Tag: Seagate

Team Xbox reveals 512GB and 2TB Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox Series X|S, set for mid-November and early December 2021 releases respectively

Team Xbox reveals 512GB and 2TB Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox Series X|S, set for mid-November and early December 2021 releases respectively

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Are you an owner of Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X? If you were, have you been struggling with managing the limited amount of data storage as video games and their respective DLC (downloadable content) and patches easily consumed a lot of space on your console?

There are new solutions coming but they are quite pricey. Still, you will have choices with regards to how much added storage do you need and how much money you have. I’m talking about the recent announcement made by Team Xbox that the 512 GB and 2TB Storage Expansion Cards (made by Seagate) are coming out some time in the middle of November 2021 (which happens to be the very month of the 20th anniversary of Xbox) and early December 2021 respectively.

From left to right: the 512GB expansion card (coming out November 2021), the 1TB expansion card (available already) and the 2TB expansion card (coming out December 2021). (image from Xbox.com)

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Xbox.com article written by Pamela Wang of Designed for Xbox. Some parts in boldface…

Designed for Xbox has collaborated with Seagate once again, and we’re excited to announce 512GB and 2TB Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox Series X|S will be available soon in all Xbox markets.

The Seagate 512GB Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S is available for pre-order today from Walmart in the United States for $139.99 USD (US Dollars) and will launch mid-November. For other markets and availability, please check your local retailer.

The Seagate 2TB Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S will be available for pre-order in November for $399.99 USD and will launch early December. The Seagate 2TB Storage Expansion Card will also be the next product featuring the Designed for Xbox Limited Series badge, ensuring premium product quality, performance, and design.

How to Use the Seagate Storage Expansion Card

This is how to insert the expansion card on the rear of the Xbox Series X. (image from Xbox.com)

To use the Seagate Storage Expansion Card, just plug the card into the Storage Expansion port on the back of your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console, and you can use it just as you would any external storage solution. You can choose to install games to the expansion card by default, play games directly from it, move or copy games between local and external storage, or do anything you already do today with an external hard drive. The only difference is that the expansion card is designed to match the exact performance of the internal storage of the Xbox Series X|S.

Wow! $139.99 for 512GB and $399.99 for 2TB for the Xbox Series consoles! Remember the high-end edition of Xbox 360 that first launched in November 2005? That console launched with a tag price of $399.99 which is the exact same amount of money required for the 2TB storage expansion card. High price aside, buying the 2TB storage expansion card makes more sense than buying two separate 1TB storage expansion cards that sell for $219.99 each. Do the math and you will realize what I’m saying here.

Apart from gaining additional storage space, it should be noted that there are benefits that will be realized quickly by users in terms of performance and speed. For the newcomers reading this, the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X both use the Xbox Velocity Architecture, the foundation of which is used by the Seagate storage expansion cards. Check out the excerpt below from the recent Xbox.com article…

Xbox Velocity Architecture

This shows the flow of data between the inserted expansion card and the chips inside. (image from Xbox.com)

The Storage Expansion Card uses the foundation of the Xbox Velocity Architecture. This is the custom, internal SSD delivering 2.4 GB/s of raw I/O throughput, more than 40x the throughput of Xbox One. The Seagate Storage Expansion Card was designed using the Xbox Velocity Architecture to deliver the exact same consistent, sustained performance of our internal SSD ensuring you have the exact same gameplay experience regardless of where the game resides.

The Seagate Storage Expansion Cards are the only external SSDs on market designed to leverage the Xbox Velocity Architecture and deliver the exact same performance as the internal SSD.

For other technical details about this particular development, read the full article at https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/10/21/new-seagate-storage-expansion-cards/

While the 512GB and 2TB Storage Expansion Cards for Xbox Series consoles have yet to be released, that means you still have time to raise money for one or both of them depending your needs for digital storage with your console. Be reminded that hot new games like Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, Chorus and The Gunk will be released for Xbox this November-December, while the Saints Row (2022) reboot will be released on February 2022. Expect those games alone to consume a good amount of your Xbox Series console’s storage space. In fact, Forza Horizon 5 requires 103GB on Xbox Series consoles! Think about the future of your video gaming passion when it comes to expanding your current storage space.

In closing this piece, posted below are Xbox-related videos as well as videos of upcoming games for your viewing pleasure.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

Halo Infinite set for December 8, 2021 release, limited edition Xbox Series X console announced

Halo Infinite set for December 8, 2021 release, limited edition Xbox Series X console announced

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As far as Halo Infinite and the 20th anniversary of the Halo franchise are concerned, the Xbox Gamescom 2021 livestream looked more like a warm-up as Team Xbox officially announced during the Gamescom 2021 Opening Night Live event that much-anticipated Halo game will be released worldwide on December 8, 2021. To add more punch to Halo Infinite’s release date, a limited edition Xbox Series X console and a commemorative Xbox Elite controller were also announced. Watch the videos below…

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GameSpot report. Some parts in boldface…

Halo Infinite will finally release on December 8, Microsoft announced as part of the Gamescom Opening Night Live event on Wednesday. The date was no surprise, as it leaked earlier in the day.

