Folks who turn on their Xbox 360 today will find a system update waiting for them. This is the previously mentioned update which allows you to use USB Memory devices with your console as a replacement for memory cards or, for the desperate, a hard drive.
Just as a reminder of how it's all going to work, you'll have to have a USB storage device with at least 1 Gb of space on it. The maximum amount of storage you can use -- regardless of the device's maximum -- is 16 Gb and each console can have up to two devices registered to it.
Kinda makes the 512mb memory card I bought so long ago feel really out of date, but I'm looking forward to being able to keep all my Rock Band DLC on my keys so that I can more easily play it wherever I am. Plus, I'm sure it will be helpful for some who've either never bought a larger storage option or refused to due to their exorbitant prices.
Xbox 360 System Update – USB Memory Support [Major Nelson]
Conrad Zimmerman is Destructoid's News Editor and home to the busiest mustache in the gaming press. An amateur historian and pop culture fanatic, Conrad possesses a nearly limitless wealth of videogame factoids and a passion for the power of games to teach, inspire and entertain. He enjoys reading, writing and turning things which should be fun into work.
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Contest:
8:20 AM on 04.06.2010
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Sadly, the people who think the 360 is cutting edge and who also know nothing about modern technology will think this is a great and incredible addition.
@ hpv: We've got to find you a nice girl. The kind of girl that's so sweet to you that she changes your horrible outlook on life.
You could buy a usb stick, but then you'll probably find yourself buying another and another.
At the risk of sounding snarky, I kinda doubt people are gonna be running to the store and clearing shelves for usb sticks, buying "another and another"... especially when they can only use two.
32gb maximum, and you need two devices? What a joke. We live in an age of 2TB USB drives, and MS arbitrarily limit people to 32gb? Hellooooooo 2001.
All of these restrictions are stupid, and yet more evidence that no one should be happy about Microsoft's success in the console space.
^^^^^THIS^^^^^
PhazonYoshi
@Rhuno; No you shouldn't, because that's telling MS that charging literally double what the drive is worth is alright.
^^^^^AND THIS^^^^^
Nuff said.
Anyway this should make it handy transferring my gamertag around rather than recovering via the internet which usually takes longer than it should.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^AND MOSTLY THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Might be an isolated issue, but annoying.
I considered the 2 register limit, but it doesn't say if you can un/re register sticks. So you could buy 3 and just have two "active" at a time perhaps. Either way I think this is a pretty poor decision on Microsoft's part and would still recommend getting the hard drive if your budget allows.
Go do something useful, like becoming the world's greatest pokémon master.
Wow, way to fuck up the easiest hardware-related thing on the damn planet.
If its registered then wtf this fails...
:( I know from experience.
Another perk as that you can now transfer (reassign) licenses to other devices directly on the Xbox itself, which people have been asking for since the start. Again, for all the talk of people saying any usb capable device should be able to use flashdrives for saves, guess what? Neither the Wii nor the PS3 can do it. The PS3 can do a backup, but not a straight "save."
That's not exactly accurate. You can play all your DLC on someone else's console as long as your signed in _TO LIVE_ with your gamertag. No internet connection, no playing your content on someone else's box. The benefit of using a usb drive instead of a harddrive is so that you can use your content and your friend's content at the same time without having to re-download everything on your friend's system.
There's so much misunderstanding going on in this post its hard to read. You can use 2 USB drives at once with your system, but you can have as many drives as you want. This update lets you use protected data like profiles/saves/installs with the flash drives, but you've been able to do it with media basically from the start. You can still use the remaining space not designated for 360 use for whatever you want. You could use an iPod, designate 4 gb of your space for 360 memory and still have your music unaffected. This feature is a GOOD thing. It's new functionality, which despite what zealots may say, are not available on the PS3 (as a proud PS3 owner, I can say I am unable to put my profile/saves on a flashdrive and use it on a friends system, and I certainly can't save directly to a flashdrive.)
Another perk as that you can now transfer (reassign) licenses to other devices directly on the Xbox itself, which people have been asking for since the start. Again, for all the talk of people saying any usb capable device should be able to use flashdrives for saves, guess what? Neither the Wii nor the PS3 can do it. The PS3 can do a backup, but not a straight "save."
-
Thank you for being the voice of reason.
@Corduroy Turtle: Really? So... if my O.G. Xbox 360 died... then all that DLC is LOST? :(
@Gestault: Right on brother (sister?)! People don't seem to UNDERSTAND.
Sure, the feature isn't perfect, and there are a host of other 360 storage issues I'd rather see "fixed", but I like to look at it this way: when I turn on my 360 and download new firmware, it actually adds functionality. My PS3? [url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/03/sony-steals-feature-from-your-playstation-3]Not so much...[/url]
I'm like 20 minutes in an it says 40 minutes remaining...
:S