Look, Ive tested both and the Samsung T7 1TB Portable SSD NVMe is the better pick for a PS4 Pro setup. Technically, the console caps out at 5Gbps over USB 3.1 Gen 1, so you wont actually see the full 1050MB/s speed on either drive anyway. It basically comes down to controller stability and thermals.

• Samsung T7 1TB Portable SSD NVMe: Excellent thermal management. The aluminum shell acts as a heatsink, so it wont throttle during long Bloodborne sessions.
• Crucial X8 1TB Portable SSD 1050MB/s: Uses QLC NAND. In my experience, write speeds tank once you fill the drive past 70 percent capacity. The T7 is just more consistent. Since they are the same price right now, get the Samsung. The X8 is fine, but it gets way hotter under load which isnt ideal if its tucked behind a console. Just grab the T7 and call it a day.

I went with the Crucial X8 1TB Portable SSD 1050MB/s for my setup a while ago. It works well, but I was worried about the reliability over time since it gets pretty warm.

• The Crucial build feels very solid and safe for travel
• Samsung drives tend to have slightly better thermal management
• Both are limited by the PS4 Pro hardware bottlenecks

@Reply #2 - good point! I used to think the same way about those pre-built options, but honestly, after messing around with various setups over the last decade, Ive moved away from the ready-made external drives entirely. In my experience, you are often paying a premium for the branding and a fancy shell that doesnt actually help with the heat issues people keep mentioning. A few years back, I had one of those popular external units fail on me right before a big gaming marathon. The drive inside was totally fine, but the cheap bridge chip in the casing died. I couldnt get my data back without breaking the whole thing open and voiding the warranty. It was a huge mess. Since then, I started buying high-quality internal drives and just popping them into a separate metal enclosure myself. It sounds more complicated than it actually is... basically just plug and play. What I learned is that the PS4 Pro really doesnt care about those massive advertised speeds. The console hardware is the bottleneck. By going the DIY route with a standard internal drive and a decent case, I saved a good chunk of change. My current setup runs much cooler too. Plus, if the cable or the port ever breaks, I can just swap the case for ten bucks instead of losing the whole drive. For me, the peace of mind and the cost savings made it a way better move than chasing the latest retail models. It just works.