Xbox Announces Major Storage Expansion Plans

Overview

• The Xbox Series X/S may soon enable support for external drives exceeding 16TB, significantly enhancing game storage capabilities.
• Members of the Xbox Insider Alpha Skip-Ahead ring will be the first to receive this update for larger external USB drives.
• These extended storage options are poised to benefit gamers juggling multiple large titles and updates.

The Xbox Series X/S is on track to deliver expanded storage functionalities, addressing the pressing issue of limited space for new games. Given that many contemporary games require a considerable amount of storage, the existing limit for external hard drives—set at 16 terabytes—can quickly become insufficient. Moreover, the Xbox Series S, with its modest internal storage capacity of only 512 gigabytes, necessitates the use of external drives for most users eager to optimize their gaming experience.

Currently, options for storage expansion through Storage Expansion Cards max out at 2TB, which is limiting. Although a variety of SSDs and hard drives can help enhance the storage for the Xbox Series X and S, Microsoft has instituted the aforementioned 16TB cap. However, promising developments indicate that the company is reconsidering this limitation with an upcoming update.

Members of the Xbox Insider Alpha Skip-Ahead program are set to receive a new Xbox Update Preview. As per the update notes, external USB drives larger than 16TB will soon be supported. However, users must reformat their drives to take advantage of this feature, leading to the creation of multiple partitions that will appear as distinct devices. With the ability to store many substantial Xbox One games on these external drives, gamers can look forward to a more flexible storage solution, provided they initially invest in larger HDDs.

This anticipated update appears to be a positive stride for Xbox users. As video game sizes continue to swell, the availability of extensive storage options will likely encourage gamers to explore new titles and download a broader array of digital content. Given the steep prices of Xbox Storage Expansion Cards, having alternate storage methods could facilitate the transition to purchasing digital games, particularly for those choosing the Xbox Series S as their primary gaming console.

Nonetheless, it’s important to note that Microsoft has acknowledged some current issues regarding hard drives exceeding 16TB. Certain external HDDs may not correctly display the available storage capacity. As a precaution, users should refrain from formatting drives larger than 16TB until these issues are resolved. This situation is not unusual, as members of the Alpha Insider group act as testers, and ongoing updates may result in lingering challenges that still need to be addressed prior to the broader rollout for Xbox owners.

Latest Xbox Update Preview Highlights

• Support for larger external USB drives: Now users can expand their Xbox storage beyond the 16TB limit.

The update allows for the formatting of drives larger than 16TB with multiple partitions, utilizing all available space for games and applications. These partitions will be listed as separate devices in the storage settings.

• Deal Notifications

The latest update enhances user experience with clearer visibility on discounts. A new badge will be displayed on the Home screen for games on sale that you do not currently own, making it easier to identify deals.

• Improved Accessibility

Updates have been made to enhance the Narrator readouts within the Settings app, specifically in relation to power options and remote play functionalities.

• Entertainment Application Performance

Several fixes have been implemented to resolve lag issues experienced during extended media playback across some applications.

• System Localization

Various updates have been made to ensure proper local language representations throughout the console interface.

Source & Images

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