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Matt Brown | Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Matt Brown | Windows Central) You should buy this if ... We've previously seen discounts on 1TB and 2TB expansion cards, offering a small saving on the suggested retail price. Pricing on 512GB has proven firmer, with no sizeable savings in the U.S. at publication.
Microsoft has found itself in an all-new predicament. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S don't have multiple storage options, so expandable storage is the only option. In the past, it was as easy as plugging in your external hard drive over USB. But when so many games rely on these new SSDs, what can you do if the best Xbox external drives just don't cut it? At the launch of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, Designed for Xbox announced the close collaboration with Seagate to expand next-gen storage with the 1TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card. Designed for Xbox has collaborated with Seagate once again, and we’re excited to announce 512GB and 2TB Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox Series X|S will be available soon in all Xbox markets. But even with fast speeds, that's not the main reason to buy a Storage Expansion Card. Put simply, it's a way to add more storage without worrying about which games will work or how you'll next move them around. For now, the Xbox Storage Expansion Card is the proposed (and only) remedy, compacting the same speedy solid-state storage into standalone add-ons. It couldn't be more seamless on paper, adding an identical, secondary NVMe drive to the available storage. While Microsoft and Seagate first teamed up on a single 1TB Storage Expansion Card, the partnership has since introduced 512GB and 2TB capacities.All tests performed using an Xbox Series X console with a 1TB Seagate Storage Expansion Card. File sizes for each title accurate as of publication.
This officially licensed Xbox expansion card is plug-and-play with your Xbox Series X|S, so you don’t have to worry about compatibility or opening your console to install. It's hard to find specific flaws in the Seagate Storage Expansion Card as a product, but the price remains a crucial hurdle detracting from its appeal. Microsoft raised the bar from storage this generation, meaning these drives are prohibitively costly, even for the smallest available configuration. I can't say the Seagate Storage Expansion Card is a great deal, yet I still wholeheartedly recommend it to those on the fence. The Seagate Storage Expansion Cards are the only external SSDs on market designed to leverage the Xbox Velocity Architecture and deliver the exact same performance as the internal SSD.Games are getting bigger, eating up more storage. Capacities from 512GB to 1TB 2 let you keep more of those titles installed and ready to fire up at a moment’s notice. From what I see, the cost per TB is 'reasonable' considering you don't need a Heatsink - which ideally you do for Sony PS5 so comparing prices to Expanding Sony's PS5 with a 'reputable' and equivalent option inc Heatsink and you'll see that the costs are pretty much on par. There are some 'cheaper' options as well as more expensive options but perhaps doesn't have the usability of the Expansion slot. One thing to note is that in my testing, I found the C50 to have slightly slower boot times for games than ones installed on internal storage. Forza Horizon 5 went from boot-up to in-game in 59 seconds. The C50 managed the same in 1 minute and 9 seconds, so roughly ten seconds off the pace. It’s something you probably won’t notice unless you’re timing it yourself, but certainly worth noting if you’re planning to move your favorite games over to the card. Xbox Game Pass has made it possible for Xbox gamers to have a library of games at their very fingertips. Between Game Pass and four generations of game compatibility on Xbox Series X|S, there are thousands of games to choose from and play. With so many games available, we want to ensure there are also options when it comes to storage capacity and support to expand next-gen storage.
Like I said, each to their own and I appreciate that being able to store and play 'more' games with 'ease' is not worth the cost to some people and for others, its important. Some are happy to keep a small selection of their games accessible instantly and 'prepared' to spend 'hours' moving, reinstalling, re-updating etc etc should they decide to play an 'older' game than spend money to make sure they can play any game they own as and when they want. Each has its 'Pros and Cons' - Sony is allowing you to buy any and install - although won't give you any warranty if it screws up your console which it could if you buy the cheapest without any heatsink. That does give you more choice and can find cheaper options. Xbox may well be Proprietary and limited to just 1 manufacturer at the moment, but is warrantied and designed specifically for that hardware, including cooling requirements. Its just plug and play with no tools required, no unplugging/dismantling of hardware, can be removed,/replaced with the console switched on and can give 'unlimited' Storage capacity. Want/need 10TB's of SSD storage to be able to access ALL your library anytime instantly with ease, you can with Expansion cards.
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Whilst we will do everything we can to meet the delivery times above, there may be factors outside of our control and we cannot guarantee delivery within this time frame.
Utilizing PCIe 4.0 was always an expensive bet, with today's pricing falling in line with our previous predictions ahead of release. While proprietary in design, pricing isn't far from equivalent PC drives leveraging the same interface. The technology should become more affordable in time, but until then it's a luxury, especially on consoles. This change of mind return policy is in addition to, and does not affect your rights under the Australian Consumer Law including any rights you may have in respect of faulty items. Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Northern Ireland and the Scottish Highlands) may take longer to reach you.
Storage supremacy
Looking past the upfront cost, the Storage Expansion Card easily hooks up and expands Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S consoles. Microsoft's DIY approach means every new Xbox console has a dedicated port for its proprietary cards, with the same inoperability expected across future Xbox revisions. Using PCIe 4.0 provides a direct line to the CPU, translating to ultra-fast speeds on the spec sheet.
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