Xbox One's 500 GB HD Only Holds 362 GB Of Games

[elilupe]

THIS is why I've been against internal memory storage for consoles since the last generation started! Two generations ago, you ran out of space on your memory card? Just buy a new one for a modest sum, and plug it into your console! Then with the Xbox 360 and PS3, you either had to buy a rather expensive new internal hard drive, or in the PS3's case, just buy a new PS3! Man, memory cards were the best

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Okay, two things I'd like to address here.

First of all, I've just checked the size of the Windows folder of my computer. It's 25.4GB. That's for the entirety of my Windows 7 installation- loads of basic drivers for just about every system component and peripheral made in recent history, as well as a number of essential programs; everything necessary for a computer- which could be made of a ridiculously-wide combination of components- to run pretty much out of the box.

So why the hell does a console, with a highly limited number of known configurations, need nearly twice that much space for its "system" files?

Secondly, I think that a lot of console players aren't really understanding what consoles are these days. Guys, you're basically playing on cut-down, mass-produced, identical PCs... and console game devs are developing the same attitude PC game publishers have had for years: Get it out the door now; patch it later. And since you can't exactly update the disk the game came on, guess what? You need to download and install those patches. (And don't think that this "mandatory install" thing is just a craze that'll go away- it's only going to get worse as devs push the systems harder for prettier graphics.)

As a PC gamer, I've been dealing with this sort of thing for years. But it doesn't bother me, because I have five terabytes of storage in my computer (and another 2TB external drive for backups). I can put in and swap out as many hard drives as I please, and keep games for just about as long as I like. If consoles continue to be treated like PCs by publishers, but the console makers continue to try to lock down and limit their hardware as always, there's gonna be a logjam somewhere, and it's gonna cause problems.

Also, about the "100GB isn't 100GB" thing: You can thank marketers. To an engineer, a gigabyte is 1,024 megabytes- but to a marketer, a gigabyte is 1,000 megabytes. So when a hard drive with 500,000,000,000 bytes of storage is produced, the blurb on the box (made by a marketer) says 500GB- but your computer (made by an engineer) says 488.2GB. (And then of course there's overhead, bad sectors, etc.)

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

Not even slightly surprised. The same thing happened with Surface.

It's really just a very terrible PC under the hood.

 

[Someone Depressing]

..What? I, like, would kill for an 80gb hard drive.

What the hell happened when I was drunk?

 

[Tanis]

Doesn't surprise me.

Whenever I get a PS4 I'm hoping I can install a 1TB HDD in it.

People mocked me when I installed a 500GB HDD into my PS3, until they had to re download something.

When your net sucks it's nice not having to download a 5-25GB file.

You can install a 1.5TB HDD in it ( http://www.amazon.com/HGST-Travelstar-2-5-Inch-Internal-0J28001/dp/B00EDIU5IW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386701676&sr=8-1&keywords=hgst+travelstar+5k1500 )

Thanks for the info.

It's something I'll be keeping my eye on.

Though I'm probably going to go with a SEAGATE or Western Digital, given that I've had a pretty good track record with them.

 

[Santhenar]

This is a joke. I was shocked when I bought a 20GB drive for the 360 and 7gig was reserved for "game title caching"... And 103gig for system files? 103 GIG??? Ho.. How? The Xbox One must have the most wasteful operating system ever devised.

And what was that, 21 gigabytes of updates? I calculate that to be what, 200,000 novels? How broken does something need to be in order for it to require a 21 gigabyte patch at launch? That's the equivalent of all of windows 7.

By the way, what's the cost of that if you don't have unlimited internet, will Microsoft reimburse for that?

 

[skorpion352]

Why the fuck do the updates need to have a separate partition? Why are they not being rolled into the main OS install like a fucking normal person would do.

 

[Living_Brain]

On PC, I have 1Tb of storage, and I'm running out fast. I can't imagine all the things I'd have to dump to fit a 360Gb limit. BTW is it Xbone with replaceable HDD's and PS4 with external support?

 

[Roxas1359]

On PC, I have 1Tb of storage, and I'm running out fast. I can't imagine all the things I'd have to dump to fit a 360Gb limit. BTW is it Xbone with replaceable HDD's and PS4 with external support?

No, the PS4 has the interchangeable HDD's, hell you can even put in an SSD, and the Xbox One is the one with external support. Although currently external HDD support is not with the Xbox One yet, and probably won't be until next year. The Wii U also supports external HDD's as well.

 

[Raziel]

Tiny hard drive size and slow download speed are why I thought the original all digital xbo plan was laughable. I learned this lesson last gen with my 120 gig ps3. I've had to delete games on that to make room for the last 3 years at least. No way am I giving up discs any time soon. It took 12+ hours to download ps+ games, so you never delete those. I ended up buying a 2nd ps3 just for ps+ games.

 

[Something Amyss]

Yes, but also Consider that Installation was optional on the 360, and at launche not even posible.

Installation is still optional.

Yes, I know, mandatory installs were a thing at announcement, but they hadn't even finalised the processor a couple months later. I also know that they're pushing downloadstreamdvrclooooooooud and it's bloody stupid to try and make an all-in-one device with a fixed (minus exploits they'll probably fight) HDD.

Every gamer has unique desires!

You mean we're not a collective? Dammit, when will the media stop lying to me?

 

[Something Amyss]

Hey, that's cool. If you quote me but remove all the text, it doesn't show anything but still alerts me.

