If you want to expand the storage on your Xbox Series X, or Xbox Series S, but the 1TB drive is a little too much for your wallet, then you’re in luck. It looks like there might be something to those rumors of a 512GB Seagate expansion card.
A retail promo has just been unearthed (via Windows Central) promising that a 512GB version of the Xbox Series X’s expansion card is on the way. It also looks like there’s a standard external SSD coming, though unfortunately we don’t have pricing information for either.
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Seagate’s expansion cards are an invaluable addition to any next-gen Xbox console, especially given the relatively small amount of internal storage both consoles have. 1TB might seem like a lot, but with AAA titles taking up almost 100GB of space, you can run out of space very quickly. Particularly on the Series S, since it’s a digital-only console with just 512GB of space.
But, with an MSRP of $220, those 1TB expansion cards are pretty pricey. An entire Xbox Series S console is just $80 more, after all. The cards have already seen some discounts, but you’re rarely saving yourself more than a few dollars.
Adding an extra 512GB might not be a lot, but it’s likely that the price of the new cards will be noticeably lower as a result. Previously a French retailer listed the cards for €155, which works out at $182. While we don’t know if that’s a placeholder, or whether the U.S. price would be a direct conversion, it does suggest that the 512GB cards will be more affordable.
Sadly there’s no sign of any larger storage options, such as a 2TB expansion card. I can’t speak for everyone, but I know I’d rather spend a little bit more money on a larger storage option. After all, who wouldn’t want to triple the amount of space available on their Series X?
The external SSD drive promised by these promotional boxes is likely to be a totally different beast. While the Seagate expansion cards are able to run next-gen titles as if they were installed on the console’s internal SSD, external drives aren’t fast enough. But they can be used to store-next gen titles that you’d rather not have to delete and later reinstall or download.
They can also store and run previous-gen games, which can help free up space on your console’s internal SSD. Unfortunately we have no idea how much this drive will cost, only that it appears to offer 1TB of storage space.
Windows Central speculates that these products may be acknowledged and promoted as early as next week, since the promotional materials are showing up at U.S. retailers. However, that doesn’t tell us when they might go on sale, or how much they’ll cost.
Thankfully there’s still plenty of time left in 2021, and we hope that means both drives will be on sale before the holidays.
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