WD_BLACK D10 Game Drive for Xbox (3 TB) – Tech Review

Whether you’re still on an Xbox One X/S or have taken the next-generation leap to the Xbox Series X/S, extra storage is always welcome. We ran a couple of tests on our WD_BLACK D10 test unit to see how it performs compared to copying over from a hyper-fast SSD, as well as our existing standard 5400rpm external HDD.

What’s Good with the WD_BLACK D10 (3TB)

⊕ Faster than budget HDDs
⊕ Comes with 2 months Game Pass
⊕ Non-X/S Games run directly
⊕ Looks badass

⊗ Pricey at R2,499
⊗ Can get a bit loud

While the Xbox One can make full use of extra storage, the Series X/S makes use of a special high-speed SSD for new-generation games. This means that external drives such as the WD_BLACK D10 can run some games directly, but may mostly serve as “cold storage”, which means that you have to copy the game across to the SSD – so speeds can be important.

Here’s what the results looked like:

Verdict: The WD_BLACK D10 is a bit quicker than budget HDDs, but way more expensive. We’d rather save money with a cheaper budget external HDD, or double-down and get a super-fast SSD Expansion Card instead.

Full Specifications

Capacity 8 TB
Interface USB 3.2 Gen 1
Connector Micro B
Disk Speed (RPM) 7200rpm
Compatibility Windows® 10+ macOS 11+ PlayStation™ 5 (play PS4™ games, store PS5 games) Xbox Series X|S™ (play Xbox One™ games, store Xbox Series X|S games) PlayStation™ 4 Pro or PS4 with system software version 4.50 or higher Xbox One™

Dimensions (L x W x H) 7.68″ x 4.92″ x 1.73″

In The Box
WD_BLACK™ D10 Game Drive
USB Type-A to Micro-B cable
AC adapter and plug
Quick Install Guide