Xbox getting USB Storage

[Ares]

Report: USB Storage Coming to Xbox 360
By Mike Sharkey | Mar 18, 2010

Microsoft to finally offer an alternative to its HDDs, memory cards, but storage cap dampens impact.
A document written by a senior software development engineer at Microsoft indicates an upcoming Xbox 360 system update will allow gamers to put the console's USB ports to good use. USB storage is finally coming to the 360.

The folks at Joystiq obtained the aforementioned document which states the system update, coming this spring, will make it possible for up to two USB storage devices of up to 16 GB each to be used to store saves, digital media, and even full disc-based games. From Joystiq:

With an artificial cap of 16 GB -- still shy of the 20 GB hard drive that shipped with the original 2005 Xbox Pro and a fraction of the size of the currently shipping 120 GB hard drive -- USB storage support simply removes the onerous requirement for a Memory Unit on Xbox 360 Arcade units, and brings the Xbox 360 platform a feature that's been present on the PlayStation 3 since that console's 2006 launch.

As reported by GameSpy.

It would have been nice if MS didn't put the cap at 16GB which would have allowed the use of an external HDD.

 

[Serj22]

So wait, you can hook up a USB drive, but it can only hold 16gigs of it's maximum capacity? So if I hook up a 500g hard drive, only 16 of it can be used? Or is it that you have to buy a 16gig "memory card" made by microsoft that hooks up in the USb?

 

[Ares]

I believe it wouldn't recognize an external HDD, now if they make it to where you couldn't use 3rd party USB drives than it would be pointless to even offer this upgrade.