External SSDs have come a long way. Not too long ago, if you wanted fast storage, you had to lug around a chunky drive with an external power supply. Now, we have tiny, ultra-fast SSDs that fit in the palm of your hand. The Kingston XS1000 is one such drive, offering a sleek, no-fuss solution for those who need reliable storage on the go. But does it deliver where it matters most? After using it for a while, I have some thoughts.
In Australia, the Kingston XS1000 comes in two storage variants: the 1TB model is priced at approximately $119, while the 2TB version costs around $219. This positions it as a competitively priced option in the external SSD market, offering a good balance of performance and portability for the cost.
Design and Build Quality
The Kingston XS1000 is about as compact as external SSDs get. At just 29 grams and measuring 69.54 x 32.58 x 13.5 mm, it’s slightly bigger than your everyday USB thumb drive—perfect for slipping into a pocket or throwing in a bag without a second thought. It’s definitely much smaller than my WD_BLACK P50 Game Drive. It also comes in two colors: black and red. I have the red one for review, and it’s quite fetching.
The design is clean and understated, with a matte finish that resists fingerprints better than the glossy plastic some manufacturers insist on using. The build is plastic but feels solid enough that I wouldn’t worry about tossing it into my backpack. Kingston also sells some cute rubber cases to further protect your SSD from any knocks or drops while out and about.
There’s a single USB-C port on one side, but interestingly, Kingston sticks with USB 3.2 Gen 2 instead of the faster Gen 2×2 or Thunderbolt. That means speeds top out at 1,050MB/s, which is still fast for most users but falls short of the 2,000MB/s speeds that Gen 2×2 can achieve. This makes a noticeable difference in large file transfers and heavy-duty workloads, particularly for professionals working with 4K video or high-resolution image files.
The drive includes a USB-C to USB-A cable, which is great for backward compatibility, but I would have liked to see a USB-C to USB-C cable included as well. If you’re using a modern laptop that only has USB-C ports, you’ll need an adapter or a separate cable.
Additionally, given how compact XS1000 is, it’s disappointing that it doesn’t have a built-in Type-C connector for direct connection to devices without needing a cable in the first place. That added convenience would have made it even more convenient. Overall, its a handy little thing that is so easily pocket-able and makes for convenient use on the go.
Performance
Speed is what really matters with an SSD, and Kingston claims the XS1000 can hit up to 1,050MB/s read and 1,000MB/s write speeds. In my own testing, sequential read and write speeds in CrystalDiskMark landed close to Kingston’s advertised numbers, which is reassuring. I recorded 1052Mbps read and 940Mbps write. However, performance can dip when writing large files continuously, as there’s no DRAM cache to help sustain speeds.
For gaming, load times on PC are not far off compared to my internal SSD. It’s not as fast as a PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, but for external storage, it does a solid job keeping up. On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, while you can use the XS1000 as additional storage for games, you can’t actually run them from the drive directly due to architectural limitations.
I also tested it for video editing, using Davinci Resolve to work on 4K video timeline directly from the SSD. Scrubbing through timelines was smooth, with no weirdness. You can also plug this into your iPhone or Android phone to record hi-res video straight to the XS1000 making editing much more convenient.
One thing I appreciate about the XS1000 is how simple it is to use. There’s no proprietary software or weird formatting hoops to jump through—it’s plug-and-play out of the box. It comes formatted in exFAT, making it compatible with both Windows and macOS without any tweaking. That also means it works with consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, though games need to be transferred back to internal storage for actual play on the PS5.
Without any active cooling, some compact SSDs can get quite warm under load, but the XS1000 manages heat well. Even after sustained file transfers, it only ever felt slightly warm to the touch. That’s good news for longevity, as excessive heat can reduce the lifespan of NAND flash storage. Kingston doesn’t officially rate it for ruggedness, but with no moving parts, it should withstand daily knocks and drops better than a traditional hard drive.
Verdict
The Kingston XS1000 is a compact, well-built SSD that delivers solid speeds for everyday storage needs. It won’t break speed records, but it’s reliable, simple to use, and priced competitively. The lack of a USB-C to USB-C cable and slightly slower speeds than some rivals are minor drawbacks, but for most people looking for a portable SSD, it’s an easy recommendation.
If you’re a creative professional who frequently transfers large media files, the XS1000 is a solid choice for quick backups and portable storage. It’s also a great option for gamers who need extra space for their growing libraries, though its lack of direct play support for next-gen consoles means it’s better suited for older titles or archival storage.
However, if you’re looking for absolute top-tier speeds, there are faster external SSDs out there, especially those using Thunderbolt 3 or USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interfaces. But those tend to be bulkier and more expensive. The XS1000 strikes a nice balance between affordability, portability, and speed.
Kingston kindly provided the XS1000 to PowerUp for the purpose of writing this review
