Xbox One 500GB hard drives can't be replaced

[compl3x]

But it will support external storage devices

Engadget spoke with Albert Penello, senior director of product planning at Microsoft, where he confirmed that the 500GB hard drives included with Xbox One console won't be replaceable, and are "non-user-serviceable."

On the bright side, you can totally use external storage devices with the Xbox One. Just plug in a external drive into the USB 3.0 slot and you can do anything the main hard drive can do, from game installs to downloads.

Xbox One has non-replaceable hard drive, external storage is supported [Engadget]

http://www.destructoid.com/xbox-one-500gb-hard-drives-can-t-be-replaced-254233.phtml?utm_source=feedly

[soniqstylz]

I guess that's not terrible. Glad they're not making users buy a MS-branded overpriced drive.

[Dot Matrix]

Cool. So install your games there, and take that with you to your friend's flat. Issue solved.

[theyarecomingforyou]

It seems like a bad move to include so little storage and not provide a way to easily upgrade it (external drives are very bulky), especially when installs are required. A single layer Blu-ray disc is 25GB and most AAA games will fill that (especially as the years go on) - that means you'll only be able to install 20 games, without even factoring in multi-layer Blu-ray discs, downloadable media and saved games. I like to keep all my games installed for convenience, which means my Steam folder is 1.7TB and ever expanding.

When Sony announced the PS4 it was talking about 4K movies being about 100GB+ downloads, which means a single 4K movie will take up 1/5 of the drive. At the very least I would have expected Microsoft to make storage easily expandable / replaceable, like with the X360. That said, at least USB drives will be supported meaning that people won't be forced to buy significantly overpriced official storage.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Your internal drive dies, what next?

[Hum]

MS has learned from Apple. :laugh:

[Torolol]

so what factor that make this HDD 'non-replaceable'?

was it because this XBOX use HDD's unique serial-numbers as one of keys in encryption process?

as this xbox connected to internet using browser, is it possible to sites to retrieve to serial number for tracking purposes?

[FlintyV]

It seems like a bad move to include so little storage and not provide a way to easily upgrade it (external drives are very bulky), especially when installs are required. A single layer Blu-ray disc is 25GB and most AAA games will fill that (especially as the years go on) - that means you'll only be able to install 20 games, without even factoring in multi-layer Blu-ray discs, downloadable media and saved games. I like to keep all my games installed for convenience, which means my Steam folder is 1.7TB and ever expanding.

When Sony announced the PS4 it was talking about 4K movies being about 100GB+ downloads, which means a single 4K movie will take up 1/5 of the drive. At the very least I would have expected Microsoft to make storage easily expandable / replaceable, like with the X360. That said, at least USB drives will be supported meaning that people won't be forced to buy significantly overpriced official storage.

Increases cost to the end user and increases the engineering needed. Saved games are now stored in the cloud I think.

Having still use the 20GB Xbox 360 launch model I'm fine with 500GB. :)

[Argi]

500GB seems like plenty of space to store games that you're playing even semi-regularly. You'll probably have to delete older games that you don't play anymore.

[theyarecomingforyou]

Increases cost to the end user and increases the engineering needed. Saved games are now stored in the cloud I think.

I appreciate that but normally there are several SKUs to choose from with varying amounts of storage - that doesn't seem to be the case here. The biggest criticism is that the drives aren't replaceable like they are with the X360.

[Jose_49]

If they support NTFS and ReFS, then no problem amigo!

[George P Global Moderator]

If they support NTFS and ReFS, then no problem amigo!

It's probably a tweaked version of NTFS or just NTFS with bitlocker which would be the easy way to go about it. Honestly, you might be able to actually change the drive inside on your own unless it's really locked down but we don't know that. The only thing said is that it's not a simple task to do so. The original Xbox was like this but then people managed to install their own drives on their once the formatting was figured out.

If it dies the system should still work as well as I bet the OSs and core files are stored on a secure encrypted ROM and not the HDD. It'll toss out an error that it can't read your local saves/games etc though but you can have saves up on the cloud as well.

[HawkMan]

Your internal drive dies, what next?

You do what 99.9% of PS3 users would do, send it in for service.

[TheLegendOfMart]

Except you can buy a new one and easily replace it on PS3.

[ingramator]

It seems like a bad move to include so little storage and not provide a way to easily upgrade it (external drives are very bulky), especially when installs are required. A single layer Blu-ray disc is 25GB and most AAA games will fill that (especially as the years go on) - that means you'll only be able to install 20 games, without even factoring in multi-layer Blu-ray discs, downloadable media and saved games. I like to keep all my games installed for convenience, which means my Steam folder is 1.7TB and ever expanding.

