Cyber Monday external hard drive deals are coming up, and they'll be an excellent second chance to grab cheap storage this year. Ideally, you'll be able to grab a speedy SSD or chonky HDD during Black Friday, but some retailers wait until the last minute for the deepest discounts. I'll be picking out all the top offers regardless, and I'm continually comparing prices on some of the highest reviewed options.
Yes, there are more exciting pickups than the best external hard drive out there. I mean, it's all too easy to get caught up looking for spendy Black Friday gaming deals since consoles, TVs, and more will end up at record low prices. But, if you're clever about it, you could also grab a chunk off of a new SSD or HDD, something you may end up needing rather than wanting outside of the sale period. Last thing you want is to run out of space ahead of a big game launch, and paying full price adds salt to the wound.
Every player and setup has different storage needs, and choosing the right specs can dramatically affect the discounts available to you. For example, you could grab a massive 4TB WD Black hard disk drive last year for $94.99 at Amazon (was $119.99) while Crucial 1TB SSDs ended up down to just $49.99. Not all drives are created equal, and you'll be able to save even more if you dial in exactly what you need.
Cyber Monday external hard drive deals: FAQs
When will Cyber Monday external hard drive deals begin
Black Friday 2024 kicks off on November 29th this year with Cyber Monday set to take place on December 2nd. If you don't come across the savings you're looking for as first, it's well worth hanging on to see what the closing sale event has to offer. In turn, you'll also want to return here for any early deals that may crop up, as not every brand and retailer will wait until the big day to cut prices.
Where will the best external hard drive deals be?
If you're looking for an external hard drive during Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday, then you don't really have to look far and wide, with practically all major tech retailers offering discounts.
US Retailers:
Amazon: Wide range of brands and sizes on sale
BestBuy: Discounts on hard drives exclusive to BestBuy
Walmart: Deals on portable hard drives of different sizes
Newegg: Money off of big brands like WD_Black
UK Retailers:
Amazon: Sales on all different brands and sizes
Currys: Money off of tons of hard drive options
OverClockersUK: Sales on top brands like Seagate and WD
eBuyer: Discounts on a range of external hard drives
Cyber Monday external hard drive deals: what to expect
For the most part, you'll find that most of the cheapest Cyber Monday external hard drive deals take the form of 1TB SSDs. While 500GB drives would traditionally represent the entry-level storage scene, capacity standards are switching, so you'll find that larger options are available for less. Last year, we came across quite a few models for around the $50 mark, including the Crucial X6 for $49.99 at Best Buy and the Lexar SL200 for $47.95.
Where things will start to differ is when it comes to speed. Drives like the WD Black P40 will cost near double compared to their cheaper counterparts, but boast faster USB 3.2 connectivity and PCIe Gen 4 tech inside. This could be important if you want to run games straight off external storage using something like a gaming handheld, as you'll want to match internal drives on specs as much as possible.
Speaking of which, you'll be wanting to eye up a specific sub-section of the external SSD market if you've got a Steam Deck OLED. The idea is to find something small enough to not weigh down the handheld, and there were plenty of offers that check that box last year. Notable editions to watch for this year the the likes of the PNY RP60 and the Lexar SL500, both of which should receive decent price cuts.
If it's sheer capacity you need, traditional HDDs are still a thing. You'll typically find 4TB portable drives for cheaper during Black Friday that are still considered "portable." Beyond that, you're looking at data banks designed to hold masses of data like the Seagate Expansion 8TB external hard drive. You're talking $159.59 for that model, but with any luck, we'll see it draw closer to the $100 mark on Cyber Monday.
Should I get SSD or HDD for PS5?
SSD is the superior type of storage. Its read and write speeds are enormously faster, and if you want quicker transfer times for content creation or gaming, this is absolutely the type of external drive you should seek out. Most of the time, portable SSDs are a lot more expensive, which is our only real caveat to recommending them, but if you can find them cheap for Black Friday, definitely go for these over HDD.
Having said that, HDD still has its uses. If you're buying in larger capacities or you don't really see the need for faster speeds and transfer times, HDD can be a great backup. It's also cheap as anything, especially during Black Friday. Be wary, though, if these drives get damaged or have to put up with falls, they can be an absolute nightmare to try and fix. On the whole, external SSDs tend to be a bit more foolproof.
Last year's best external hard drive deals
Complete your gaming setup for less in the Black Friday gaming chair deals and Black Friday gaming monitor deals. Be sure to take a look at Black Friday gaming PC deals for more.
