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. To elaborate, that means downloaded Xbox Live and Arcade games, DLC, other associated game files, and even installed disc-based games can be saved to an external HDD of your choosing. The documents further elaborate that the storage device itself must be 1GB or more; a system partition of 512MB is required, and by default beyond that the consumer partition (i.e. your games and the like) will occupy the remainder of the drive or 16GB, whichever is smaller -- and unfortunately, that's as much as you're gonna get. This could be another way for Microsoft to, alongside the
rumored Valhalla motherboard, trim some fat
for a slimmer future... but given the size constraints, we're guessing it's more likely to be a more spacious alternative to Memory Units than the main HDD itself. Word has it the feature will be rolled out in a Spring 2010 firmware update -- that is, if Microsoft keeps to its paperwork here. Excited? We are. Read the full documentation over at
Joystiq.
posted March 18th 2010 12:59PM
That "slim 360" motherboard has front USB ports, but no memory card slots...
@sockatume but it does have quite a few headers on the motherboard which could have a memory unit reader plugged into.
@sockatume
I don't understand why it's supposed to be a "Slim" Xbox 360... I don't really see how it can get "slim" by putting a fan on top of the heatsinks. That would take up even more room than there is now.
@sockatume
Lol, memory card.
@sockatume they should call the xbox 360 the xbox 480
@CLK
If they did bring out a slim version, where would you add a 360 hard drive attachment ???
no blu yet?
@sockatume The missing mem card slots was exactly what I noted about the rumored valhalla mobo that made me this it was a fake. If I were Jamie I would eat my beret.
@CLK if you have ever taken an Xbox apart you'll notice the pictured "new" motherboard is way shorter than it was. In terms of an xboxin a standing position, don't think thinner, think shorter.
@Eugene Action
No blu ever. MS is goin the digital delivery route, and they're not about to pay blu ray license fees to Sony anyway
@sockatume : Guys. GUYS. Don't just post any old crap here to get it to the top of the comments. I get an email every time, and it gets me all excited, and then it's way off topic and I get disappointed.
We all want to be first-post ninjas but it takes skill, dedication, and patience.
@sockatume
Xbox 360's should not have come with memory card slots, instead they should utilize USB memory, it's only been around and used on practically every computer for like 7382674926 years.
@sockatume
good thing i bought a 250 gig laptop drive on newegg for $60... and hacked it to work with my xbox in under 30 minutes.
@sockatume email bomb! made you look! :P
@sockatume
Finally NTFS support!! (Maybe) I might cry!!
@tikigawd
Their current "delivery route" is pathetic. The Zune Marketplace is a joke. Hey Microsoft! I have money (points) I want to spend. How about more than 10 new release movies to choose from? How about more than 10 music videos? etc, etc.
@sockatume
I can already use my 120GB custom external on my box [=
@sockatume
Maybe they have stacked it up with front USB.
@daddyphatsackz
In my opinion, that would just look downright ugly...
@OCEAN CLAK
Think internal.
@tikigawd Sony does not "own" blu. Blu-Ray technology is used by many companies, including Sony. However, Philips, Thomson, Hitachi, and Samsung also developed the Blu-Ray technology, all of whom have previously made drives for Xbox consoles. Just because Sony makes the majority of the players does not mean they own the tech.
Finally, the absurd external drive prices are just abysmal.
@Almo
Did you catch the part of the article that said "but given the size constraints, we're guessing it's more likely to be a more spacious alternative to Memory Units than the main HDD itself."
There's a 16GB limit on it, so unfortunately, I don't think it's a viable replacement to the overpriced external HDD :(
@Almo
I still cant belieave i spent £35 ($50) on a 512MB memory unit this year, it only has a 3 games saves and its half gone.
In fact I got a sandisk 16GB USB drive £15 ($25) for less early last year.
But I doubt microsoft will let you save games with USB drives, as that would destroy there monopoly on over priced X-Box proprietary Memory Units and Hard Drives.
this was why I never got one... watch as Ebay and CL are FLOODED with 360 hard drives... HALF OFF SALE!
@eliazar I duno, I have teh 20gb model, so an additional 16gb (3-4 installed games) for $25 sounds great to me.
@OCEAN CLAK why would you spend that much on memory card when you can get a 20GB HDD for less than that?
@OCEAN CLAK
I feel like, you somehow have every product and always has some story where you got screwed over. it very specific to Microsoft with these stories though. I don't think you have anything.
@coolpal
All shops sold out of hard drives here in the uk between december to january so settled for memory unit
@WixosTrix
you have no idea how true that is, I get a new gadget every 2 weeks since summer 2000 so yeah, but few are microsoft specific problems
Microsoft, please just let us use all out USB mass storage space, please. My 64 USB Stick begs of you!
@Puggs
what happens if you make 7 partitions
3 of 512, 3 of 16 gb, and then one for the leftover space for yourself.
would it recognize 3 storages and 1 mass USB device?
@Puggs
why don't you just order a 2.5" SATA? they're ridiculously cheap!!
YES!!!!!! FINALLY!!! I've been holding off buying a stupidly priced Xbox HDD and now my time has come!
@Tweedskin
Your time of putting 3 game installs on a 16gb memory stick? What's the point. Just hack a drive.
@Tweedskin Because most people (1) don't need 3 games installed at once and (2) don't know how to or want to bother with hacking a drive
@Martin C most people? uhhh who plays just one game at a time? I mean sure I like to play a game to completion before I move to another, but I still play Gears 2, Halo 3, Halo Wars, & Forza 3 all online....damn if I am going to uninstall them....not to mention I am also playing thru Mass Effect & Mass Effect 2 again....
This is cool, but the 16GB limit is not.
@Eminemdrdre00
Yeah I am kind of disappointed in that, it's clearly not meant to be an HDD replacement but a memory card replacement. Even the graphic shows a thumb drive.
While I am excited to be able to use thumb drives to carry my profile and saves around, I think we would all rather see the ability to use external HDDs.
@Eminemdrdre00
Exactly and if FAT32 is proprietary the we can even put xbox games on it because of the 4GB file size limit.
great
finally, more hacks available coming to the 360.
@ComeShot
something tells me it won't happen. the need to be reformatted tells me MS has some proprietary lock-down software that won't allow it to be done easily. Not saying it cant be done, it just may not be worth the work
Does this mean I can plug in my USB hard drive full of stuff that definitely isn't porn?
@Snake Robot Podium Pretty sure you've always been free to play videos off of usb.
@Snake Robot Podium
You can do that today - and watch whatever you might have on it.
Once the update is installed you can also install games from Live or from disk to that drive, but it'll probably be useless for anything else than that..
Oh I've only been able to get thumb drives, not mass storage.
@Snake Robot Podium
Then you've been doing it wrong.
@Snake Robot Podium
Your external HD needs to be formatted in FAT32 if I'm not mistaken.
Oh my god, hopefully it wont require any formatting though. And also hopefully (as in with no doubt) I can stream some videos/music through the HDD.
@goopyshrey Nope, needs to be formatted.
Microsoft copy Sony, soon they would also make a slim version and maybe come out blu-ray and later support 3D.