The intro cinematic for Halo Infinite’s multiplayer season one was also revealed, along with a special-edition Halo Infinite Xbox Series X console and a special-edition Xbox Elite controller.

Some parts of the Halo community shared their disappointment over a release date in December for being later than they would have wanted. The 20th anniversary of Halo and Xbox is November 15, but there was never any indication or suggestion that Microsoft would launch Halo Infinite on or close to that day to celebrate the milestone.

A release date in December would be the latest ever in the year for a mainline Halo game. Halo: Combat Evolved launched in November 2001, Halo 2 debuted in November 2004, Halo 3 came out in September 2007, and Halo 4 launched in November 2008. Halo 5, which is the latest entry in the mainline series, premiered in October 2015.

It is no secret that 343 Industries is having difficulty completing Halo Infinite which was supposed to have launch in November 2020. The said game will be released this December with the single-player campaign and multiplayer features. The Forge and co-op campaign features will follow later.

While it is a relief for anxious Halo fans that Halo Infinite has a finalized release date, there are still no new updates regarding the single-player campaign nor anything new about the new in-game story Xbox icon Master Chief is involved in. Now that Halo Infinite will be released WEEKS PAST the actual 20th anniversary of the Halo franchise, Team Xbox has limited time to aggressively promote and emphasize the game. Meanwhile, the marketing and promotion of the other Xbox-exclusive Forza Horizon 5 is on high-gear and with no clear obstacles on the way to its November 9, 2021 release.

Halo at 20

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Halo entertainment franchise, Team Xbox will release on November 15, 2021 the limited edition Halo Infinite-themed Xbox Series X console for $549 as well as Halo Infinite Limited Edition Elite Series 2 controller. To put things in perspective, posted below are excerpts from Xbox.com…

The limited edition Halo Infinite-themed Xbox Series X console.

Celebrate Halo’s 20th anniversary and the upcoming launch of Halo Infinite with this custom designed, first-ever Limited Edition Xbox Series X. This design was inspired by the expansive Halo universe and is wrapped with dark metallic paneling accented by iridium gold. Above the armor there is a custom star pattern as seen from the surface of Zeta Halo that extends to the top of the console and onto the fan. Below the stars, the top vent is accented in Cortana-themed blue.  To top it off, the console powers on and off with custom Halo-themed sounds. The controller included in the bundle features a matching design on the front, an iridium gold 20-year mark on the back, as well as side-and-back grips to accommodate all play styles.

Play on our fastest, most powerful console ever and become the hero in Halo Infinite with a downloadable copy of the game included with this bundle. Halo Infinite on Xbox Series X|S boasts up to 4K and 60 frames per second, and Multiplayer Arena supports up to 120 frames per second, advanced 3D Spatial Sound, and more. And, with new features like Quick Resume, Auto HDR, and framerate boosting, the entire catalog of Halo games gets better on next gen.

The Elite Series 2 controller.

Also announced today, we’re excited to get the Halo Infinite Limited Edition Elite Series 2 in your hands. Ready for any mission with a custom design inspired by the Master Chief’s iconic armor, this controller features a battle-worn, matte metallic green with an iridium gold D-pad and comes with an arsenal of swappable components and a custom carrying case emblazoned with the iconic UNSC insignia. For that Spartan-like precision, use the custom thumbstick tension adjustment tool that you can even wear like a dog-tag so you’re always ready to fine-tune your combat experience. When you’re not using your controller, keep it powered up on the laser-etched charging dock or with the custom charging cable. And, when Halo Infinite releases, don’t forget to show off this one-of-a-kind design in multiplayer sessions with an exclusive Halo Elite controller weapon charm only available with the purchase of the Halo Infinite Elite controller.

But there is even more! Team Xbox also announced the Halo Infinite Edition Razer Kaira Pro headset as well as the Halo Infinite Special Edition Seagate Game Drives for Xbox! The Seagate-made game drives (mobile hard disk drives) are priced at $99.99 for 2 terabytes and $159.99 for 5 terabytes!

The headset.
The portable drives from Seagate.

On the commercial side, Team Xbox is moving on high-gear promoting Halo’s 20th anniversary with the above products. Their true challenge remaining is ensuring that Halo Infinite will be a great game for release. Any new updates about the game and how it will turn out upon release will be seen.

In ending this piece, here are some Xbox-related videos for your enjoyment.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com