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Hard drives and solid-state drives serve different storage needs: SSDs prioritize speed and responsiveness, while high-capacity HDDs hold large volumes of data. In a 91mobiles interview published August 24, 2026, Seagate Technology regional director Sameer Bhatia applies that distinction to both AI data centres and game libraries. His examples show why growing demand for capacity does not automatically make flash storage the right choice for every workload.
Why do AI data centres still rely on hard drives?
AI systems need fast access to data used for active tasks, but they also generate and retain large volumes of information. That creates different storage demands: some data benefits from the speed of flash, while other data needs room to be stored economically at scale.
Bhatia describes HDDs and SSDs as complementary rather than competing technologies. In his account, flash suits workloads where responsiveness is critical; high-capacity hard drives suit storing large volumes cost-effectively. The right mix depends on how data is used, not simply whether a data centre supports AI.
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How does HAMR and Seagate Mozaic address capacity?
Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) is presented in the interview as a way to increase areal density—the amount of data stored on a disk. Seagate’s Mozaic platform applies HAMR to increase drive capacity within a standard form factor. The practical aim is to store more data without treating faster storage as the answer to every capacity challenge.
Bhatia relayed Seagate figures for a modeled one-exabyte deployment. Compared with standard 30TB drives, Seagate’s latest Mozaic technology was said to deliver approximately 47% better infrastructure efficiency, use roughly 100 square feet less space, and consume about 0.8 million kilowatt-hours less energy annually.
Those are modeled comparison figures, not measured results from every data centre. The interview does not provide enough methodology to reproduce the scenario independently, so the numbers should not be generalized to other deployments without additional evidence.
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What is the NVMe HDD proof of concept?
The interview also discusses a proof of concept involving NVMe hard drives and NVIDIA BlueField. The idea is presented as a possible way to simplify parts of storage architecture. It is not evidence of a generally available product, a completed deployment, or a release schedule; Bhatia describes a concept, not a shipping solution.
When does an HDD make sense for a game library?
Game storage presents the same capacity-versus-speed trade-off on a smaller scale. Bhatia says modern games can range from 20GB to more than 100GB, with updates and downloadable content adding to the space required. That is a broad range from the interview, not a measurement of every current game.
SSDs are the speed-oriented option for games where load times and responsiveness matter. A high-capacity HDD can instead make it easier to keep more games or archived content stored without using SSD space for everything. The interview offers no independent load-time tests or price comparison, so it supports the distinction in intended use, not a quantified performance or value claim.
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What changes between PlayStation and Xbox storage?
The interview names different product types for the two console families, but it does not provide a complete, current compatibility matrix. More importantly, storing a game on an external drive is not always the same as being able to run it from that drive.
| Console family | Storage options named in the interview | Use distinction stated in the interview |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation | External Game Drives for PS4 and PS5; an internal Game Drive PS5 NVMe SSD | The interview names the product categories but does not detail compatibility requirements or performance. |
| Xbox | External Game Drives and Game Drive Hubs | Xbox Series X|S games can be stored on external drives; Xbox One and compatible legacy titles can be played directly from them. |
Before choosing a drive, check the current guidance for your exact console model and the games you intend to play. The source interview does not establish full compatibility details, current availability, or prices.
What does the storage comparison mean for readers?
The through-line from AI infrastructure to consoles is workload fit. When speed and quick access are the priority, SSDs have the role Bhatia emphasizes. When the need is to retain a larger volume of data, high-capacity HDDs remain part of the picture. His interview makes the case for using both where their respective strengths match the job, while its numerical claims and product statements should be read as Seagate’s perspective rather than independent testing.
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