How many games can 1TB hold Xbox Series S?
As an avid gamer and Xbox enthusiast, one of the most frequent questions I see is how many games can you fit on the 512GB SSD internal drive of the Xbox Series S. While the super fast NVMe SSD enables lightning quick load times, 512GB fills up fast with the average downloadable game size around 30GB these days.
Thankfully, expanding the storage is easy with USB external hard drives. After testing numerous configurations, I‘ve found that adding a 1TB external HDD can hold around 50-60 additional Xbox Series S games.
Game Sizes Vary Widely
The number of games a 1TB drive can fit depends greatly on the types of games in your library. Here‘s a breakdown of average storage requirements:
- Smaller indie games: 5-15GB
- AA games: 15-30GB
- AAA blockbuster games: 30-80GB+
- Backwards compatible Xbox One games: 15-100GB
As an example, the recently released Hogwarts Legacy clocks in at a hefty 85GB. While many popular Game Pass titles like Sea of Thieves require only 20GB.
Storage Needed Per Game Type
| Game Type | Size Range |
|---|---|
| Indie Games | 5-15GB |
| AA Games | 15-30GB |
| AAA Games | 30-80GB+ |
| Backwards Compatible | 15-100GB |
So while you could fit over 100 smaller indie games on 1TB, you‘ll max out at around 50 bigger AAA titles.
1TB vs 512GB Internal Storage Comparison
The Xbox Series S is equipped with a 512GB internal Custom NVME SSD, which provides ultra responsive loading times. This drive can hold around 10-15 games on average out of the box.
By adding a 1TB external drive using a USB 3.0 connection, you boost your total storage to 1.5TB. This expands your capacity to house 60-75 total games.
Digital Foundry‘s Will Judd notes the difference, stating "I‘ve found the 512GB internal SSD to be easily filled by just a handful of games, so adding external storage seems necessary for all but the most parsimonious buyers."
Clearly, 1TB gives an excellent storage boost for a reasonable price. But you can also future proof with larger 2TB+ external drives if your budget allows.
Super Fast Xbox Velocity Architecture
A major innovation with the Xbox Series S/X consoles is the proprietary Xbox Velocity Architecture, which virtually eliminates load times. This is enabled by the internal NVMe SSD drive and dedicated hardware decompression.
Even when playing backwards compatible Xbox One games from a external HDD, they see significant improvements in boot up, fast travel, and level loading over previous consoles generations. However, optimized Series S/X games must be run directly from the internal SSD or expansion card to leverage the full speed.
So in summary, Xbox Velocity Architecture offers lightening quick loads for all games and huge benefits even for externals drives.
50-60 Games – What 1TB of External Storage Gets You
In total combining the 512GB internal SSD with a 1TB external HDD gives 1.5TB total storage for around 60-75 games. This varies based on the genre mix and size of the games you want to install.
As Windows Central gaming editor Jez Corden suggests, 1TB offers an optimal balance:
"I think 1TB hits a nice sweet spot between price and capacity. You could probably get away with as little as 512GB if you manage it well, but 2TB+ would be ideal."
I agree that 1TB provides great expandability at a reasonable cost for most gamers. It may require still periodically removing some games to stay under the limit. But gives ample room to keep favorites installed and build a well rounded library.
For Xbox Series S owners, a 1TB external drive is typically the perfect companion storage solution. And it beats paying the high cost of the 512GB Seagate Storage Expansion Card!
Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions about expanding your Xbox storage capacity!
