Xbox 360 USB memory patch dated

By Robert Purchese Published 26 March, 2010

Support begins in April.

USB memory support for Xbox 360 will arrive on 6th April courtesy of a system update.

After patching, USB flash drives will be able to store profiles, games saves, demos and even full games, according to Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb.

Up to two 16GB devices can be plugged in at once, enabling an extra 32GB of storage.

There'll be a one-time integrity and performance check when the USB flash drive is plugged in. You'll need to then go to system settings, memory, and select the USB drive. From there you'll be asked to either Configure Now (format) or Customise (dictate how much space should be set aside for Xbox 360) the drive.

External USB hard drives are compatible, but the console can only utilise 16GB of the disk.

"Since performance on flash-based USB storage is usually better, I highly recommend using flash-based instead of spinning media like a hard drive, " wrote Major Nelson. "It's just going to give you a much better experience."

Any USB flash drive can be used, but MS has also partnered with ScanDisk to release a branded, "ready-to-go" option.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (55) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • mrpon #1 2 years ago

    SanDisk

  • Bealsy #2 2 years ago

    Xbox Mini here we come...

  • twh104 #3 2 years ago

    I thought that said "ScamDisk" then.

  • UKwoods #4 2 years ago

    I'm not that clued up on all this, will this work?

    http://ww w.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/6059462/Sa...

  • johnboy_johsnon #5 2 years ago

    This is good news indeed especially for someone like me who only has a 20GB hard drive (with 13GB usable).

  • CHAZBIGPOTATO #6 2 years ago

    Cool, sounds cool man

  • steviepunk #7 2 years ago

    This is a good move, but limiting it to 16GB is a bit of a waste :(
    16GB might be big in flash memory terms, but given that the system will allow for USB HDDs it would have made sense to allow for using more space.

    Either way, at least Microsoft are now opening the system up to allow for the use of reasonably prices non-Microsoft data storage.

    @UKwoods - I believe that would work as the article does indicate that any USB device can be used. but if in doubt, you might as well wait for someone else to try it first!
    Edited by 1 at 26/03/10 @ 13:58

  • SeanBeansGravyBoat #8 2 years ago

    @mrpon

    Don't be too harsh on Rob's spelling. You'll probably find that the spelling mistake was made by wherever he cut and pasted this article from.

  • Jonny5Alive7 #9 2 years ago

    I wonder how easy it will be to download save games off the net etc and use them, or other such hijinks.

  • menage #10 2 years ago

    Can you store your save games there?

  • GamesProgrammer Verified Games Team Programmer, Eutechnyx Ltd. #11 2 years ago

    I take it there artificially limiting it to 16Gig so they can carry on overcharging for there HDD's?

  • JimWest #12 2 years ago

    @Jonny5Alive7

    Save games are linked to within your profile, so i think it would take a major work around to get that sort of thing working, to get achievements with it.
    Edited by 1 at 26/03/10 @ 14:08

  • VicViper #13 2 years ago

    @johnny5alive7
    I betting there will be extra profile DRMness in that patch beyond what they currently have unless modded consoles get around that or you can edit the save file abit.

    Can the usb drive be used as well as the harddrive? I get the general impression that this seems the case. So I could have my XBLA games on the USB drive and anything on the 360 HDD?

  • reality_cheque #14 2 years ago

    You can use save games from other people (when you move or copy them, it changes owner) but you get no achievements for anything done with that save.

  • Jmog #15 2 years ago

    Why do people ask questions which are answered in the article? Do you comment on the headline only?

    It says in the article:
    "After patching, USB flash drives will be able to store profiles, games saves, demos and even full games,"

  • VicViper #16 2 years ago

    @JimWest

    Ah what I mean is that can we use/run them simitaneously? I keep thinking their going to say you either use the USB HDD or the 360's, one or the other not both, as I would imagine your suddenly getting 16GB of extra space on top of the current 20GB or whatever.

    So say you decide you have Mass Effect 2 installed on the 360s HDD and then the DLC on the USB HDD both acting as a partitioned hard drive or similar.

    @Jmog
    Sorry I did read the article bad question pharsing on my part.
    Edited by 1 at 26/03/10 @ 14:16

  • Scurrminator #17 2 years ago

    anything that can be saved to the 360 HDD can be saved to the external devices, even the installing of games etc.

  • JimWest #18 2 years ago

    @VicViper

    By all accounts yes you will be able to. I have read this somewhere, unfortunately i can't find the link now. Will update if i can remember where i read it.

  • VicViper #19 2 years ago

    @JimWest

    Cheers, might be able to hold off getting the 250GB drive next april for a while at least now.

