Should You Install Halo: Reach to Your Xbox 360?
- Thread starter John Funk
- Start date
Herp Durp I only haz 20 gigs HD... with only 2 Gigs left : ( had it since '06 though so thats pretty badass 
Considering the notoriety of the 360's hardware failure, I make sure that data is installed where possible to reduce strain on the console.Onyx Oblivion said:
To the people wondering how to install 360 games to HDD: First of all, it's more convenient if you disable autoplay before you start installing a bunch of games. That setting is in System Settings>Console Settings>Auto-Play. Once you see the game in the dashboard (it can take a few seconds for the console to recognize disc after inserting it) press Y to get a list of other actions. Install should be the last one. Beware, it can take quite a while, and if you have a multi-disc game like Mass Effect 2, Final Fantasy 13 etc. obviously you're going to have to install each disc individually. The max space a game can take up is 6.7GB, but some games take far less. For example the 360 version of The Orange Box only takes 4GB for five games. There's a decent, but not complete list of game sizes at:
http://www.bingegamer.net/2008/so-how-much-time-are-you-saving-xbox-360-nxe-hard-drive-install-chart/
EDIT: Yes I know the list is severely outdated but it should give you an idea of what to expect in terms of performance gains.
http://www.bingegamer.net/2008/so-how-much-time-are-you-saving-xbox-360-nxe-hard-drive-install-chart/
EDIT: Yes I know the list is severely outdated but it should give you an idea of what to expect in terms of performance gains.
Thanks, That was very helpful!John Funk said:Should You Install Halo: Reach to Your Xbox 360?
If you're looking to make the most out of your Halo: Reach experience, you might want to save a spare 7GB on your 360's hard drive.
Installing games to the Xbox 360's hard drive has always been a bit of a mixed bag. It can reduce loading times for some games, but it can actually make load times worse for some games, too. Booting up a game of Bungie's venerable Halo 3 took longer if you had the game installed to the 360 than if you just had the DVD spinning in the drive.
Does Halo: Reach suffer the same fate?
No, actually, it doesn't. In fact, a test by The Examiner [http://www.examiner.com/video-game-in-national/halo-reach-load-comparison-installed-vs-not-installed] found that installing the game to the hard drive reduced Reach load times down to as much as a mere third of the original length.
The first mission takes 8.1 seconds to load with an install, down from 21.4 seconds without. A Custom game loads in just shy of ten seconds (compared to almost 29 seconds without installation). Even the beefy Firefight mode has its load time cut in half, from 45 seconds down to under 22 seconds.
The results are clear, then: If you want to optimize your time spent loading to time shooting aliens in the face, install Reach. That is, assuming you have the 6.6GB on your hard drive necessary for the install. But if you don't, you might have other problems to deal with, anyway [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103477-No-Halo-Reach-Co-op-for-4GB-360-Slim-Owners].
(The Examiner [http://www.examiner.com/video-game-in-national/halo-reach-load-comparison-installed-vs-not-installed])
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I've never installed a game to my xbox...never even knew there were benefits. I don't know it there is a point to for Reach, since it seems to run just fine for me. But if it reduces loading times ME2 would be amazing if I installed it.
I mean its not going to kill me to wait an extra 10 seconds or something, but at the same time ME2 had way too many loading screens.
I mean its not going to kill me to wait an extra 10 seconds or something, but at the same time ME2 had way too many loading screens.
No, Microsoft here, want to wringle as many shiney coins as possible.Jaredin said:
OT: Maybe another reason to buy it, my taster yesterday was very impressive, yet 7GB is a bit much isn't it?
I always install to the harddrive since trying to play GTA4 and I kept getting disc unable to be read errors. Installing it solved the problem and cut loading times significantly, and its so much nicer playing without the disc drive constantly whirring.
install the game anyways, hell do it to every game u play alot... now if u install them and those discs get really scratched up, put the disc in and dont load it up... go to ur game directory and go to FULL GAMES, click on the game and it should say run or play... the game will play (and ur 360 will run quieter)... this 100% works and iv even tested it multiple times... everyone should do it cuz it can save u money... buy a game the day it releases and install it imediatly... then return it the following day or shortly there afterwards... if they ask the reason y ur returning it and just say someone already purchesd it for u (or tell them to mind there own fuckin business lol jk) and u didnt know... now go to a near by gamestop or gamecrazy or any video game store that sells new and used games and purches a used version of the game... yeah if u return the new game u might get a full refund or somewhere near that and wen u purchase a used one, it would be like $5-$15 less then a brand new game (so u save money), now that u saved money u also have a fully functionable game that can ALWAYS be played no matter the condition of the disc... understand this tho, U HAVE TO HAVE THE DISC IN THE COUNCIL TO PLAY THE GAME EVEN THOUGH U INSTALLED IT... its a very smart idea to do, i suggest everyone does it