WD_BLACK D30 Game Drive Made For PS5 And Xbox Series X, But There's A Catch

This week the folks at Western Digital revealed their latest external WD_BLACK D30 game drive SSD. This new storage solution was made specifically to work with gaming consoles like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, right out the gate. UPDATE: There are two WD_BLACK D30 devices, one just called D30 Game Drive SSD, the other specifically branded with the word "Xbox".

The WD_BLACK D30 Game Drive SSD and the WD_BLACK D30 Game Drive SSD for Xbox appear to be effectively identical in capabilities and configurations, save a couple details. The devices look a little different on the outside – the Xbox version is made to look like a perfect complimentary piece of industrial design for an Xbox gaming console.

The other difference between the versions of the device is in price – the prices start at $89.99 for the standard version, and $99.99 for the Xbox version. The Xbox version also comes with a 1-month membership of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Both devices work with read speeds up to 900 MB/s, both come in capacities of 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB. Both work with USB 3.2 Gen 1 with a USB-C connector. Both are compatible with Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. Both will be available for sale starting in June of 2021.

The catch: This WD device can play and store PS4 and Xbox One games on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X. It can also archive Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 games. It cannot play Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 games. You'll still need to keep the game you're actively playing ON the console.

WD also revealed the WD_BLACK SN750 SE NVMe SSD. This is an SSD with PCIe Gen4 tech (backward compatible with PSIe Gen3) with read speeds up to 3,600MB/s. The WD_BLACK SN750 SE NVMe SSD will be available in 250GB, 500GB, and 1TB capacities, starting at approximately $55 USD in the USA.