In search of an alternative to Seagate's costly 512GB Game Drive, Daniel Rubino at Windows Central turns to the MyDigitalSSD OTG SuperSpeed USB 3.0 pocket SSD for some performance testing with his Xbox One. Here are some excerpts from his review:

Why choose SSD over HDD?

Daniel explains the reason to go with an SSD over an HDD is for superior performance and durability on the go.

"With no moving parts compared to traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) and much faster read and write times an SSD makes all the difference in performance. You could have the fastest processor on the market, but it won't matter if you are running an HDD instead of an SSD."

“External drives that are SSD also tend to have fewer problems since they are not mechanical. You bang a mechanical HDD the wrong way, and you could have just ruined the drive. SSDs, on the other hand, are more resilient.”

Comparing Size

Sizing the it up next to the Seagate Game Drive, Rubino notes the smaller stature of the OTG can be a benefit.

"While it lacks the official Xbox branding and has a more plastic feel to it the MyDigitalSSD is substantially smaller (half the size) than Seagate's offering too. That's important as you can easily slip this into your front pocket to take your game's to a friend's house."

“It's also ridiculously light at just 1.15 ounces (33g) - a third of the Seagate SSD's 3.5 ounces (100grams).”

Comparing Price

When talking price, the 512GB OTG shines coming it at roughly $80 less than the 512GB Game Drive at the time of this review.

“Coming in at $130 (versus the $210 from Seagate) it is also significantly cheaper.”

Comparing Performance

During testing the 512GB OTG proved to be a solid performer, noting the drive supports USB Attached SCSI (UASP), which Daniel points out "is critical for the Xbox One and external drives to reach their peak speed potential.”

Rubino then begins testing the OTG side by side with the Seagate Game Drive and the the Xbox One's internal HDD with Gears of War 4, Dead Rising 4, and DOOM which has substantial loading times for its new Arcade levels.

Game loading comparison chart for Gears of War 4 and Dead Rising 4

Game loading comparison chart for DOOM

After testing, Daniel likes what he sees from the OTG for performance but notes it was a close race with the Game Drive.

“The MyDigital (OTG) performed well with 16% to 22% faster load times than the internal HDD of the Xbox One. It even was slightly faster against the Seagate SSD.”

"Granted, in all cases, we are talking about five seconds or less difference with some cases being dead even between the two SSDs. In fact, most discrepancies here could easily be written off as being within the margin of error."

Final Thoughts

Factoring in price and performance, Rubino concludes that the 512GB OTG emerges the victor in this round of comparison testing.

“...there is no reason to buy it (Seagate Game Drive SSD) over the MyDigitalSSD (OTG) which is $80 cheaper. That's a 38 percent markup on a drive that has the same or slightly worse performance.”

“Considering that MyDigitalSSD (OTG) 512GB is cheaper, smaller, and lighter than Seagate's with the same level of performance, it is the better buy in this scenario.”

Read The Full Review

Click here to read the full review on WindowsCentral.com. (Link opens in new window)

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