AfterDawn: Tech news

Xbox 360 to add USB storage support this year

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Mar 2010 7:50 User comments (15)

Xbox 360 to add USB storage support this year Joystiq is reporting today that "USB Mass Storage Device Support" should hit the Xbox 360 console sometime within 2010, most likely with the upcoming Spring 2010 dashboard update.
Citing a document written by a "senior software development engineer," the support will allow gamers to save and consequently load game data from USB devices, a much wanted feature.

With the support available, gamers can download Arcade games, DLC or other content right to their storage device, although it is unclear what capacity cards will be made available (minimum must be 1GB and max must be 16GB). The source also claims that "installation of a full disc-based title" is also a possibility, although the disc will still need to remain in the tray, for authentication purposes.

In regards to the minimum and maximum posted above, the document says: "The system partition occupies 512 MB of space, and by default the consumer partition occupies the remainder of the device capacity, or 16 GB, whichever is smaller."



Confirmation, pic via Joystiq:

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15 user comments

118.3.2010 20:16

this is cool,another way to save things.

218.3.2010 20:39

Why don't they create an update to give us the ability to save videos and music on our 360's because I'm tried of having to devices on just to stream a movie. I rather that as an update instead.

This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 18 Mar 2010 @ 8:41

318.3.2010 20:50
llongtheD
Inactive

I don't even want to know what a 16GB usb flash device from microsoft will cost. Another way to sell memory at mini bar prices. Well maybe the third party devices will be less expensive, or did they get rid of third party memory support a few months back? What a coincidence.

418.3.2010 22:23

Er...if they are doing this why did the ban detals memory products?

Good god MS just unlock the pipes already and treat all connected storage like the HDD.....

518.3.2010 23:00
llongtheD
Inactive

Originally posted by ZippyDSM:
Er...if they are doing this why did the ban detals memory products?

Good god MS just unlock the pipes already and treat all connected storage like the HDD.....
Exactly, why limit it to flash storage?

618.3.2010 23:03

Originally posted by llongtheD:
Originally posted by ZippyDSM:
Er...if they are doing this why did the ban detals memory products?

Good god MS just unlock the pipes already and treat all connected storage like the HDD.....
Exactly, why limit it to flash storage?
They want to maintain control over it so they can keep people from abusing it but hell the firmware is hacked its already being abused..... also doing a simple check on the user account if you have this but have not paid for it you may not connect to live untill tis removed from the system, thats easy enough to do I would think....

719.3.2010 01:18

Originally posted by biglo30:
Why don't they create an update to give us the ability to save videos and music on our 360's because I'm tried of having to devices on just to stream a movie. I rather that as an update instead.
Because there are so many self-righteous people (i.e. armchair 'experts') out there declaring that streaming is THE BEST THING EVER and asking why anyone would ever want to KEEP anything after they've seen/heard it.

819.3.2010 12:43

Originally posted by xnonsuchx:
Originally posted by biglo30:
Why don't they create an update to give us the ability to save videos and music on our 360's because I'm tried of having to devices on just to stream a movie. I rather that as an update instead.
Because there are so many self-righteous people (i.e. armchair 'experts') out there declaring that streaming is THE BEST THING EVER and asking why anyone would ever want to KEEP anything after they've seen/heard it.
IDIOTS!!!! I dont like them

919.3.2010 20:50

Dammit, and I was so hoping to add on another 250GB USB HDD just for the hell of it. (Pumps fist at MS, screw you man!!)

1019.3.2010 23:17

And as always MS responds with they do not respond to rumors. So chances are this will be true, but no date from MS yet.

1120.3.2010 01:18

WTF...they could have easily brought support for drives of 2TB or more...and they limit it to 16GB? Oh, and it is microsoft flash...so it is slower than just reading from the DVD? What is the point of installing something if it is going to take up half your overpriced storage card, and then it will be slower?

I wonder why Microsoft hates storage so much...you can't even put an old 500GB into a 360, you can't connect flash over 16gb, and even windows limits the maximum FAT32 partition size to a tiny fraction of theoretical limits. Oh, and they seem to think that no one wants bluray...oh wait, they said no one 'NEEDS' bluray...as if anyone 'NEEDS' a XboX360!

1220.3.2010 01:26

Originally posted by KillerBug:
WTF...they could have easily brought support for drives of 2TB or more...and they limit it to 16GB? Oh, and it is microsoft flash...so it is slower than just reading from the DVD? What is the point of installing something if it is going to take up half your overpriced storage card, and then it will be slower?

I wonder why Microsoft hates storage so much...you can't even put an old 500GB into a 360, you can't connect flash over 16gb, and even windows limits the maximum FAT32 partition size to a tiny fraction of theoretical limits. Oh, and they seem to think that no one wants bluray...oh wait, they said no one 'NEEDS' bluray...as if anyone 'NEEDS' a XboX360!
2 reasons for it one content control the other to sell more MS branded 360 HDDs.

Frankly the mod community needs to over ride this BS, its the final thing making the 360 a bad system.

I got a 360 BTW plan on modding it into a PC case powering it off an atx PSU.

1320.3.2010 19:53

They must feel pressure from the modding community. Jtag your console and lose Live,I have a 500gig add-on I purchased the other day. I still have another unmoded Xbox in case I go on Live. Next they need to un-do the banning of Datel memory cards that expand up to 16gig. It was nice to be able to back-up all my games saves and profile on my pc,although now with jtag I can FTP them to my pc.

1420.3.2010 21:11

16gb wont last for crap I got over 2 gb of maps for RB6:Vegas! and a install of Gears 2 was over 7gb.
Worthless upgrade if you can't use your own flash drives period. 16gb ones are under 50 bucks and 32gb ones can be had for 60-70. But watch if and when this happens you will probably have to buy a M$ one for 65.00 for 8gb or something stupid.

Just unlock external usb HD support and be done with it.
I put a 320gb HD in my ps3 for $70.00 and I have 500gb external for backup and they both combined cost less than a M$ HD for my 360! And guess what you can get whatever brand HD you want for the ps3 that is real support.

What more content control do they need when you have to have the disc in the tray to play an installed game?

1525.3.2010 13:37

Originally posted by Vondoom:
16gb wont last for crap I got over 2 gb of maps for RB6:Vegas! and a install of Gears 2 was over 7gb.
Worthless upgrade if you can't use your own flash drives period. 16gb ones are under 50 bucks and 32gb ones can be had for 60-70. But watch if and when this happens you will probably have to buy a M$ one for 65.00 for 8gb or something stupid.

Just unlock external usb HD support and be done with it.
I put a 320gb HD in my ps3 for $70.00 and I have 500gb external for backup and they both combined cost less than a M$ HD for my 360! And guess what you can get whatever brand HD you want for the ps3 that is real support.

What more content control do they need when you have to have the disc in the tray to play an installed game?
If M$ want to move to a Steam like structure they will have to move to a much cheaper storage solution.

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