Xbox external SSDs are finally getting cheaper as upcoming models leak

[Daniel Sims]

Facepalm: Plummeting prices for PlayStation 5 and PC internal storage expansions have cast a negative light on the already unpopular Xbox Series console storage prices. Microsoft and Seagate have finally responded with a permanent price drop, but it likely won't be enough. Upcoming competition from Western Digital could potentially improve the situation.

The internal storage expansion cards for the Xbox Series consoles have recently seen a significant permanent price drop. The proprietary solid-state drives had maintained static prices for over a year, even as off-the-shelf SSDs for PCs and the PlayStation 5 became increasingly affordable.

Seagate, currently the sole manufacturer of additional internal storage for Xbox Series consoles, has reduced its prices by around 30 percent. Users can now acquire 512GB for $90 (down from $140), 1TB for $150 (previously $220), or 2TB for $280 (formerly $400).

However, those purchasing NVMe drives for a PC or PlayStation 5 will find substantially lower prices. For instance, Samsung's 990 Pro – one of the higher-end models – currently costs just $110 for 1TB and $190 for 2TB.

When the 1TB Xbox Series SSD was launched alongside the consoles in 2020, its original price was comparable to generic NVMe drives of the time. However, recent NAND oversupply has dragged standard SSD prices down by over 30 percent since the beginning of the year, and analysts are uncertain when they'll stop falling. Prices may stabilize around the fourth quarter.

WD - WD_BLACK C50 1TB Expansion Card for Xbox Series coming soon, listed at Best Buy ($179.99) https://t.co/mZmGIykugn pic.twitter.com/J6usvUsDLV

– Wario64 (@Wario64) April 2, 2023

Part of the problem with the Xbox drives stems from Seagate's monopoly on them, which will end sometime soon. Images of a 1TB Western Digital variant leaked last month, but the company has not officially confirmed its existence, let alone a release date. The leak suggested a price of $180, but Seagate's new price undercuts it, so an adjustment would not be surprising.

The situation likely demonstrates that the costs of proprietary storage outweigh the benefits. Xbox SSDs are smaller, and sliding them into the back of the console is much simpler (and less dangerous) than opening a PS5 or PC chassis. However, as more games like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II exceed 100GB, price per gigabyte becomes a significant concern.

History has repeatedly shown that off-the-shelf storage experiences price reductions much more rapidly than proprietary units. Microsoft made this mistake with the Xbox 360, while the competing PlayStation 3 used PC SSDs. The PlayStation Vita's costly proprietary memory cards drew much criticism, especially when compared to the Nintendo 3DS's use of standard SD cards.

However, there are ways to bypass Microsoft's and Seagate's hold on Xbox internal storage. In 2021, a user on BiliBili published a method for connecting a standard m.2 2230 drive to the expansion port. iFixit also has a guide for replacing the Xbox Series X's main SSD with a store-bought 2230. Although Seagate's price drop aligns with current typical 2230 SSD prices, the fact remains that they are competing against the PS5 and its compatibility with more affordable drives.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/98586-xbox-external-ssds-finally-getting-cheaper-upcoming-models.html

 

[Vulcanproject]

You don't even need anything like a Samsung 990 Pro for PS5, there is now a host of perfectly suitable drives in a category below that makes the price disparity to Xbox expansion storage even more stark.

For a games console where you're unlikely to be hammering the drive with writes which is what really wears SSDs then just get whatever is on sale. I would be more picky perhaps with a boot drive and precious data but for dumb storage of games on a console?

I have tried numerous Netac NV7000 drives bought on the cheap and they work a charm, 2TB for about $120 on *insert Chinese seller here.*

 

[yRaz]

You don't even need anything like a Samsung 990 Pro for PS5, there is now a host of perfectly suitable drives in a category below that makes the price disparity to Xbox expansion storage even more stark.

For a games console where you're unlikely to be hammering the drive with writes which is what really wears SSDs then just get whatever is on sale. I would be more picky perhaps with a boot drive and precious data but for dumb storage of games on a console?

I have tried numerous Netac NV7000 drives bought on the cheap and they work a charm, 2TB for about $120 on *insert Chinese seller here.*

The PS5 is kind of a unique case because of how it manages resources. But what people have to keep in mind is that these consoles are heavily subsidized and that cost has to be made up somewhere, mostly in subscription services. However, they're also going to charge extra for peripherals. I thought that this has been pretty much accepted since the 360/ps3 days?

 

[shark975]

While I dont condone the pricing, I will say with a 1tb series x it's not that big an issue imo with a decent internet connection. I picked up a 50 dollar 1tb crucial and put it in a usb enclosure to use as cold storage as well. this can run all backwards compatible games, or store current gen games for fast transfer if needed. but again with 802 gb free out of the box, the xbox already has an advantage on the ps5 with only 660 gb available out of the box.

imo the bigger deal that all the tech blogs dont talk about is sony sold us a bill of good about their proprietary superfast ssd tech. which much of the tech media played up greatly or lied about (claiming ratchet only possible on ps5 ssd for example, which of course was nonsense). the ssd was played up AS the counter to ps5 having a less powerful gpu in fact. all that went out the window the instant sony allowed end user to put literally any spec ssd desired in the machine. this meant developers could no longer count on any baseline level of speed in ps5's ssd. and we all know what that means. sony recommends 5500 MB/s sequential read, but they dont enforce this at all.


I just find it a typical sony bias from the tech media that they completely dont talk about the ps5's now gimped ssd's at all. at least the xbox method enforces a certain minimum standard and speed.


all that said the xbox prices are obviously way too high. the cut to 150 is a start though, and I hope prices really fall with the western digital competition. kinda have my doubts though, with a proprietary interface and a big fat microsoft profit cut, I think the deck might be stacked. still, at least 100-120 for 1tb would be nice.