Xbox 360 gaining USB storage support in 2010 update

[Galvatron]

Link

Documentation obtained by Joystiq – and subsequently confirmed with two separate sources – reveals that "USB Mass Storage Device Support on Xbox 360" will soon be a reality. The document, authored by a senior software development engineer at Microsoft, states that due to "increased market penetration of high-capacity, high throughput USB mass storage devices, a 2010 Xbox 360 system update" will allow consumers to save and load game data from USB devices. The update is purportedly coming in Spring 2010.

Once the update occurs, Xbox 360 owners will be able to download Xbox Live Arcade games, Xbox Live Indie games, Games on Demand, DLC and Title Updates to the storage device. "USB storage devices may, however, have far greater memory capacity than MUs (at the date of writing, the largest MU is 512 MB), and may therefore support previously infeasible operations-such as installation of a full disc-based title." That's right, you can also store disc-based games to the USB device; however, it will require the disc to be in the tray for authentication, identical to the current functionality.

According to the document, the USB mass storage device must be at least 1GB and the system will do a compatibility check. "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." Upon inserting a blank USB storage device, "consumers are offered two choices: 'Configure now' or 'Customize'." The "Configure now" option will use "the entire device capacity, up to the maximum of 512 MB plus 16 GB" meaning, regardless of the overall size of the device you're using, the Xbox will only enable 16 GB of usable, non-system storage. The "Customize" option will allow you to "preserve some pre-existing, non-console data on the device" such as music.

It should be clear by now that Microsoft is simply pulling out of the Memory Unit business and not the highly lucrative Xbox hard drive business. With an artificial cap of 16 GB – still shy of the 20 GB hard drive that shipped with the original 2005 Xbox Pro and a fraction the size of the currently shipping 120 GB hard drive – USB storage support simply removes the onerous requirement for a Memory Unit on Xbox 360 Arcade units, and brings the Xbox 360 platform a feature that's been present on the PlayStation 3 since that console's 2006 launch.

If you're intent on circumventing Microsoft's cutthroat hard drive pricing the Xbox 360, you can use two USB storage devices for a maximum of 32 GB of usable storage; however, the console "has a fixed limit of two external USB mass storage devices" regardless of whether they're "formatted for the Xbox 360 or not." If you fill all three USB ports on the console, only the first two to be connected will be recognized.

With talk of a new (slim?) form factor for the Xbox 360 picking up, and plans to abandon (or at least obviate) Memory Units underway, we're guessing those Memory Unit slots could be cut entirely from future iterations of the console.

Okay, so the bolded part sucks, but hopefully MS will realize how stupid that is since it's only preventing people (like me) from buying lots of games-on-demand due to space limitations. Still, I've been hoping this would happen for a long time, ever since I discovered that I could increase the storage space on my DVR with a USB hard drive.

[Stark]

This will sure make hacking savegames easier!

[Vympel]

Wait, I don't get it - the X360 doesn't have a USB port? Or it does, but it doesn't support, what exactly?

[Losonti Tokash]

All 360 wired controllers connect to the Xbox via the 3 usb ports on the console itself. All this is doing is letting people go and save stuff to portable hard drives and I assume flash drives, instead of just being able to play media off of them.

[Stark]

Wait, I don't get it - the X360 doesn't have a USB port? Or it does, but it doesn't support, what exactly?

They don't let you move files to external devices, because they want you to buy MS Make It Work technology on their laughably overpriced memory cards that only exist because they sold the Arcade without a harddrive for some reason.

How you can read that article and get the impression the 360 has no USBs when it specifically refers to three USB ports is beyond me.

[Vendetta]

Wait, I don't get it - the X360 doesn't have a USB port? Or it does, but it doesn't support, what exactly?

It doesn't support game content stored to USB drives, it will already recognise external USB devices and read image, music, and video files from them.

[Havok]

OK, now for the important question: Will this new feature allow me to download Madden Rosters and Draft Classes off the internet and onto my XBOX 360 Elite via a USB device?

[Vympel]

How you can read that article and get the impression the 360 has no USBs when it specifically refers to three USB ports is beyond me.

Meh, my eyes always start to glaze over and lose interest when I'm reading about this sort of stuff. Just the cliff notes/ dummies guide, please.

[Edward Yee]

The two USB ports on the front are also usable for charging wireless 360 controllers with a charge cable and battery pack, while the rear port adjacent to the ethernet port is intended to be used by the 360 wireless network adapter. However, the Turtle Beach headset for 360 is supposed to be charged by USB port, and I know that a USB-powered laptop cooling pad -- my ad hoc solution against overheating -- will work too.

