Latest XBOX360 patch enables USB memory sticks!

[Wolfiesden]

For those who may not be aware, the recent dashboard patch has enabled use of standard USB memory sticks as storage devices, up to 16gig! Whats even more amazing is that you DO NOT need a Microsoft branded USB stick, though you can if you wish. You can either format the whole stick or allocate a specific amount to use for the XBOX. If you do a full format, you can't use the stick on a PC. If you allocate a portion, the stick can be used both with PCs and the XBOX.

Last night I verified it with my 8gig Patriot. I chose to allocate 2gig to the XBOX as a test. It made a folder off the root, leaving all the existing PC content on the stick. I was able to transfer some save games from my XBOX to the stick using the dashboard copy feature and carry them over to another XBOX and play them. I tried saves from A Kingdom for Keflings, Final Fantasy 13, Fable 2, Fallout 3, and Oblivion. Of them, only Fable 2 refused to allow me to copy the save to the USB stick, all the others went just fine.

In most of the games, they offer a selector to choose your storage device. In all cases I tried (above listed games) the USB stick showed up in the dialog below the XBOX hard drive and I was able to load the saves directly from the USB without having to copy them to the XBOX first.

According to what I read, you can use sticks over 16gig in size but you can only use up to 16gig of them for XBOX use. You can also use up to 2 sticks at the same time, adding a total of 32gig of storage to your XBOX. Obviouslly, its going to be slower than the hard drive but it is clearly an option for those of us with multiple XBOXs or who travel and wish to take our save games with us.

 

[Icecoldcynic]

There has already been a news post on this.

 

[T 980]

I was extremely happy when I got this update. Since I moved everything I had onto my usb drive, I can now copy two games onto my HD. I have the small 20 gig hard drive so getting two games on there is a huge leap for me without spending any money.

 

[Wolfiesden]

I was extremely happy when I got this update. Since I moved everything I had onto my usb drive, I can now copy two games onto my HD. I have the small 20 gig hard drive so getting two games on there is a huge leap for me without spending any money.

I had not thought about the small hard drive issue. I have an elite (120g) and a standard (60gig) console so space was never an issue really. I was more gleening over the transportability of profiles and save games from console to console either in the same household or, say, if you visit a friend.

The fact that you can buy a 16gig or larger thumb drive for the price of a 512mb XBOX memory card makes this update all that better! Even if you buy a microsoft USB stick, you are still going to be ahead over buying a xbox memory card. Still, at $69.99 for the Microsoft 16gig stick, that is at least double what you can buy a 16gig stick from Tiger Direct or other retailer.

 

[Flour]

Don't really need the storage because I have a 120GB elite. But it would be nice if this update fixed problems I have with my 360 nearly crashing when I try to play certain songs.

 

[Wolfiesden]

Don't really need the storage because I have a 120GB elite. But it would be nice if this update fixed problems I have with my 360 nearly crashing when I try to play certain songs.

I am thinking "Game Backup" as well as transportability of the saves. Your save games are probably the most costly thing on that drive, at least in terms of time. I already ordered 2 16gig sticks to copy off the game saves in case the box RRDs or the hd fails.

 

[Jinxzy]

They should have done this a long time ago but it's cool that it finally happened.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

Little behind, huh?

Yeah. I was about to spend a ton to get a new hard drive to upgrade from my 20 GB. Now, I can just get stick!

 

[tiredinnuendo]

I have a question about porting savegames.

Are they profile specific? For instance, I have a fighting game where I've unlocked all the crap. I'd rather send a copy to some friends so they can have the unlocks as well and we can enjoy the game together, rather than telling them to spend hours on end unlocking everything before they play with me.

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't work, but hey, can't hurt to ask.

- J

 

[demoman_chaos]

So it has to be formatted for use by the 360 meaning the space is no longer usable on a PC? Tis a step in the right direction, but it would be better if you didn't have to format it and the space could be used for PC files (doesn't make sense that it can't, since the 360 is using a modified version of Windows and enabling NTFS support would be easier than creating its own file system and format tools).

SONY FANBOISM AHEAD:
The PS3 can use any USB drive without the need of a special format, so the 360 is still lacking. It also uses standard laptop hard drives instead of specifically designed ones like the 360. So upping internal storage to the terabyte range is possible with Sony. That and certain PS3's have SD card slots as well, so the 360 can't ever rival the PS3 is potential storage.
Sony does what Microsoft and Nintendon't.
END SONY FANBOISM

 

[Varun Garuda Maharaj]

WE NEED A PATCH!!!! WTF? WHY IS MICROSOFT DOING THIS TO US?!!!!

 

[Flour]

Don't really need the storage because I have a 120GB elite. But it would be nice if this update fixed problems I have with my 360 nearly crashing when I try to play certain songs.

