As a tech enthusiast who has been following the gaming industry for years, I can confidently say that the Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S is a game-changer (pun intended). While it may seem pricey to some, especially when compared to traditional USB drives or M.2 NVME storage devices, its seamless integration and guaranteed compatibility with all games on the system make it a worthy investment.
It’s been a while now since Microsoft introduced their Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles, which make up their pair of next-generation gaming devices, promising a significant advance in power for home entertainment. However, there are more games than ever before, but as file sizes continue to grow, they increasingly consume your available storage space.
Xbox consoles provide either 512GB or 1TB of storage capacity from the get-go, making storage space increasingly valuable. This trend is hard to ignore in the latest console generation, where Microsoft offers the Xbox Expansion Card as a remedy. Collaboratively developed with Seagate, this compact solid-state drive (SSD) is an effortless method for expanding Xbox’s storage, sharing the advanced internal technology of the console itself.
The Seagate-manufactured Xbox Expansion Card offers a nearly ideal storage solution, providing swift speeds in a hassle-free plug-and-play design. However, despite numerous price reductions, it remains quite expensive for many potential buyers, making it financially challenging for them. If you can afford the investment, though, this upgrade is highly effective and functions as a long-term asset. Additionally, anticipate attractive Black Friday discounts as we approach the deals season.
Starting at $159 on Amazon, let us share our assessment of the Seagate Xbox Storage Expansion Card to help you decide if it’s a wise investment.
Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S: Price and availability
In late 2020, Seagate introduced its 1TB Xbox Storage Expansion Card, followed by 512GB and 2TB versions later on. These cards deliver consistent performance across various capacities and price points.
We’ll continue to round up the best prices on Xbox Expansion Cards, where available.
Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S: What’s good
Apart from faster processors and modern technologies, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S also introduced advanced solid-state storage, which is swifter and more potent than traditional hard drives. Microsoft opted for PCIe 4.0 technology to power this storage solution, placing it among the top storage options, even in the high-end PC market. This new storage system significantly reduces load times and sets a standard across the console generation, accommodating games with heavy storage demands.
By setting aside the initial expense, the Storage Expansion Card conveniently connects and boosts the storage capacity for Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S consoles. Microsoft’s self-assembly strategy ensures that each new Xbox model includes a designated slot for these exclusive cards, with compatibility anticipated across future Xbox versions. The use of PCIe 4.0 creates a rapid connection to the CPU, resulting in swift speeds as shown on specifications.
I am equally confident in Seagate’s internal technology for their drive, offering game performance and loading times comparable to an internal SSD. The key advantage is that these expansion cards are compatible with all Xbox Series X|S games, even those unsupported by USB external drives. This eliminates the complications associated with using USB drives, providing a smooth, integrated extension of your console’s drive. Notably, it also supports backward-compatible games for Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox, with some instances showing improved load times.
Tests carried out on an Xbox Series X gaming console, equipped with a 1TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card. The file sizes listed for each game are correct at the time of release.
Although the speeds are astonishing, we discovered that user experiences may differ, even on the same gaming console. Although data transfers to and from the Expansion Card were notably faster than those using USB, transfer rates and consequent transfer times weren’t uniform across tests. It seems that the Expansion Card generally performs better in reading rather than writing data, but your results might vary.
As we step into 2024, I’m delighted to share that the Seagate Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox Series X|S have stood strong and reliable after years of extensive use by me. Despite my rigorous handling, I haven’t noticed any drop in their performance. Remarkably, I haven’t encountered a single case where these drives malfunctioned, suggesting their robustness overall. However, it’s essential to be mindful of a few other factors.
Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S: What’s not good
Despite the Seagate Storage Expansion Card’s impressive qualities, its high price point remains a significant obstacle that lessens its attractiveness. The storage solutions offered by Microsoft this generation are expensive, making the expansion cards cost-prohibitive, even for their smallest configurations. For instance, while the Xbox Series S includes a 512GB drive, and the Xbox Series X comes with 1TB, the equivalent Expansion Cards cost $159 and $359 respectively, which nearly doubles the console’s price in some instances. This is a tough sell, regardless of the perspective taken.
A possible drawback to consider is the potential incompatibility of these cards with future Xbox generations starting from 2025, such as an upgraded Xbox Series X model or even a handheld version. Since Microsoft hasn’t yet confirmed whether they will maintain compatibility for these cards on their next-gen devices, it’s important to be aware that the new consoles might not support this particular card due to its size if they do release a handheld device. However, it’s likely that the standard Xbox console may continue to use drives similar to the current one, so we’ll simply have to wait and observe the developments.
Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if …
✅ You want the best storage expansion for Xbox Series X|S
✅ You don’t want to move games back and forth from a USB drive
✅ You want a portable drive to move Xbox games around
✅ You have the cash to burn, or found a great deal during Black Friday or Prime Day
You shouldn’t buy this if …
You require a larger capacity (beyond 2TB) for your external storage device, and you’re open to exploring affordable USB external solutions for your Xbox storage expansion.
Paraphrasing: The new Xbox consoles have incorporated high-speed SSDs, and Microsoft had several options for expandable storage. However, they opted for the compact expansion cards, offering a smooth solution that works flawlessly with all games on the system, despite having fewer choices. Although the Xbox Storage Expansion Card may not seem like a cost-effective choice after price reductions, I still strongly endorse it for those undecided. While you can acquire more space at a lower cost with an external USB drive, nothing else integrates as flawlessly with Xbox consoles, ensuring a hassle-free gaming experience. The product is premium and comes with a high price tag, making direct comparisons challenging.
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2024-11-06 18:39