Guide: How Does Storage Work On The Xbox Series S & X?

When the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X launch this November, they're going to handle storage in a different way to your current Xbox One console. You'll still be able to store games on the internal drive, but if you want to store more than that, there are a few things you need to be aware of.

The Xbox Series S features an internal custom-built SSD (solid state drive) with 512 gigabytes' worth of storage, while the more powerful Xbox Series X features the same SSD with 1 terabyte of storage.

If you want to play next-gen games built for the new consoles, you must install them on that internal SSD, or buy a 1TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card, which is priced at a whopping $219.99 USD.

Here's what Xbox Live's Major Nelson had to say about this earlier this year:

"What you just held up was the 1TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X that we've developed in partnership with Seagate, and that matches the internal performance exactly. And it's all about sustained performance, so if a game takes full advantage of the Xbox Velocity Architecture, that same game can live on the internal storage, or can live on that external expandable storage card, and you'll get the exact same performance."

While these are the only ways you'll be able to play next-gen games, you'll still be able to plug in a standard external USB hard drive for older games (Xbox One, Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles), so you needn't waste space on those.

And if you're planning to download a lot of next-gen titles but don't want to buy the 1TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card, there's a way around it - you can still store next-gen games on an external USB hard drive when you're not playing them, and as far as we're aware, it's possible to just keep swapping them around at will.

Again, here's how Xbox Live's Major Nelson explained this:

"You can always take your Xbox One games and play them directly off your external hard drive when connected to Xbox Series X. Now for Xbox Series X games, you can certainly store them on your external hard drive, but when you're ready to play them, you're going to want to move them to the internal SSD or the Seagate expansion drive."

Ultimately then, while the 1TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X is an expensive option, there are at least some ways around it if you don't have the funds to pick one up.

The best solution? Manage your storage effectively!

Have you got any other questions for us about storage on Xbox Series S & X? Let us know below.