Samsung's USB4 Portable SSDs Hit 4,000 MB/s at Gamescom 2026
Samsung unveiled the P9 and P7 portable SSDs at Gamescom, with the flagship P9 reaching 4,000 MB/s read speeds over USB4 and an 8 TB capacity that Samsung claims is a world first.
Samsung Brings USB4 Storage to Gamescom
Gamescom is typically the domain of game announcements and flashy trailers, so it makes a certain kind of sense that Samsung chose the show floor in Cologne to introduce hardware that gamers and creators are going to care about. On August 26, the company unveiled its P9 and P7 portable SSDs, both built around USB4 connectivity, at what Samsung describes as the world’s largest gaming event, running through August 30.
The timing is not accidental. Large-scale games, AI-generated content, and ultra-high-resolution video are all pushing storage demands in ways that USB 3.2 drives are starting to struggle to keep up with. Samsung is pitching the P Series as the answer to that pressure.
The P9 Is the Headliner
The flagship P9 delivers sequential read speeds of up to 4,000 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 3,800 MB/s, according to Samsung. For context, the company’s own T9, which uses a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface, tops out at 2,000 MB/s on both reads and writes. The P9 is, by those numbers, roughly twice as fast.
Samsung also claims the P9 is the world’s first 8 TB USB4 portable SSD hitting those speeds, a distinction that earned it a CES 2026 Innovation Award earlier this year. On the professional side, the drive supports 12K direct recording, meaning video creators can capture, store, and edit large RAW files and ultra-high-resolution footage directly to the drive without an intermediate step.
“As AI-powered content creation and ultra-high-resolution video make large amounts of data part of everyday life, users increasingly expect faster and more reliable storage experiences,” said Tommy Kwon, Vice President and Head of Brand Product Biz Team at Samsung Electronics, in the announcement. “With fast file storage and backup, the P Series is designed to provide professionals and everyday users alike with the performance they need to work efficiently across a wide range of applications.”
The P7 Covers the Everyday Angle
The P7 shares the USB4 foundation but is aimed at a broader audience. Samsung describes it as fast and convenient storage for work, entertainment, and daily use, with compatibility across desktops, laptops, smartphones, gaming consoles, and cameras. That console compatibility is worth noting for anyone who has spent time managing PlayStation or Xbox storage libraries and found themselves constantly shuffling files.
The P7 has also gone through 2-meter drop testing along with shock and vibration durability testing, which Samsung says makes it well suited for travel and outdoor use. It is not positioned as a ruggedized drive in the traditional sense, but it is clearly built to survive the kind of handling a portable drive realistically faces.
Pricing and Availability
Both drives will begin a global rollout on August 31, one day after Gamescom closes. They come in 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB, and 8 TB capacities.
The P9 pricing, as reported by Samsung, breaks down like this: $339.99 for 1 TB, $649.99 for 2 TB, $1,349.99 for 4 TB, and $2,699.99 for 8 TB. The P7 comes in a bit lower at $289.99 for 1 TB, $549.99 for 2 TB, $1,149.99 for 4 TB, and $2,289.99 for 8 TB.
Those 8 TB prices will not appeal to everyone, but for production professionals or anyone archiving large game libraries and footage collections, having that capacity in a pocket-sized USB4 drive is a genuinely different proposition than it was even two years ago. The 1 TB and 2 TB tiers are where most buyers will land, and at those price points the P9 in particular sits in competitive territory for what it claims to offer.
What speeds does the Samsung P9 offer?
According to Samsung, the P9 delivers sequential read speeds of up to 4,000 MB/s and sequential write speeds of up to 3,800 MB/s using USB4 connectivity, roughly twice the performance of the previous-generation T9.
When will the Samsung P9 and P7 be available and how much do they cost?
Samsung says the P Series will begin a global rollout on August 31, 2026. The P9 starts at $339.99 for 1 TB and goes up to $2,699.99 for 8 TB. The P7 starts at $289.99 for 1 TB and tops out at $2,289.99 for 8 TB.
What devices is the Samsung P7 compatible with?
Samsung states the P7 offers broad compatibility with desktops, laptops, smartphones, gaming consoles, and cameras.
What makes the Samsung P9 notable beyond its speed?
Samsung claims the P9 is the world's first 8 TB USB4 portable SSD supporting speeds up to 4,000 MB/s. It also received a CES 2026 Innovation Award and supports 12K direct recording for professional production workflows.