Xbox 360 getting USB storage support in Spring 2010 firmware update

keith_d99

According to Engadget

Link here here

Limited to 16gb though

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.

Gunmonkey

If this is true, great news. Got a 500Gb HDD lying beside me with f*** all on it and 16Gb wont make a big dent.

Would still prefer Microsoft did something about the stupid price they put on their 120Gb HD's.

mailrewop

great news if true. they'll have to do something since they are pushing download able content as the way to go.

PJTierney

So long as it means that I can upload completed gamesaves to filefront/gamefaqs then it's all good

mailrewop

one thing about this that i wouldn't like to see happen is people being able to download gamesaves and unlock achievements

thegoth

I would imagine that achievements are linked to your profile inside the save file somehow, i.e one the gamer profile who saved the game could open it

corcaigh07

god i need the 16gb, prob get a mem stick for this. i badly need the extra space and the whole business of the official HDDs being so expensive and data transfer being so cumbersome is very annoying.

docentore

corcaigh07 wrote: »

god i need the 16gb, prob get a mem stick for this. i badly need the extra space and the whole business of the official HDDs being so expensive and data transfer being so cumbersome is very annoying.

why don't you do the unofficial one for yourself? takes lees than 30 mins, cots about 50e for 250gb, no problems with them!

corcaigh07

docentore wrote: »

why don't you do the unofficial one for yourself? takes lees than 30 mins, cots about 50e for 250gb, no problems with them!

dodgy, M$ arent exactly friendly towards unofficial accessories.

docentore

I wouldn't be so scared. milions of people are using those without even one being banned or blocked.

tman

Tempted to have a look for a cheap, quick 16GB pen drive for this, would be handy just for having an extra bit of room to install games on

calex71

Running out of space on my 120 but that's only because I need to delete installed games I don't have / play anymore

If you were downloading movies you might need the room or if you only have the 20gb one, but no way I need it. One thing it would be handy for is keeping your profile on to play on another console without having to recover the gamer tag which takes an absolute age :mad:

Clareman

I use 16gig pen drives with my xbox with no problems all the time (playing media from them).

mailrewop

this has been confirmed by microsoft and will be released April 6th.

http://ie.xbox360.ign.com/articles/107/1079965p1.html

corcaigh07

thats brilliant, i badly need the extra space. wonder would installed games work better on a flash drive?

mailrewop

corcaigh07 wrote: »

thats brilliant, i badly need the extra space. wonder would installed games work better on a flash drive?

from the link i posted

Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb suggests you use instead of a standard hard disk drive.

"I highly recommend using flash based instead of spinning media like a hard drive…it's just going to give you a MUCH better experience," he said.

tman

Which flash drives people are planning on using?
Half thinking of going for another 16GB Sandisk Cruzer (write and read speeds are decent, and they don't cost too much)
Just need to work out which one will give me the best bang for my buck really...

Plan is to install 2-4 of my most frequently played games on it to avail of quicker load times.
Might just wait until the release is out there's a bit of feedback on it first though...

This has been dated for 6th April btw;
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/xbox-360-usb-memory-patch-dated