I am thinking "Game Backup" as well as transportability of the saves. Your save games are probably the most costly thing on that drive, at least in terms of time.

With a 120GB HD I have installed all my games, require no additional storage space and I certainly would never use a USB stick for anything other than PC backup/storage. The fact that it is possible to play music from the USB stick is a pure bonus, but that doesn't work for every mp3, with the ones that don't work locking the 360 for about 10 minutes.

 

[Wolfiesden]

I have a question about porting savegames.

Are they profile specific?

>snip<

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't work, but hey, can't hurt to ask.

- J

It won't. The games/saves are profile specific. This is not unexpected.

So it has to be formatted for use by the 360 meaning the space is no longer usable on a PC? Tis a step in the right direction, but it would be better if you didn't have to format it and the space could be used for PC files (doesn't make sense that it can't, since the 360 is using a modified version of Windows and enabling NTFS support would be easier than creating its own file system and format tools).

SONY FANBOISM AHEAD:
The PS3 can use any USB drive without the need of a special format, so the 360 is still lacking. It also uses standard laptop hard drives instead of specifically designed ones like the 360. So upping internal storage to the terabyte range is possible with Sony. That and certain PS3's have SD card slots as well, so the 360 can't ever rival the PS3 is potential storage.
Sony does what Microsoft and Nintendon't.
END SONY FANBOISM

You can leave the fanboy at home. The USB doesn't need a special format, you can allocate a specific amount and it will make files in a folder and the stick remains usable on the PC (and probably the PS3 too). You CAN format it specifically for the XBOX but you don't have to. The files it makes are some sort of binary file system. Mine made 2 1gig files and a 500k set of files. This is likely to take care of FAT32 file limits. The saves are stored internal to these files. I am quite sure it won't be long till someone comes up with utilities to extract/read these on a PC.

I agree that each console does some things better than others so lets keep this on track and not turn it into a Console vs Console troll war.

 

[demoman_chaos]

The USB doesn't need a special format, you can allocate a specific amount and it will make files in a folder and the stick remains usable on the PC (and probably the PS3 too). You CAN format it specifically for the XBOX but you don't have to. The files it makes are some sort of binary file system. Mine made 2 1gig files and a 500k set of files. This is likely to take care of FAT32 file limits. The saves are stored internal to these files. I am quite sure it won't be long till someone comes up with utilities to extract/read these on a PC.

I agree that each console does some things better than others so lets keep this on track and not turn it into a Console vs Console troll war.

I was thinking it needed to create its own partition on the USB drive (if you do dual-booting on a PC, you know that each partition can't see the other so my 250 gb hard drive is only 200 to Windows and 50 for Linux (though Linux does see and can read the 200 gb Windows partition, Windows can't see the Linux one). So it creates special files and the saves are stored in said file, somewhat like a.zip or .rar archive.
My mistake, but still a bit awkward compared to the PS3's method.

 

[Sleekgiant]

Oh goodie, now I shall never upgrade my HD *runs off to buy stick*

 

[xHipaboo420x]

Didn't this already happen? I've been watching films on the Xbox from a memory stick for a while.

 

[Wolfiesden]

Didn't this already happen? I've been watching films on the Xbox from a memory stick for a while.

Yes, you probably have. What you have NOT been doing is saving save games and profiles to a USB stick. In the past the only option for moving save games was a branded XBOX memory unit (512mb max). Now you have the option of using up to 16gig of a USB memory stick for your profile and game saves. This means you don't need to snap off your HD to take to a friend's hous to have your saves. And in a shocking turn, Microsoft didn't lock it to a Microsoft USB stick, they allow saves to a standard USB stick you can buy off the shelf at Walmart or any other store.

 

[Wolfiesden]

I was thinking it needed to create its own partition on the USB drive

Nope

So it creates special files and the saves are stored in said file, somewhat like a.zip or .rar archive.

Yep

My mistake, but still a bit awkward compared to the PS3's method.

Well, I don't know how the PS3 puts save games on a stick, I don't own one so I can't speak directly to that but as to being awkward, I don't think so really. The OS (xbox) takes care of partitioning the files on the thumb drive, breaking them at the 1gig barrier to prevent large file issues with FAT32 formatted sticks. Games themselves simply see the stick as another HD so none of them needed patching to handle the USB stick as the OS takes care of all the I/O. I also think MS did it as a prevention measure to slow down game save hacks. It won't stop it I don't think but I believe thats their logic. As for awkward, no, I think it works quite well and keeps the root folder of your thumb drive clean and neat.

 

[Wolfiesden]

And was I the only one whose jaw dropped to the floor upon Micro$oft doing something to actually SAVE people money?

No, I thought I was going to faint when I found out it worked with non-Microsoft USB sticks.