How do you choose storage for your Xbox Series X|S?
Xbox Series X / S storage comparison
| Internal SSD (standard) | Expansion Card | External SSD | External HDD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Requirements HDD/SSD | - | - | USB 3.0 and 128GB or higher | USB 3.0 and 128GB or higher |
| Storage capacity | 512GB (S), 1TB (X) | 500GB to 2TB | 500GB to 2TB | 500GB to 8TB |
| Transfer games | - | 2 to 5 minutes | 2 to 10 minutes | 10 to 25 minutes |
| Play games | All games directly | All games directly | Transfer Series X / S games to Xbox One, 360, and original Xbox games directly | Transfer Series X / S games to Xbox One, 360, and original Xbox games directly |
Expansion Card: storage, speed, and convenience in one
The Xbox Series X / S Expansion Card external SSD is suitable if you're looking for a combination of storage, speed, and convenience. You can easily connect this via the back of your console. You can play all your Xbox games directly from it and don't have to transfer them back to the Xbox. This is necessary with an external HDD or SSD. This connection also makes the Xbox Expansion Card faster than an HDD or SSD. This card is about 2 times faster than an external SSD and up to 10 times faster than an external HDD.
External SSD: transfer games quickly
With an external SSD, you can't play Xbox Series X / S games directly from the drive. But, you can quickly transfer them to your console. You can play Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games directly from the SSD. With an external SSD, you can quickly transfer these games between the SSD and your console. With write speeds of up to 1GB/s, you can transfer between 2 and 10 minutes. External SSDs have a maximum storage capacity of up to 4GB. This gives you enough space for more or less 50 to 100 extra games and other downloadable content.
External HDD: plenty of storage for games and media
An external HDD for the Xbox Series X / s provides storage for many games, downloads, and other media. With an 8GB storage capacity, you have enough space for 150 to 200 games. In addition, you can play Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox games directly from the drive. As a result, you have more space left on the internal storage of your Xbox for newer games. Keep in mind that this also means longer loading times. It takes an external HDD about 10 to 25 minutes to transfer a game.
Conclusion
If you want to combine convenience, storage, and speed, the Xbox Expansion Card is what you need. You can play games directly from the drive, you can transfer them fast, and you can store up to 50 to 100 extra games. With an external SSD, you combine a high speed with more capacity, but you can't play Xbox Series X / S games directly from it. Want to empty your Xbox library or temporarily store your games somewhere else? Choose an external HDD or SDD with extra storage.