When Sony announced the PS4 it was talking about 4K movies being about 100GB+ downloads, which means a single 4K movie will take up 1/5 of the drive. At the very least I would have expected Microsoft to make storage easily expandable / replaceable, like with the X360. That said, at least USB drives will be supported meaning that people won't be forced to buy significantly overpriced official storage.

Too be fair 500GB will satisfy just about all users. For those that go over then plug in a USB HDD, not that hard. Making everyone pay for an unnecessary amount of storage that will be used by arguably the minority is stupid. Also, we don't know about the packages that will be released, we may see a 1TB or 2TB "elite" edition for example - just at a greater price.

To those wondering about what happens when the HDD fails- 1) I'm hoping "non-user serviceable" means not recommended. Wouldn't surpirse me if you only had to open the console up and throw in an NTFS HDD that can be formatted by the system for use. Guess we will have to wait for more info to come out!

[Torolol]

wont be long until somebody will deliberately tries to change the HDD, and posting the result on internet.

[ingramator]

wont be long until somebody will deliberately tries to change the HDD, and posting the result on internet.

Give it about 24 hours after release ;)

[HawkMan]

Except you can buy a new one and easily replace it on PS3.

Except 99.9% of people would never do that and would never touch an advanced electronics device with the tools required to do so. even if it's "easy".

[ingramator]

Except 99.9% of people would never do that and would never touch an advanced electronics device with the tools required to do so. even if it's "easy".

That's actually a very good point, I think we as "power users" and "tech experts" often forget that the average joe has no idea how to replace a faulty HDD nor will he be able to actually determine its the HDD at fault. I suspect MS may have some issues with people replacing the HDD by themselves thinking they knew what they were doing only to find $200 later that the CPU has clapped out.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Except 99.9% of people would never do that and would never touch an advanced electronics device with the tools required to do so. even if it's "easy".

99.9? of people? Talk about pulling something out of your you know what. The PS3 manual tells you how, Sony advertise it on FB/Twitter and the phone support staff will walk you through it.

[HawkMan]

99.9? of people? Talk about pulling something out of your you know what. The PS3 manual tells you how, Sony advertise it on FB/Twitter and the phone support staff will walk you through it.

The the very WAST majority of console gamers are not tech nerds like us. do you realize how small a fragment of the population we are. or is the PS3 magically only bought by tech nerds.

it doesn't matter if the manual says how to, my mother she would be scared to switch the HDD on a 360, and that's a quick easy swap. as easy as the PS3 is it's an order of magnitude beyond this.

I actually considered 99.9% to be an optimistic number.

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

The the very WAST majority of console gamers are not tech nerds like us. do you realize how small a fragment of the population we are. or is the PS3 magically only bought by tech nerds.

it doesn't matter if the manual says how to, my mother she would be scared to switch the HDD on a 360, and that's a quick easy swap. as easy as the PS3 is it's an order of magnitude beyond this.

I actually considered 99.9% to be an optimistic number.

Well you're seriously out of touch with this generation considering Sony have sold absolutely no official hard drive addons and have had absolutely no issues at all. When people run out or low on space they'll consult friends or family or Sony or the staff at Best Buy/Game/Gamestop/Walmart etc.

Playing the "society are all helpless dumb people who cannot use the internet or phone the manufacturer or ask in retail" card in a world of smart phones and tablets and interactive TVs gets seriously flawed.

[TheLegendOfMart]

Except 99.9% of people would never do that and would never touch an advanced electronics device with the tools required to do so. even if it's "easy".

Except when the warranty runs out, these consoles are expected to last 6+ years.

With the new Xbox you are screwed, there is no indication whether the XOne will support large external HDDs yet, the 360 is limited to 32GB sticks.

[HawkMan]

Well you're seriously out of touch with this generation considering Sony have sold absolutely no official hard drive addons and have had absolutely no issues at all. When people run out or low on space they'll consult friends or family or Sony or the staff at Best Buy/Game/Gamestop/Walmart etc.

Playing the "society are all helpless dumb people who cannot use the internet or phone the manufacturer or ask in retail" card in a world of smart phones and tablets and interactive TVs gets seriously flawed.

So, they haven't sold any official HDD kits. and that proves what. these technologically inept people don't update their HDD officially or unofficially most of them aren't even aware they can. they start up their PS3, and play games or watch BD's that's it.

You're seriously out of touch with the average consumer.

Except when the warranty runs out, these consoles are expected to last 6+ years.

With the new Xbox you are screwed, there is no indication whether the XOne will support large external HDDs yet, the 360 is limited to 32GB sticks.

and when the warranty runs out they either send them in or hand them in to be fixed by people who know what they do, and you know what, they PAY for this service. I should know, I'm one of the people who gets paid.

and yes, let's ignore the fact it was SPECIFICALLY STATED on the presentation you can plug in any USB3 HDD and use it for downloads, installs and storage.

[Studio384]

As long as you can extend it: who cares?