Xbox Series S hard drive size is to keep price low, confirms Microsoft

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512GB is the balance between size and cost

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The 512GB Xbox Series S hard drive is to keep costs low, confirms Microsoft. 

Speaking in the leaked Xbox press briefing, head of platform engineering and hardware, Liz Hamren, confirms that the 512GB limit is to keep the price of the Xbox Series S console low - $299 / £249 specifically. 

"When we move to SSD technology we get much, much higher performance, but of course that performance comes at a higher cost. Of course, more storage is always better, so we were trying to balance storage drive size as well as cost and we landed on 512[GB]," explains Hamren. 

"The Series S also supports the Seagate expansion card, and you can always connect your USB 3.1 drive for additional storage. And we've been working on a number of software features to help you more seamlessly manage your game library between the cloud and your console."

Now note the USB 3.1 reference in there. The current Xbox One X and Xbox One S consoles are compatible with USB 3.0 external hard drives. Does that mean there's a potential for them not to work with the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X?

We'll have to wait for the official pricing for the Seagate expansion to make a decision though of course, but it's interesting how much of a difference moving to the faster SSD storage makes to the price.

Sam Loveridge
Sam Loveridge
Brand Director, GamesRadar+

Sam Loveridge is the Brand Director and former Global Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar. She joined the team in August 2017. Sam came to GamesRadar after working at TrustedReviews, Digital Spy, and Fandom, following the completion of an MA in Journalism. In her time, she's also had appearances on The Guardian, BBC, and more. Her experience has seen her cover console and PC games, along with gaming hardware, for a decade, and for GamesRadar, she's in charge of the site's overall direction, managing the team, and making sure it's the best it can be. Her gaming passions lie with weird simulation games, big open-world RPGs, and beautifully crafted indies. She plays across all platforms, and specializes in titles like Pokemon, Assassin's Creed, The Sims, and more. Basically, she loves all games that aren't sports or fighting titles! In her spare time, Sam likes to live like Stardew Valley by cooking and baking, growing vegetables, and enjoying life in the countryside.