Xbox is taking storage to the next level with its latest beta software update, which is now rolling out to Insiders in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring. The update allows Series X and S systems to support significantly larger external hard drives, surpassing the previous 16TB limit.
Expanding Storage Capacity
With this update, Xbox systems can now partition external hard drives larger than 16TB into multiple segments to maximize usable storage. For instance, a 24TB hard disk can now be formatted into various partitions (each up to 16TB), enabling users to archive more games, apps, and media than ever before. While this feature doesn’t eliminate the 16TB per partition cap, it provides a practical solution for utilizing high-capacity drives.
However, there’s a caveat for those already using drives more significant than 16TB:
“Drives greater than 16TB that have already been formatted will be unaffected by this change and would need to be reformatted to take advantage of the updated support for larger drives,” according to Xbox.
This update is great news for gamers struggling to manage the increasing size of game libraries. Titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 can exceed 300GB, making it impractical to redownload games and updates repeatedly. Although playing current-gen games directly off an external drive remains unsupported, backing up massive installations is now much more feasible.
Network Quality Indicators for Cloud Gaming
In addition to the storage update, Xbox is introducing new network quality indicators for cloud gaming sessions. These indicators appear as red bubbles in the upper-right corner of the screen, notifying users of issues such as packet loss or increased latency. This feature aims to help players identify and troubleshoot network problems affecting their gameplay experience.
Gradual Rollout
Wider Insider groups will test the storage update and network indicators before being made available to all Xbox users in the coming weeks. This progressive rollout underscores Xbox’s commitment to improving user experience and addressing the challenges posed by ever-expanding game sizes.
