Kingston XS2000 External SSD – Review

When it comes to external storage devices, it’s not just about speed, as portability and durability are also important factors to consider, especially in a hectic on-the-move working lifestyle comprising event coverage, conducting interviews, or photoshoots.

Kingston Technology, which has been in the memory product game since 1987, is fully aware of this and has taken the steps to ensure its latest XS2000 External Solid State Drive (SSD) not only fulfils a user’s needs in terms of speed, but is built in a form-factor suitable for constant on-the-go use.

Out of the box, the 69.54 x 32.58 x 13.5mm device is the true definition of “pocket-size”, measuring the approximate size of two fingers in length and width, meaning it fits nicely in the palm of any hand. Its rectangular chassis presents a mix of two materials, with its black plastic main body sandwiched between two silver metal pieces and featuring rounded edges for a natural, streamlined look.

Aesthetically, the XS2000 presents a mostly minimalistic flair, save for the obligatory product information label on the rear, alongside Kingston’s logo and new tagline on the front. Said tagline marks a rather odd design inclusion, however, as it inadvertently makes every device look like an advertisement of sorts, and its overall aesthetic would have benefited from solely having its logo instead. 

It is to be noted, however, that this wording is only present on models manufactured after the company’s recent design refresh, so older variants of the same model in the wild might still feature the previous design, which consists of only the “Kingston” wording.

Weighing just 28.9g, the XS2000’s lightness and size might make it prone to accidental drops from slipping out of hands, pockets or bags. To address this, a removable rubber sleeve is included in the box, and with it on, it makes the device shockproof up to 1.8m, so it definitely helps alleviate the heartache during worst-case scenarios. It’s also IP55 resistant, so usage scenarios in dusty or wet environments are plausible, although still not encouraged.

Performance-wise, the XS2000 comes in 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities, and runs on a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, which, according to Kingston, offers read and write speeds of up to 2,000MB/s. When put through real-world testing via the Blackmagic app’s Disk Speed Test to prove these claims, speeds did come close, as listed in the image below, although it is to be noted that the device was tested via a USB 3.1 port and not its newer brethren, so these figures might see an improvement on newer systems with the appropriate ports.

When undergoing manual testing, moving the same 9GB video file to and from a computer saw a read speed of around 1.36GB/s, and a write speed of around 990MB/s, and although this doesn’t hit the advertised max speeds, its speed is still impressive considering its small form factor. The XS2000 is also compatible with a wide range of devices, featuring support for Windows 11, 10, and 8.1, macOS devices v.10.14 and above, Linux devices v.2.6 and above, Chrome OS, Android, and iOS/iPadOS v.13 and above.

The device’s included data cable, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired. For one, only a single USB-C to USB-C connector is provided, meaning that users with older systems that only provide USB-A ports might need an external adaptor or another cable, which might negatively affect data transfer speeds. Secondly, the provided cable is rather short, measuring around 30cm, which may lead to situations where the device has to dangle off a port instead of resting on a surface.

At prices starting from S$108 for its 500GB variant, the Kingston XS2000 SSD is an affordable choice for those looking to get the best of both portability and transfer speeds, although those looking to use it for more unpredictable outdoor scenarios might want to consider getting an external high-speed data cable to overcome the included cable’s shortcomings.

Kevin Low

Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.