDD. Designed to be positioned either vertically or horizontally, this version of the Hub matches the white coloration of the standard Xbox One S console, complete with an "Xbox" branded cutout on the left side.
Across the top, back, and bottom, the Game Drive Hub is surrounded by a black plastic hexagonal lattice for a bit of ventilation, which curves downwards at the front to reveal the Seagate logo (which lights up when powered).
It's not often you'll worry about the way a HDD looks, but if you want your accessories to match your sexy white Xbox One S, Seagate has done a great job at meeting those expectations.
The USB connector cable is around 4 feet long, which is fairly generous, with a power adapter cable length to match. My Game Hub came with several separate plug types to match European, UK, and US sockets, with the power pack itself attached to the plug.
Since most Xbox consoles are probably plugged into a power strip with limited space for large plugs like this, it's something to be aware of if you're planning to buy it. It's 8 x 3 x 3 cm large, which isn't too big, but it might not fit as many configurations as a plug with a separated in-line power pack might.
Set up for the Game Drive Hub is as simple as plug and play. Whether you're going to format it for use on a Windows PC or an Xbox One (or Xbox One X), you'll be up and running as soon as you plug it in, especially when you throw in the Xbox One's new storage transfer features.
Final Thoughts: Should you buy this?
The 8 TB Game Hub Drive is a great piece of kit. It looks sleek and sexy, it has Xbox branding, and matches the Xbox One S with style.
At $200, you might balk at the price, but there are few cheaper options out there with this feature set, particularly when you factor in the additional USB ports.
All things considered, this is a solid purchase for those looking to augment their Xbox One S, or prepare for the Xbox One X. If you'd rather have a black HDD to match the Xbox One X, Seagate also do a darker, non-Xbox branded variant of this drive that is actually slightly cheaper at $179.
Pros:
- Looks great.
- Huge amount of storage.
- 2x additional USB ports.
Cons:
- The plug might be a little large for some.
Whether you pick up this white Xbox branded Game Drive Hub or its gloss black variant, you won't be disappointed.