    That major nelson article doesn't have enough information, I hope theres a Faq soon. I guessing its two USB at a time and not some werid ipod your only able to assign so many systems thing as being able to carry all my rock band songs etc, in a handy easier to remove/carry drive, to my mates xbox would be nice.

  • Jonathan_Fakenham #20 2 years ago

    I hope this will make it easier somehow to run two xboxes. Currently I have to keep detaching the HDD and bringing it with me to keep the same profile and achievements across two locations.

  • seasidebaz #21 2 years ago

    So, by using a collection of 8Gb flash drives, I could in theory have every one of my games on flash, therefore loading MUCH much quicker, and just changing the drive and disc over instead of deleting and installing other games? Ie near limitless storage space?

    Suits me.

  • Cadence #22 2 years ago

    I wonder how long before this gets cracked and abused by the pirates.

  • wowami #23 2 years ago

    @digitalfoundary - cant wait for your "access time on usb install against harddrive install against dvd drive" - Will Halo 3 lose again?!

  • seasidebaz #24 2 years ago

    @teh9182:

    Yeah that's what I don't understand. So you can use 2 at once up to 32Gb, but can you swap them out and use other ones? Or is the console locked to only use the 2 that you initially insert?

  • DB2k #25 2 years ago

    wonder why it's limited to 16 mega gigs...

  • menage #26 2 years ago

    @jmog

    I thought save games couldn't be transferred due to achievements and such. That's why I was just checking. Somebody once told you couldn't on the memorycard so why would a USB.

    Sorry to annoy you, but hey, that's life.

  • Retroid #27 2 years ago

    Or SansDisk :)

    Interesting, though. I wonder what else will be updated?

  • The_Programmer #28 2 years ago

    Is the formatting still stuck with FAT32 or can we now use NTFS?

  • mukki #29 2 years ago

    2 x 16MB...

    nice to have USB but with a max of 32MB... wtf...

  • SpaceMonkey77 #30 2 years ago

    I have my eye on a 250g to replace my 20gb still, but this is great news, that could tide me over til I pick one up.

    Being able to transport my profile and XBLA games, will become a very welcome feature.

  • I\'mListening #31 2 years ago

    This can't come soon enough. My 20Gb is damn near crippled with everything I want to put on there. And I don't want another HDD - I can buy games with that cash!

  • tancredo #32 2 years ago

    It is a good idea, but MS could have gone for the 32Gb limit per flash drive. Still, better than nothing.

    In any case, and thinking ahead, this could mean MS is going to allow for mandatory installs of some games, in order to take better advantage of limited DVD space. Thus extending the life of the format and at the same time help developers facing size limitations (basically in developing open environment games).

    The existance of the Arcade units could have been limiting this option.

    Just a guess. And probably a wrong one.
    Edited by 1 at 26/03/10 @ 16:31

  • The_Programmer #33 2 years ago

    @teh9182

    Thanks for the info.

  • GaryHoward #34 2 years ago

    I have a SanDisk 8GB pendrive...sweet! Goodbye memory card, it was nice using your kind for the last 15 years, you will be sorely missed. :'(

  • GaryHoward #35 2 years ago

    Why is everybody moaning about 32GB not being enough?! It's a good and useful update on Microsoft's behalf, so we should just say "oh thanks Microsoft, that's nice of you" and leave it to that! :)

  • miiiguel #36 2 years ago

    @ KingAntoine: there's something like that on the market, 90 pounds for 4gb:
    http://ww w.amazon.co.uk/Sony-USM4GH-Micr...
    Edited by 1 at 26/03/10 @ 17:34

  • GaryHoward #37 2 years ago

    @ miiiguel: [spits out tea] How much!?

  • jonse1977 #38 2 years ago

    Does anyone know if there are some fast reading USB Flash drives that could load a game faster than the actual xbox hard disk? If so that would be good.

  • mrpon #39 2 years ago

    I'm reading into it and assuming that multiple devices can be used and configured, but only two can be connected at once.
    Edited by 1 at 26/03/10 @ 18:14

  • devilmyarse #40 2 years ago

    @ jonse1977: Considering that the 360 HDD uses SATA and SATA I (it could be SATA II I haven't looked but I doubt it) is rated at 1.5gbps (3gbps for SATA II) and the fastest USB2.0 drives max out at 480mbps. The answer is no. Sorry.

