re: Xbox raising prices, sunsetting 2TB version

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Don't be a pedant.

It's required if you want to add storage. For PlayStation, you just need an M.2 NVMe SSD.

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No, it isn't. It's only required if you want to add SSD storage, which from what I can tell is only a plus if you want to keep a lot of games stored "locally" for easy access. I simply move my games to an external hard drive when I'm not actively playing them. I don't see the appeal or benefit of an SSD card at all.

With the internal 1 TB hard drive I can usually have about 6 games at hand at any given time without needing to move anything back and forth. I don't understand the need for more than that.

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The reason why it's a whiff is because if a gamer wanted to add SSD storage for Xbox they had to buy a very expensive proprietary SSD expansion card, whereas Sony allows you to use any M.2 NVMe SSD (which were significantly cheaper than the Xbox cards).

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I remember this being something people mentioned at the time, but never really looked into it because I honestly have no interest in SSD expansion cards.

That said, is this still the case? I tried to find Playstation-compatible SSD cards on Amazon that are cheaper than the XBox-branded cards, and I'm not finding them. Best comparison I can find is maybe $10 cheaper than an XBox branded version for the same amount of memory. I can find much cheaper Playstation-compatible ones if I want to go down to like 500 GB instead of 1 TB, but not if I'm comparing 1 TB to 1 TB.

I used "M.2 NVMe SSD" from your post for my search, as well as "playstation SSD," but admittedly didn't spend a ton of time looking for this. Just curious to see what the price difference is that we're talking about here. The price difference I saw would be difficult for me to believe is enough for someone to make a console decision.

I saw someone posted Xbox one was at $140 at this point in the same life cycle. Crazy to pay these prices for 6 year old system.

At some point consumers stop paying this right?

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I remember this being something people mentioned at the time, but never really looked into it because I honestly have no interest in SSD expansion cards.

That said, is this still the case? I tried to find Playstation-compatible SSD cards on Amazon that are cheaper than the XBox-branded cards, and I'm not finding them. Best comparison I can find is maybe $10 cheaper than an XBox branded version for the same amount of memory. I can find much cheaper Playstation-compatible ones if I want to go down to like 500 GB instead of 1 TB, but not if I'm comparing 1 TB to 1 TB.

I used "M.2 NVMe SSD" from your post for my search, as well as "playstation SSD," but admittedly didn't spend a ton of time looking for this. Just curious to see what the price difference is that we're talking about here. The price difference I saw would be difficult for me to believe is enough for someone to make a console decision.

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PS5 has slot for a M.2 NVME SSD. It slots in exactly like you would slot one in on the motherboard of a PC. Can be used for a vast amount of hardware.



Xbox Series does not have such a slot. They opted for a proprietary option that resembles a PS2 memory card that just slots in for convenience and ease of use.





The 1TB Xbox card retails for $199.99. A good 1TB SSD like the one I pictured above had an average cost of $70-80 until the last 8-9 months or so when the market shifted. You get budget options for $40-50. That same Samsung 990 SSD is now $219.99 on Amazon, which explains why didn't see a big price difference when you searched. The reason the Xbox card hasn't seen a commensurate increase in price is because it's proprietary - it can only be used for the Xbox and nothing else. Data centers are not trying to gobble them up.

So for the first 5 years or so, people were rightfully upset about the prospect of paying over double price for a worse product with less applications. But now the proprietary nature of the Xbox option has kinda insulated it from price increases. For the same price I'd still much rather have an M.2 NVME because I could always repurpose it into an extra PC drive, drop it in an enclosure for an external SSD, etc etc


These component price increases are insane. Just for reference from when I built my latest PC in 2024:

Primary drive: Samsung 9100 Pro 4TB SSD. I paid $369.99, it's now $799.99
Secondary drive: Samsung 990 Pro 2TB SSD (secondary drive). I paid $169.99, it's now $369.99
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 64GB (2x32). I paid $209.99. it's now $929.99

I also built my own external SSD by dropped a M.2 into an enclosure. Western Digital Black 4TB SSD. I paid $269.99, it's now $695

Insanity

Xbox is going to be an app on TVs at some point and all cloud gaming. If Helix ever sees the light of day, I’m betting it will be their last physical console

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The 1TB Xbox card retails for $199.99.

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Is this one on Amazon the wrong one? It's showing for only $150. LINK

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A good 1TB SSD like the one I pictured above had an average cost of $70-80 until the last 8-9 months or so when the market shifted. You get budget options for $40-50. That same Samsung 990 SSD is now $219.99 on Amazon

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I'm not seeing anything under $200 for 1TB other than the XBox exclusive one. Seems like XBox's decision made it a better option for console gamers long-term. Seems like they made a good choice.

I think this is more of a planned thing.

Everything soon will become too expensive to buy outright.

These companies want to cell phone model to guarantee income.

3 year rent to own, pay for online access, and digital only games you never truly own.

This is purposeful.

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If they expect "another doubling" of console storage and memory prices by Fall 2027, PS6 and Helix are easily going to be $1000+. The question is, how high will they go? $1,250? $1,500?

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That would effectively price themselves out of the market. PC will piss on their ashes. The main reason people traditionally bought consoles were cost and usability. You can build a capable pc for $1200 even now.

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That would effectively price themselves out of the market. PC will piss on their ashes. The main reason people traditionally bought consoles were cost and usability. You can build a capable pc for $1200 even now.

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Helix will play PC games.