Players should save their Xbox Series X expansion card for next-gen games according to a new video showing off the console’s features. Xbox Series X expandable storage will be as fast as the console’s built-in NVMe SSD, but players won’t need to use it for older games.
As with the PS5, the Xbox Series X will feature the ability for players to expand their storage space through the use of an external SSD. Expanding the PS5’s storage will require players to open up the console’s case, but the Xbox Series X will feature something more akin to a memory card that simply plugs into the back of the console. In a new presentation, Xbox’s Principal Program Manager showed off the speed of the Xbox Series X expansion card and gave players a heads up on what you should use it for.
Why you should save Xbox Series X expansion card space for next-gen games
We’ve already known that the Xbox Series X expansion card will be as fast as the console’s built-in SSD. A new video from Xbox explained a little more about the card, showcasing that the console will detect all of the installed games in roughly two seconds. That’s a lot of speed, and that is exactly the reason why you want to reserve the expansion card’s storage space for next-gen games
“If you’re looking to play backwards-compatible games like Xbox One, Xbox 360, or original Xbox games, you can just plug in a USB hard drive like you do today and play any of those games off of [there] and then save your faster SSD storage for those next-gen games,” explained Xbox’s Principal Program Manager Harrison Hoffman in today’s video.
Why should players save their expansion card storage space for Xbox Series X games? It’s not explicitly stated in the video, but newer games require the Xbox Series X expansion card in order to take advantage of its speed. Older games are less complex and require a lower rate of data transfer, so a USB HDD is the best place to store your Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Xbox games on your next-gen console.