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[llien]

- Other systems devs need to take into account, including it's slower American friend the XBox, not to mention PC and cross-gen for a while

There is more to it, than raw speed.
Just the fact that it's SSD, means there is no need to do duplicate the same assets many times, to make them load at once when they are needed, since SSD doesn't care much, whether your data is co-located or not.

On PC side of things, SSD has made it into most gaming PCs anyhow, and where not, $100 for an upgrade is nothing in PC world.

However, if someone says "SSD is optional" it's a totally different approach to both game design and storage.

 

[IntentionalPun]

There is more to it, than raw speed.
Just the fact that it's SSD, means there is no need to do duplicate the same assets many times, to make them load at once when they are needed, since SSD doesn't care much, whether your data is co-located or not.

On PC side of things, SSD has made it into most gaming PCs anyhow, and where not, $100 for an upgrade is nothing in PC world.

However, if someone says "SSD is optional" it's a totally different approach to both game design and storage.

Yeah that should help with the disk usage issue for sure. The lack of need for texture duplication techniques means your space you use is more optimized essentially.

Curious what percentage of a games space that represents though; I thought that was mainly for smaller repeated objects?

 

[sainraja]

I think Microsoft will give some specifications for licensed 3rd party to create enclosure for the Xbox Series X hard drive to create the expansion card. People dissing it for price and playing console wars didnt realize one important aspect - Microsoft is not selling the expansion card, Seagate is. If theres one thing they learned from Xbox One its that, 3rd parties can make cheaper and better accessories than Microsoft, which is why they advertise PDP Talon Remote Xbox Remote and stopped manufacturing there own official one. Part of the expansion card is the XSX internal storage which is produced in large quantities and bought cheaply to keep XSX price reasonable. As, the price of manufacturing XSX will go down, so will the expansion card, contrary to what GAF thinks.

Traditionally proprietary accessories cost more than off the shelf universal accessories. So, even if Seagate is the one making the expansion card, what you have to realize or understand is, that it will ONLY work on the Xbox Series S/X. The market that Seagate is selling the item to is the same small market that Microsoft itself would have been if they made it. Universal accessories are designed to work on more than a specific product and the market they will sell to is also going to be bigger and so the prices will/should drop sooner.

Unless the expansion card is designed to work for more than just the Xbox systems.

 

[Bernkastel]

Traditionally proprietary accessories cost more than off the shelf universal accessories. So, even if Seagate is the one making the expansion card, what you have to realize or understand is, that it will ONLY work on the Xbox Series S/X. The market that Seagate is selling the item to is the same small market that Microsoft itself would have been if they made it. Universal accessories are designed to work on more than a specific product and the market they will sell to is also going to be bigger and so the prices will/should drop sooner.

Unless the expansion card is designed to work for more than just the Xbox systems.

But this is not a traditional accessory. Seagate is only making an enclosure around the same 1 TB SSD manufactured for XSX by Microsoft. Thats why I think the price will go down as the price of manufacturing XSX goes down. There will also be more "enclosure providers" later.

 

[sainraja]

But this is not a traditional accessory. Seagate is only making an enclosure around the same 1 TB SSD manufactured for XSX by Microsoft. Thats why I think the price will go down as the price of manufacturing XSX goes down. There will also be more "enclosure providers" later.

Yeah but the people they are selling those expansion cards to are still going to be people who have invested in an Xbox Seres S/X.

 

[Bernkastel]

Yeah but the people they are selling those expansion cards to are still going to be people who have invested in an Xbox Seres S/X.

That still does not change the fact that its price depends on the manufacturing cost of XSX.

 

[Njocky]

Although it's not (just) Microsoft's fault, 225£ is jut too expensive, it's almost the price of a series S here in the UK.
My plan personally is to test every game on xcloud before I download it on my console. That's how I will manage storage. Only download games that I will really play. How do I know? Because I have streamed it from xcloud directly on my console (when MS releases the xbox app) or on my android tablet and played the first level. 225£ saved. That's what I'll do until the price of the expansion drive drops to around 100-150.
Can anybody find a flaw with that reasoning?

 

[sainraja]

That still does not change the fact that its price depends on the manufacturing cost of XSX.

