Since Microsoft announced the Xbox Series X/S game consoles in late 2020, Seagate has exclusively sold storage expansion cards for these systems. But gamers around the world are saddened by the fact that even though prices for NAND and industry-standard he SSDs plummeted last year, these single-supplier drives remain priced high. But that may finally be changing, as Western Digital unveiled the company’s first WD_Black branded storage expansion card for Microsoft’s latest Xbox console on Tuesday.
Western Digital’s WD_Black C50 line of expansion cards for the Microsoft Xbox Series X|S console includes 500 GB and 1 TB models. The WD_Black C50 expansion card is designed to provide similar performance and features (such as Quick Resume) to the internal Xbox Series X|S internal storage, so it doesn’t matter where your games are physically installed (internal SSD or PC) provides a seamless experience. expansion card.
Western Digital’s WD_Black C50 500 GB is priced at $80the 1 TB version will cost $150. In contrast, Seagate currently offers 512 GB ($110), 1 TB ($150), 2TB ($280) Optional. It’s worth noting that Seagate is offering his 30% discount on extended drives in the US, perhaps in response to Western Digital’s offerings.
The storage expansion units for Microsoft’s latest Xbox Series X|S gaming systems are proprietary and designed for use exclusively with these consoles. Technically, these storage units are similar to the CFexpress 1.0 Type-B design, but work with a PCIe 4.0 x2 interface, whereas the CFexpress 1.0 Type-B specification mandates the use of a PCIe 3.0 x2 interface. To do.
Microsoft is believed to charge licensing fees from the makers of the Xbox Series X|S storage expansion cards, and apparently Seagate was the only company to agree to the software giant’s terms, so it’s likely that the company will sell two or more storage units. became the exclusive supplier. Year.
Notably, it is possible to: DIY a storage expansion card Compatible with the latest Xbox consoles using the CFexpress-to-M.2-2230 adapter. This adapter was originally developed to increase camera storage capacity using M.2-2230 SSD. These adapters are currently available from Amazon at the following prices: $30. However, only two of the hard-to-find 2230 drives are actually compatible with this method, and the only sure and reliable way to add storage to Microsoft’s console is with an official expansion card. Become.