    Running from the USB stick will still be faster than 12x DVD drive that the 360 has though. 12x DVD drive is roughly 127mbps compared to 480mbps (Maximum) of USB 2.0. So granted you get the best grade USB flash drive you can (they all vary in speed) it will be twice as fast as the DVD drive.
    Edited by 1 at 26/03/10 @ 18:45

  • ybfelix #41 2 years ago

    You can always swap a 360 HDD's by yourself, but it requires a specific Western Digital model and firmware so not as convinient as PS3 though.

  • woodnotes #42 2 years ago

    I'm wondering how the copy-protection will work on this stuff? I assume everything on your USB drive will only work on the 360 it was downloaded from? Otherwise how can they prevent someone from just copying the contents to another USB stick?

  • drewman5150 #43 2 years ago

    It would therefore, I presume, mean that games that take a performance hit when installed to the HDD (Halo3, Crackdown and others) will not suffer if installed to a USB stick.

  • sfp_noodle #44 2 years ago

    memory cards are dead. at last! cnt remember MS using them for the original xbox? i cud be wrong, but honestly, memory cards are completely useless now. every games console shud be compatible with USB drives out of the box in the future.

  • ChocNut #45 2 years ago

    The timing of this couldn't be better for me. Just got an elite and transferring my saves will be free! (You needed a special cable before or a mem card). 20euro MS wanted for the fucking one-use cable!!

  • alcides #46 2 years ago

    You know what'd be a much better experience? Being free to use whatever hard drive/usb key you want.

    EDIT: sorry this is kind of a plain statement.

    What would be better would be a 32Gb cap on one single storage device. Or no cap. Compromising on such a feature with such restrictions only serves to frustrate the consumer. The much better experience is of course to be had with an expansive proprietary HDD, but then this proves MS's offer's arbitrariness when it comes to storage pricing.

    So, basically, a much better experience would be no capping bullshit and no rip-off pricing on official hardware (which I'd be ready to pay a premium for, provided I get a MS warranty and, sth like an Xbox Live membership)

    They just make their offer look bad for those who got official hardware already.
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/10 @ 14:54

  • cheekyjay #47 2 years ago

    Further evidence that official Memory cards are being phased out, and clues to a possible hardware revision...

  • orangpelupa #48 2 years ago

    ScanDisk?
    new flashdisk from China?

  • busboy33 #49 2 years ago

    @teh9182:

    In regards to the "two and only two devices" issue, what makes you think it means only two devices total, and not only two in use at any one time -- as in, you can't have 3 USB sticks on the system simultaneously?

    The "only two devices may exist in total" seems a bit silly. I use a 4Gig thumb drive to save some XBLA games. Then I use another 4Gig to save the rest. Liking the system, I decide to buy a 16Gig drive to put them all together into one drive, and the 360 tells me "No! You have used your two devices -- you are verboten to use another!" I suppose it could require you to put one of the drives back into the system to purge it and free up one of your 2 device permissions, but what happens if you lose or break it? "Nein! You should have been more careful! Now you shall only have one!"

    That seems . . . well, it doesn't seem right. Only two in use at one time seems more believable to me. Do you have anything concrete to base your interpretation on? The phrasing of the article is a bit . . . ambiguous.

  • callum9999 #50 2 years ago

    @miiguel: or you could just click on the "what others buy" button where exactly the same thing is 20 odd quid....

  • spammage #51 2 years ago

    Restricted to 16gig more likely through greed than technical limitation. MS want to sell as many expensive 250gb HDs as possible. Can't imagine they would sell many if you could attach any old USB HD, which are cheap as chips these days.

  • miiiguel #52 2 years ago

    I checked that now, it's not the same though. Notice the one with the crazy, crazy price is usb 2.0 the one with the discount isn't.

    (btw that was worrying me, I buy a lot of stuff from Amazon and that would be very scamish).
    Edited by 1 at 27/03/10 @ 10:05

  • kangarootoo #53 2 years ago

    "Wonder if they did this because they were worried about losing the Datel lawsuit?"

    Unlikely. Have MS ever been worried about a lawsuit? The Java and IE issues of the past were fought right to the line, with no change of policy. And in this instance, the Datel lawsuit is on much shakier ground than the two examples above.

  • Mnia786 #54 2 years ago

    Lol pricks, limiting it to 32gb so you are still forced to buy their own HDDs. Are you saying they user 9x10^99 rpm hdds that they have better performance than normal 7200rpm exts?

  • BobsUncle #55 2 years ago

    So since when did USB devices become quicker than SATA Hard Drives?

    People seem to think running a game from a USB stick will be faster, yes faster than a DVD drive, but a SATA hard drive kicks USB transfer rates in the balls and runs off laughing.

    SATA 2 Bandwith = 3 Gb
    USB 2 Bandwidth = 480 Mb