OK? History shows that proprietary solutions don't decrease in price as quickly as universal ones. I am not sure what point you are trying to make. The prices between the two options right now are comparable but eventually it won't be true since the universal option will go down.

If Microsoft & their partners decide to be aggressive in how they price the expansion card compared to open solutions then that's something. Otherwise no telling if and how much it will go down compared to universal solutions. Since Microsoft isn't even making their own, they also can't dictate the price I take it.

 

[alabtrosMyster]

Guess the price
$250?

That was pretty close

 

[alabtrosMyster]

OK? History shows that proprietary solutions don't decrease in price as quickly as universal ones. I am not sure what point you are trying to make. The prices between the two options right now are comparable but eventually it won't be true since the universal option will go down.

They are, but you get shafted with the proprietary one because they sell you a mid ramge/low end product for the price of a very high end consumer products.

Also, we can be sure that in 15years collectors will be able to get cheapo nvme drives that match the specs AND are much bigger... While if you are interested in Xbox and your drive dies well... The few that will be left may be pretty expensive.

 

[Bernkastel]

They are, but you get shafted with the proprietary one because they sell you a mid ramge/low end product for the price of a very high end consumer products.

Also, we can be sure that in 15years collectors will be able to get cheapo nvme drives that match the specs AND are much bigger... While if you are interested in Xbox and your drive dies well... The few that will be left may be pretty expensive.

Knowing Xbox the expansion cards sold at that time will still work on XSS/XSX.

 

[MilkyJoe]

£220 for 1tb storage??

Out of their fucking minds.

 

[Quartermaster]

What year is it? I thought we already past these era?

 

[Bitmap Frogs]

But this is not a traditional accessory. Seagate is only making an enclosure around the same 1 TB SSD manufactured for XSX by Microsoft. Thats why I think the price will go down as the price of manufacturing XSX goes down. There will also be more "enclosure providers" later.

Did you ever own a 360?

Just saying because the hard disk expansion modules were a standard HDD in a plastic box with xbox branding and the price was always ridicolous. (at least in Europe).

Propietary storage when equivalent capability off-the-shelf exists has only one design goal: fleece consumers for extra $$$.

 

[Izumar]

So are we able to convert rewards points to gift cards on the microsoft store to buy these? I see them on the xbox store.

If so I will grab one no problem.

 

[Self]

Although it's not (just) Microsoft's fault, 225£ is jut too expensive, it's almost the price of a series S here in the UK.
My plan personally is to test every game on xcloud before I download it on my console. That's how I will manage storage. Only download games that I will really play. How do I know? Because I have streamed it from xcloud directly on my console (when MS releases the xbox app) or on my android tablet and played the first level. 225£ saved. That's what I'll do until the price of the expansion drive drops to around 100-150.
Can anybody find a flaw with that reasoning?

That's a very decent plan if you have a fast and solid internet connection.
Would do it myself if it wasn't for my shitty connection. Great idea!

 

[Superposition]

Looks very compatible with credit cards.

 

[DrAspirino]

But this is not a traditional accessory. Seagate is only making an enclosure around the same 1 TB SSD manufactured for XSX by Microsoft. Thats why I think the price will go down as the price of manufacturing XSX goes down. There will also be more "enclosure providers" later.

Exactly. I don't know if anyone remembers, but during the 360 era, it was common to buy aftermarket HDDs of a certain brand (Western Digital) and put it on a generic enclosure to add "internal" sata storage. In fact, my first xbox 360 hdd was a 160 GB modded WD blue drive. It worked flawlessly.

The "expansion card" is just a fancy name for a m.2 2230 NVME SSD inside a plastic enclosure.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Anyone wanting to save $10 in Canada, Costco Canada has it for $300, while other places are $310.

Oddly, they don't even have the systems listed yet.

https://www.costco.ca/seagate-storage-expansion-card-for-xbox-series-xs.product.100698502.html

Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S


Item 4220810
Model STJR1000400
★★★★★No rating value
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Price 299.99$

Shipping & Handling Included
Pre-order now for an expected ship date week of November 23, 2020
Features:

• Light and compact
• Add 1TB of storage to your Xbox Series X or S
• Compatible with the Xbox Velocity Architecture
• Easily plug in and play