I seriously did not know that.

They're trying to release an inferior product on good will alone. Thats what their entire marketing campaign has been about.

At the risk of coming off as a wiseass (I am one, but this is a serious question), what goodwill did Microsoft have, exactly?

Far as I can reckon, it's the opposite: Microsoft seems to have looked at the last generation (where they placed third in overall sales, but had a strong American showing) and said "Man, these idiots bought our broken shit, they wanted HALO so bad. And when it broke and we wouldn't fix their box, they bought a new one! They'll do what we tell them!" Which seems to be reflected in their PR prior to them being outsold in pre-orders like 9 to 1. It seem microsoft (sometimes spelled with a dollar sign) is pretty well hated, but they assumed they had people locked in like they do with Windows. And it turned out even another shot at fellating Master Chief was not enough to beat "always online" and other such practices.

Xbox one is inferior in every way to the previous generation

That just seems massively hyperbolic.

 

[Hero in a half shell]

right now i have an xbox 360, with about 1 GB internal storage. literally the cheapest model of it i could find. i use a usb external drive with 500gb to save games, with any system updates staying only on the console itself. i've yet to even run close to filling up that external drive...why? because i still use the friggen disks that the games come on. why waste space if you've got a perfectly fine storage already? are that lazy that we can't get up to swap disks anymore? sheesh...

The issue is that installation has become mandatory with Xbox/PS4s, so swapping a disk will do nothing. The game must be installed on the new consoles in exactly the same way as a PC in order to play them.
The other issue is the size of games. All the release titles are around 30gigs, meaning it can only hold about 12 games. (362 divided by 30) On the 13th game you will have to delete one of the older games, which means all the saves, progress etc. go too. If it's a downloaded game then you will have to re-download it if you ever want to play it again (which means internet bandwidth speed and limits come into play.)

It must be noted at this point that the console generation has only begun, and is expected to last for 10 years. The current games require 30 gigs of space, but newer games will only get larger as they use better textures, more detailed models, more complex physics, rendering, AI, gameplay, etc. meaning that number of 12 will only decrease.

Of course the console itself will require updates which will take up more space than their current bloated reserves (who could have predicted the Xbox 360 would have to be able to integrate with the Kinect at the beginning of the last console cycle, think what sort of mad space requirements the software and games will require to run the next stage: an Oculus Rift Virtual Reality device maybe?)

In 5 years console games will require more space. A lot more. If it goes up to 50 gig installs, which would be a very conservative estimate, (COD Ghosts is already at 39) that would mean the Xbox One could only store 6 games with no DVR or movies or anything else saved on it.

500 gigs is not enough to future proof the console, and Microsoft have currently locked down the hard drive size so it will only accept 500 gigs. This is an issue.

 

[Something Amyss]

Thats the point.

You can't do that. I just said the OPPOSITE of what you said, so it's clearly not the point.

It doesn't even work with the "hyperbolic" bit. Hyperbole is supposed to be based on something. You've removed that with your examples of hos inferior it is in every way:

And yes, it is inferior. Always online or check in DRM which the last gen didnt have.

Removed.

No Backwards compatibility which the last generation had.

The last gen had limited, buggy BC, but yes, one point.

A party system that worked in games and out and was really simple and easy to use? Some how they managed to fuck that up too.

Elaborate?

Aside from the hardware specs, this system is completely fragged.

You have one actual example. Maybe two, but I have no info on the second. That's not completely fragged, nor is it inferior in "every way."

And honestly, while I dislike the removal of BC, I prefer it to their old system where they totally swore they'd be updating regularly, did it for a few months, tapered off, and dropped it. I only own like two Xbox games that are supported and one came in the final update.

Captcha: Steam Punk. Yeah I am. Disciple of Valve, representing.

hmmm. Steam DOES remind me of one of those dystopian megacorps.

 

[VanQ]

Snip...

My PC has about 2GB worth of games software installed on it at the moment. It's there so if I ever feel like it I can load up the game instantly without having to wait for an installation and a long-ass patch to download before I can play it. Two things that consoles can not claim to be immune from any longer.

OT: If console manufacturers want to seriously push the all digital route that they're attempting, they're either going to have to offer a bigger hard drive in their machines or offer the ability to replace the hard drive with an aftermarket one that has a reasonable amount of space on it. Until then, I'll stick to physical media for my consoles.

 

[Kyogissun]

Snip...

My PC has about 2GB worth of games software installed on it at the moment. It's there so if I ever feel like it I can load up the game instantly without having to wait for an installation and a long-ass patch to download before I can play it. Two things that consoles can not claim to be immune from any longer.

OT: If console manufacturers want to seriously push the all digital route that they're attempting, they're either going to have to offer a bigger hard drive in their machines or offer the ability to replace the hard drive with an aftermarket one that has a reasonable amount of space on it. Until then, I'll stick to physical media for my consoles.

I cannot support this enough, the inability for companies to design their devices to allow users to install their own HDD is utterly baffling, ESPECIALLY when these consoles TYPICALLY have HDD installation being as simple as fucking plug and play! Or at least I assume this, because again, AFAIK, PS3/PS4 installation of an HDD is simply pop off a covered up part of the console, potentially pull out the HDD is it's there and then slot in a new one, format it to work with the console and bam, you've got more space/fresh space for your device. But Microsoft has done everything to express that they want as much control over what you do with your console as possible so... Fuck any expectations of them giving you freedom I guess...