Western Digital currently has two external portable storage drives made specifically for videogames with the P10 and P50. So, what are the differences between these two products?
You can find out in this comparison guide.
Quick Summary
When compared to the WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive, the WD_BLACK P50 Game Drive is more than 13 times faster when it comes to top performance speed, which will lead to better transfer and load times.
The P50 can also tolerate colder operating temperatures and have a longer warranty coverage period.
The only advantage the P10 has over the competition is that it offers bigger capacity options.
You can see how the P50 stacks up against the Samsung T7 with this article.
WD_BLACK P10 vs. WD_BLACK P50 Comparison Guide
You can take a look at Seeking Tech’s comparison table between the P10 and P50 below.
| WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive | WD_BLACK P50 Game Drive | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity Options | 2 TB: WDBA2W0020BBK-WESN 4 TB: WDBA3A0040BBK-WESN 5 TB: WDBA3A0050BBK-WESN | 500 GB: WDBA3S5000ABK-WESN 1 TB: WDBA3S0010BBK-WESN 2 TB: WDBA3S0020BBK-WESN |
| Weight | 2TB P10: 140 grams (or 0.31 lb.) 4TB P10: 230 grams (or 0.52 lb.) 5B P10: 230 grams (or 0.52 lb.) | 500GB P50: 115 grams (or 0.25 lb.) 1TB P50: 115 grams (or 0.25 lb.) 2TB P50: 115 grams (or 0.25 lb.) |
| Dimensions | 2TB P10: 4.65" x 3.46" x 0.50" 4TB P10: 4.65" x 3.46" x 0.82" 5B P10: 4.65" x 3.46" x 0.82" | 500GB P50: 4.65" x 2.44" x 0.55" 1TB P50: 4.65" x 2.44" x 0.55" 2TB P50: 4.65" x 2.44" x 0.55" |
| What in the Box | WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive USB Type-A to Micro-B Cable Quick Install Guide | WD_BLACK P50 Game Drive USB Type-C to Type-C Cable USB Type-C to Type-A Cable Quick Install Guide |
| PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One, Xbox One S and Xbox One X Compatibility | Yes | Yes |
| PS5, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X Compatibility | Yes | Yes |
| PC and Mac Compatibility | macOS 10.11+ Windows 8.1 Windows 10 | macOS 10.11+ Windows 8.1 Windows 10 |
| Storage Drive Type | External portable hard disk drive | External portable solid state drive |
| Interface | USB 3.2 Gen 1 | USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 |
| Speed | Up to 140 MB per second | Up to 2000 MB per second |
| Operating Temperature | 5°C to 35°C | 0°C to 35°C |
| Warranty | -20°C to 65°C | -20°C to 70°C |
| Pricing | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) |
Capacity Options
The WD_BLACK P10 is available in three capacities: 2 TB, 4 TB and 5 TB. The WD_BLACK P50 also comes in three capacity options as you can pick between 500 GB, 1 TB and 2 TB.
You can check out the model number for each size below:
Western Digital BLACK P10:
- 2 TB: WDBA2W0020BBK-WESN
- 4 TB: WDBA3A0040BBK-WESN
- 5 TB: WDBA3A0050BBK-WESN
Western Digital BLACK P50:
- 500 GB: WDBA3S5000ABK-WESN
- 1 TB: WDBA3S0010BBK-WESN
- 2 TB: WDBA3S0020BBK-WESN
Weight
You can check out the weight for the available capacities of both game drives in this versus guide below:
- 2TB P10: 140 grams (or 0.31 lb.)
- 4TB P10: 230 grams (or 0.52 lb.)
- 5B P10: 230 grams (or 0.52 lb.)
- 500GB P50: 115 grams (or 0.25 lb.)
- 1TB P50: 115 grams (or 0.25 lb.)
- 2TB P50: 115 grams (or 0.25 lb.)
Dimensions
You can also take a look at the dimensions for each capacity (measured in length by width by height) below:
- 2TB P10: 4.65″ x 3.46″ x 0.50″
- 4TB P10: 4.65″ x 3.46″ x 0.82″
- 5B P10: 4.65″ x 3.46″ x 0.82″
- 500GB P50: 4.65″ x 2.44″ x 0.55″
- 1TB P50: 4.65″ x 2.44″ x 0.55″
- 2TB P50: 4.65″ x 2.44″ x 0.55″
What in the Box
In addition to the storage drive, the P10 also comes with an USB Type-A to Micro-B cable and quick installation guide. Along with the storage drive, the P50 includes an USB Type-C to Type-C cable, USB Type-C to Type-A cable and quick installation guide.
You can find the full breakdown below:
WD_BLACK P10:
- WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive
- USB Type-A to Micro-B Cable
- Quick Install Guide
WD_BLACK P50:
- WD_BLACK P50 Game Drive
- USB Type-C to Type-C Cable
- USB Type-C to Type-A Cable
- Quick Install Guide
PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox One, Xbox One S and Xbox One X Compatibility
Both the WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive and WD_BLACK P50 Game Drive are compatible with the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One, Xbox One S and Xbox One X. You will be able to play games directly on these external storage drives.
PS5, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X Compatibility
The P10 and P50 are also compatible with the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X. For the PS5, you will be able to play backwards compatible PlayStation 4 games directly on the external drive.
For the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, you will be able to play backwards compatible Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One games directly on the external drive. You can also use the same drive as a cold storage for Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X games.
PC and Mac Compatibility
Of course, you can also use the WD_BLACK P10 and WD_BLACK P50 on a PC and Mac.
You will require the following operating systems:
- macOS 10.11+
- Windows 8.1
- Windows 10
Storage Drive Type
The Western Digital BLACK P10 is an external portable hard disk drive while the Western Digital BLACK P50 is an external portable solid state drive.
Interface
The WD_BLACK P10 uses the USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface while the WD_BLACK P50 uses the newer and faster USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface.
Speed
When it comes to speed, the WD_BLACK P50 has a major advantage over the WD_BLACK P10. The P50 has a top performance speed that is 1328.57 percent more than the P10.
You can check out the specifications below:
- WD_BLACK P10: Up to 140 MB per second
- WD_BLACK P50: Up to 2000 MB per second
The faster speed will lead be better transfer speed when moving data away from and into the external drive. You will also get better load times if you are playing games directly on the storage drive.
Operating Temperature
The WD_BLACK P50 can tolerate colder operating temperatures when compared to the WD_BLACK P10. You can find the ranges below:
- WD_BLACK P10: 5°C to 35°C
- WD_BLACK P50: 0°C to 35°C
Storage Temperature
The P50 can also tolerate hotter non-operating temperatures than the P10.
You can find the storage temperature ranges below:
- WD_BLACK P10: -20°C to 65°C
- WD_BLACK P50: -20°C to 70°C
Warranty
The WD_BLACK P10 Game Drive comes with a 3-year warranty while the WD_BLACK P50 Game Drive comes with a longer 5-year warranty.
Resources:
- https://documents.westerndigital.com/content/dam/doc-library/en_us/assets/public/wd/product/external-storage/wd-black-p10-game-drive-usb-3-2-hdd/data-sheet-wd-black-p10-game-drive.pdf
- https://documents.westerndigital.com/content/dam/doc-library/en_us/assets/public/wd/product/portable/wd-black-p50-game-drive-usb-3-2-ssd/data-sheet-wd-black-p50-game-drive-usb-3-2-ssd.pdf