250GB hard disk for Xbox 360 on horizon

 

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Posted on 4 Feb 2010 at 11:04

A new, larger Xbox 360 hard disk now looks certain for release in the UK. At present the biggest hard disk available to buy standalone for the console is a piddling 120GB. A 250GB disk had been announced in Japan, but Microsoft claimed there was no planned release in other territories. Today, though, the company announced a £20 cut in price for the 120GB disk 'while stocks last', strongly suggesting that the 250GB disk will be released shortly.

Storage limitations have become an issue for many Xbox 360 owners. Larger disks are becoming essential, allowing users to store more media files locally, install games to the hard disk to speed up load times and reduce noise from the optical drive, plus they provide space for HD movie downloads.

250GB hard disks have been seen before, but these were only available in the limited edition Forza Motorsport 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 console bundles. This left current 360 owners, particularly those with 60GB hard disks, without an attractive upgrade option.

The hard disk storage on Microsoft's Xbox 360 console has always lagged behind what could be considered modern – after all you can still buy an Xbox 360 with a 20GB hard disk – a fact that leaves us puzzled as to where the company gets stock of such tiny old disks. The prices have been astronomical too, given that these are simply laptop hard disks in basic plastic enclosures. Even with the price cut, a 120GB hard disk still costs £80; by comparison, you could buy a 500GB external USB hard disk for the same money.

Author: Seth Barton