Extra storage for Microsoft’s new console is likely to prove pretty costly, if a new leak is to be believed. A post on the Xbox Series X subreddit (via Windows Central) that appears to stem from a Gamestop employee suggests that an official 1TB upgrade, produced by data storage company Seagate, will cost $219.99 (£170) at launch.
It’s a pretty steep price to pay for some extra room to store your games, but it’s one that could be necessary because of the hardware that next-gen Xbox consoles will be using. Instead of the HDDs that feature in current consoles, the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X use Solid State Drives, which don’t use traditional USB ports for new games. USB 3.0 will work for backwards compatibility.
Microsoft’s efforts mean that you won’t be able to expand your next-gen storage through the SSD itself, and instead you’ll need a new branded cartridge if you’re looking for some extra space. The new technology required is likely to have been expensive, which means that a 1TB expansion will cost far more than its current-gen counterpart.
The potential jump in price has already been noticed by Xbox fans. On Reddit, one pointed out that a $220 price tag isn’t that far away from the cost of a brand-new Series X console, which is currently set to retail at $299. With only 512GB of storage available on the digital-only version, players hoping to grab a bargain might find themselves having to invest in some extra hardware.
While there's no official word from Microsoft or Seagate just yet, we're likely to find out more ahead of the Xbox Series X release date in a couple of months' time.
