Xbox Series X expandable SSD cards will go above (and below) 1TB

The Xbox Series X|S' current 1TB expandable storage cards are expensive at $219, but Microsoft confirms multiple cards will be available eventually.

The Series X/Series S's internal 1TB SSD isn't actually 1TB; after formatting, it shrinks to 931GB, and drops down to ~800GB after OS and reserved space. That's enough for a handful of Call of Duty Warzone installs. Right now $219 Seagate expansion cards only option to increase the Series X/S's storage and maintain next-gen performance...but Microsoft says this will change in the future.

In a recent Major Nelson podcast, Xbox's Jason Ronald confirms more next-gen storage options are coming from other OEMs. We'll see more manufacturers roll out varying sizes and prices that all maintain and mirror the 2.4GB/sec speeds of the console's internal NVMe M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD. Among these should be options above 1TB and push into 2TB territory...but these could end up costing as much as the console itself.

"I think, over time, you'll see this is a category that's really critical to us. You'll see multiple options and different form factors and different sizes," Ronald said.

"But what was really important for us is that we had a simple, easy-to-use option available day one. You can expect to see more options moving forward."

Read Also: How external hard drives work on Xbox Series X, Series S consoles

Luckily the expandable memory doesn't require the same space reservation as the internal SSD. That means the 1TB SSD cards clock in at 931GB of usable space.

Here's some other tidbits from the interview:

• Quick Resume save states are stored on internal SSD memory, not expansion storage
• Microsoft re-confirms gamers can split games with custom installs--if the game supports it