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View Full Version : Xbox 360 To Allow USB Storage In Spring Update

Andy Dixon
03-19-2010, 11:00 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/18/xbox-360-gaining-usb-storage-support-in-2010-update/' target='_blank'>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/18/x...in-2010-update/</a><br /><br /></div><p>"Are we gazing onto the cusp of a new horizon, one where our Xbox 360 storage needs aren't shackled to overpriced proprietary hard drives? Probably not quite. Our best friends at Joystiq have managed to obtain documents (corroborated with multiple sources) showing that the folks in Redmond are mulling over an option to enable USB mass storage support for its game machine."<img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/wpt/auto/1268991201.usr11334.jpg" style="border: 0;" /></p><p>It appears that the next update for the Xbox 360 will enable you use USB Storage with your Xbox 360.&nbsp; Do I hear cries of joy from the gaming community at the thought of being able to plug in a 500Gb USB drive for storing their games and downloads?&nbsp; Well this is where you will be disappointed.&nbsp; Microsoft in their infinite wisdom have set a max limit of 16Gb on the USB device you use. From what I can see, this is intended to replace the memory cards rather than allow you to use your own disk drives.&nbsp; Hopefully Microsoft will get&nbsp;wise and change this at some point, but for now it looks like we still have to pay for the usual&nbsp;overpriced proprietary ones instead.</p>
Felix Torres
03-19-2010, 01:06 PM
What Microsoft is doing is, in effect, getting out of the memory card business.
No more, no less.

It significantly lowers the entry cost to 360 media functions just in time for the arrival of the Valhalla single-chip 360s expected later this year along with the project Natal vision-sensor motion system. And a 16GB flash drive should provide as much free space as the old 20GB drives; one installed game, one downloaded movie, and a zillion game saves. With support for up to two such volumes it should be adequate for most users.

And those that don't find it adequate can always buy a sidecar HDD, a business which generates a big part of the profits that will allow entry-level 360s to hit US$149 this summer.

(Or lower; I heard the Arcade was seen on sale for CN$129 in Canada last week. Some think it was a test of consumer response.)