Microsoft is preparing a software update that will allow Universal Serial Bus (USB) mass storage devices to be used with the Xbox 360, according to a report by Joystiq.
This will allow gamers to store and load saved games via external USB storage devices. Until now, users had to use Microsoft Xbox 360 hard drives or flash memory units, also from Microsoft. The change is supposed to happen with a software update this spring.
Joystiq said a document authored by a senior software development engineer at Microsoft stated that the change is happening because of the growth of high-capacity, high-throughput USB mass storage devices. After the update, users will be able to download Xbox Live Arcade games, Xbox Live Indie games, Games on Demand, downloadable content, and game updates to the storage device. (Note: you can’t do that with video such as TV shows or movies).
The change is a recognition that digital downloads on the Xbox 360 are becoming more popular than ever and that a storage strategy conceived in another era is showing its age. For gamers, the good thing is that USB storage devices can store a lot more data than Microsoft’s own Flash memory units, which max out at 512 megabytes. Microsoft declined to comment on the rumor. Joystiq said the USB mass storage device has to be able to store at least a gigabyte of data. The USB storage feature will finally bring Microsoft into parity with Sony, whose PlayStation 3 has had USB mass storage since 2006.