[Stark]

How you can read that article and get the impression the 360 has no USBs when it specifically refers to three USB ports is beyond me.

Meh, my eyes always start to glaze over and lose interest when I'm reading about this sort of stuff. Just the cliff notes/ dummies guide, please.

Well it's just 'even Microsoft can no longer intentionally cripple their console to rape customers on 'memory cards' with a clear conscience'.

Edward, what are you talking about? The rear port is usable for anything, it's just placed back there for the wireless the console shoudl have had internally so they can charge $150 for a wireless dongle. It's not different (although it might not be full-power). Of course any USB AC adapter works for the x41 transmitter; why wouldn't it? The Xbox doesn't put out Microsoft Power.

[Vympel]

Why hasn't Microsoft released a Slim-equivalent? I'm surprised its still enormous this far into its life cycle.

[Stark]

The article ALSO states that a 360 Slim is apparently on the cards.

[Vympel]

The article ALSO states that a 360 Slim is apparently on the cards.

I read that part, but its pretty weak fucking tea - talk of a slim? Sounds like rumors at a tavern in some bad Western RPG. (except those rumors are always true!)

Speaking of slims, my friend's PS3 (40GB model) broke and because it was out of warranty it would've cost $250 (AUD) to fix. He just bought a Slim instead. LOL.

[Stark]

It's even weaker really because it's just a segue into the 'hey maybe they'll remove the memory card sockets' thing. Ideally a designed 360 would have 4 front USBs instead, since the memory plugs are just rewired USBs created solely to rip people off.

But then MS is in a strange place with the 360; look at the 250GB drive. They can't sell it at double a 120GB, because that'd be like $500, but they can't sell it at a sensible price either without making the 120 look awful. I've heard, however, that they're not shipping any more 120s so they may be waiting for them to run out so they can release 250s; but they claim the 250 will never be sold separately or as standard.

[KhyronTheBackstabber]

Do they still sell the 120 with the transfer kit?

[Dominus Atheos]

In light of this update, it's probably relevant to mention that Dell is having a sale on the 360 Arcade for 149.99. Get it, play it, then in a month or two install this update to make it just like a 360 Pro. Sorry, only available in the US.

[Edward Yee]

Edward, what are you talking about? The rear port is usable for anything, it's just placed back there for the wireless the console shoudl have had internally so they can charge $150 for a wireless dongle. It's not different (although it might not be full-power). Of course any USB AC adapter works for the x41 transmitter; why wouldn't it? The Xbox doesn't put out Microsoft Power.

I said "intended." Btw, the headset I was referring to is the superseded Ear Force x1*, though I've been using the MW2-themed Mad Catz throat mic/earbud.

* Yay for being traded in as a Xbox 360 headset and thus only costing $9.99 while having everything but the manual and USB "extender" cable! That's how I got my Ace Edge for only $19.99 too.

[Stark]

This update is dated as April 6. As I had imagined, the sale of 120gb drives is to stop and 250gbs will be sold.

[Aaron]

So am I going to be able to use any old USB HDD or will I be required to use a Microsoft brand?

Sorry if it's answered in the article, I didn't find it particularly clear.

[Stark]

I'm not sure but I THINK you have to creat an xbox partition on your device and that is usable by 360. Any device will work.

[Dominus Atheos]

Slight clarification since some people seem confused. This is not meant for hard drives. Although you can use a hard drive, the update is designed to take advantage of USB flash drives. They sell 16gb's for less then $30 American (I don't know how much they would cost in Australia, probably like 100 aussie dollars) and obviously 8gb's or even 4gb's would also work. If you really want to you can use a $100 500gb external drive and lose the other 484 gigabytes, but I for one am just going to use a flash drive.

[JointStrikeFighter]

they cost 30 AUD here buddeh.

[Punarbhava]

This is awesome. The 20 gig HDD that came with my used 360 can hold like 1, maybe 2 games and associated DLC. I was thinking of buying a bigger HDD for as much as I paid for the goddamn console itself, but instead I'll just go buy a couple 16 gb flash drives.

[General Zod]

This is awesome. The 20 gig HDD that came with my used 360 can hold like 1, maybe 2 games and associated DLC. I was thinking of buying a bigger HDD for as much as I paid for the goddamn console itself, but instead I'll just go buy a couple 16 gb flash drives.

Don't tell me you actually use the game install feature? It doesn't really affect performance that much.

[Stark]

Are you serious? The performance improvement is quite noticeable on games like Burnout Paradise, Gears, silly old Just Cause 2, etc. Some games don't benefit much, but I don't bother installing a game unless it has constant boring splash screens.