Despite being well over five years old at this point, the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro continues to be a class apart in the world of Android TV boxes. It's true that most of the TVs are 'smart' these days, so a streaming box isn't really necessary. However, majority of such TVs (including those that run Google TV) come with cluttered user interface and spammy recommendations that make everyday usage a frustrating experience. If that bothers you, or even if simply have an old TV that you want to be able to enjoy streaming media on, the Shield TV Pro is still your best bet.
Of course, all this magic is because of the underlying hardware. Driven by NVIDIA's very own Tegra X1+ chipset and 3GB of RAM, the Shield TV Pro can effortlessly hold its own against some of the best streaming devices currently available out there. Its 16GB onboard storage is a tad low by today's standards-but thanks to the device's two USB-A 3.0 ports-you can hook up one of the best external drives for NVIDIA Shield TV Pro and have loads of storage for all your apps, media, and much more. Whether you prefer a rugged SSD, a portable flash drive, or even something funky with RGB lighting, here are some of the best expansion options for the Shield TV Pro.
Here are the best external drives for NVIDIA Shield TV Pro
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Best overall
The Samsung T7 is a tough yet portable SSD featuring an aluminum unibody construction for shock resistance and fall protection of up to six feet. It has sequential read and write speeds of around 1,000MB/s and the super-fast USB 3.2 interface makes it an excellent alternative to the Shield TV Pro's internal storage. The T7 comes in a total of three colors, subject to availability.
Best value
If you're on the hunt for an external drive to just store your personal media (e.g., photos, videos) and view them every now and then on the Shield TV Pro, the WD Elements Portable is a solid option that doesn't cost a lot. This hard drive comes in capacities of up to 6TB and uses USB 3.0 for easy connectivity.
Best affordable SSD
With the Crucial X6, you get a portable and stylish SSD having read speeds of up to 800MB/s and storage capacities ranging from 500GB to 4TB. Lightweight and compact, it is capable of withstanding getting dropped from a height of six and a half feet. A USB-C to USB-C cable is also included.
Best plug-and-play option
The ADATA UV350 is the ideal solution if you don't really want to bother with plugging/unplugging things repeatedly. It is a compact flash drive with USB 3.2 Gen 1 speeds and is available in capacities ranging from 32GB to 512GB. The capless design means you'll never misplace the cap, and the integrated hole at the end lets you attach it to a lanyard or a keychain.
Best ample storage
The WD My Book stands vertically alongside your Shield TV Pro, complementing the streaming media player perfectly. If you're a data hoarder, you're going to love this thing. It starts at 4TB and goes up to an absolutely bonkers 24TB, so you can store your entire collection on it. Connectivity is via USB 3.2 Gen 1, and you get a three-year warranty too.
Best RGB storage
This one's for all the gamers out there. The cyberpunk-inspired KingSpec Z5 RGB effortlessly spruces up the style quotient of your Shield TV Pro. This SSD offers multiple storage capacities and utilizes a 128-color breathing ambient light that makes it look as good as it works, if not better. The transfer speeds are rated at up to 2100MB/s, and you get a USB-C 3.2 interface for connectivity, along with a three-year limited warranty.
Boost the storage space of your NVIDIA Shield TV Pro
Whether you intend on using an external drive to replace the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro's internal 16GB storage or augmenting it for bringing downloaded/offline content from your PC to your TV, these are all some incredible NVIDIA Shield TV Pro drives. That said, if you're looking to max out the streaming player's onboard storage, we'd suggest using a fast SSD as the default storage for the Shield TV Pro. The Samsung T7 SSD fits the bill in this case perfectly, offering good thermal management for continuous operation, as well as a rugged body, and a range of storage capacities and colors.
If you want to save a bit on SSD storage, the Crucial X6 offers similar capacities as the Samsung T7 SSD and even the same connection interface, but at a lower cost. A standard portable hard drive is recommended when you'll be doing mostly read operations from the drive (e.g., viewing content), and if you already have a ton of offline media that you'd like to watch on your TV, the WD Elements Portable hard drive is a reliable yet affordable option that comes in large capacities. Need more storage? In this case, the WD My Book external drive offers up to a staggering 24TB of storage.
Don't really like cables dangling out of the back of your Shield TV Pro? A simple flash drive is what you need in this case. We like the ADATA UV350; it's quite a robust option thanks to the metal build, sleek design, and large capacities of up to 512GB. You can also add a bit of color to your streaming media setup with the KingSpec Z5 RGB. It's fast, stylish, and flashy!
The NVIDIA Shield TV Pro can also double up as a solid cloud gaming console, all thanks to the GeForce NOW cloud game streaming service. However, make sure you go and grab one of these best gaming controllers for the most optimal gaming experience.
