1020°

Xbox One teardown reveals replaceable hard drive, off-the-shelf parts

While you're inside the Xbox One, you may also notice the amount of easy to replace, standard hardware. It's true: 64 mm Torx screws hold the Xbox One's internals together and a SATA data connector pairs the Blu-ray/DVD drive to the motherboard.

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engadget.com
ELpork3806d ago

Glad to hear Msoft doing something cool with HDD's for once.

VoiceMale3806d ago

Yea sounds cool to me alright

ZodTheRipper3806d ago

Except that it's not confirmed to work in the end. And don't forget that you'll lose your warranty if you do it.

nveenio3806d ago

Yeah, you'd have to have a way to transfer the OS from the original drive to the new one (if that's where it's stored, that is). I would imagine it doesn't work to swap. More likely, Microsoft made it easy to replace at their repair/replace facility in case of failure.

P0werVR3806d ago

Not confirmed. But boy did they make the Xbox One really accessible. No adhesive warranty on the box it'self except for the HDD....hmmmm, pretty interesting.

Oner3806d ago (Edited 3806d ago )

LMFAO! For a long time there were a couple of people here on N4G talking all this BS about how the PS4 was/is built with off the shelf parts and yet Engadget here specifically states that about the XB1 but NOT about the PS4.

Where you at now?

frostypants3806d ago

@Oner, you don't know what you're talking about. The issue is actually being able to replace the drive and make it work.

UltimateMaster3806d ago (Edited 3806d ago )

Nah, it won't work.
It's just like the Xbox 360, the first models you can't upgrade the HDD, then later down the road they'll give you the capacity, but you'll need to buy their overpriced models of HDDs.

Only Microsoft can format the HDDs and if you open your Xbox One you automatically void your warranty.

Anon19743806d ago

The warranty question was my main concern reading this if it actually worked.

darthv723806d ago

So what is that extra 8GB of NAND flash memory for?

Sarcasm3806d ago

I'm going to make an estimate that the system costs around $240 to build. Cheap components everywhere. Ugh.

scott1823806d ago

This makes me love how easily you can swap HDD's on the ps4, no hassle.

Delive3806d ago

Does this mean ms has no plans to increase the hdd storage in the system (like the 360 with the replacement drives), but instead opting for allowing you to increase storage by way of external drives only? If so, thats good that you will not have to overpay for disk space. Not sure which take is better. External usb or replaceable internal disk?

CarlosX3603805d ago

"Off the shelf parts" sounds like they're back to where they started: Original Xbox, it's like they never learned from the original Xbox in the first place!

BBBirdistheWord3805d ago (Edited 3805d ago )

omg @ oner

wtf dude. They are talking about user replaceable standard hdd, torx screws and sataII adapter that are off the shelf.

I didn't see anything at all in the story about off the shelf APU, audio or gpgpu, which is what was correctly pointed out about the ps4 components.

Can't believe you made a big deal out of standard torx screws.

Do try to relax.

SilentNegotiator3805d ago

And all you have to do is simply void the warranty. "Cool" indeed.

/s

At least they can replace a broken one easily.

+ Show (14) more repliesLast reply 3805d ago
Eonjay3806d ago (Edited 3806d ago )

Has anyone actually tried to replace the drive. Is there some sort of encryption on the internal HDD that makes it compatible with Xbox. There is a reason why they insist that its non removable - even though it is removable.

Edit:
It seems that you have to pry the system open and locate the drive underneath other components, including a WiFi antennae. This may make it difficult to access the drive and inexperienced modders may incur damage to their systems; thus Microsoft saw fit to void the warranty.

kneon3806d ago

It may look like a standard HDD but for all we know it may have modified firmware to prevent people from plugging in just any old hard drive.

Even if you are willing to void your warranty I'd wait until some other sucker tries it first and proves whether you can upgrade the drive.

bligmerk3806d ago

Microsoft already said during the Wired teardown that the hard drive is not consumer replaceable. They require the unit be returned for any hard drive repair and it isn't designed to be replaced with any generic hard drive. It's going to be encrypted. Notice the connector is not a simple SATA connector, it is a module. Something going on in that.

FITgamer3806d ago (Edited 3806d ago )

I'm sure they have some kind of encryption to prevent swapping the internal HDD. Knowing Microsoft the only supported external HDD will be Xbox One branded at ridiculously inflated prices.

Alsybub3806d ago (Edited 3806d ago )

If it's anything like the 360 then you would need to get a model of drive that has been used in a One and then install the firmware cloned from one of these drives.

So, if you wanted a 1TB drive a 1TB One would need to already exist in order to clone the firmware, partitioning and formatting.

That is precisely what I did to get a 120GB drive for my 20GB launch 360. While I could have purchased an official drive I much preferred spending a quarter of the price on a drive I already knew was used in the official drive housing.

malokevi3806d ago (Edited 3806d ago )

I wouldn't replace it until someone else tried. Even then, I PERSONALLY wouldn't replace it, anyways. I'm just going to go the external HDD route.

I used to mod my original Xbox, and you could get banned if you logged into Xbox Live with modded hardware. You can be sure that MS has protocols in place to ensure that the stock hardware remains untouched.

Though, modders always find a way around these things. Only a matter of time!

nukeitall3806d ago

@FITgamer:

MS already stated that any external hard drive will work via USB.

Hozi3806d ago (Edited 3806d ago )

That is very stupid, don't you think? Why would M$ LIMIT the amount of storage we can hold when all next gen games are huge and will fill up 300GB, 500GB with the help of media?(movies) in no time

Here are the launch games' install sizes:

Angry Birds Star Wars: 1.81 GB
Assassin’s Creed 4: 20.25GB
Battlefield 4: 33.66GB
Battlefield 4 Premium: 8.18MB
Call of Duty: Ghosts: 39.5GB
Crimson Dragon: 6.88GB –
Dead Rising 3: 19.9GB
Dead Rising 3: Day One Premium Edition: no size
FIFA 14: 8.7GB
Fighter Within: 9.22 GB
Forza 5: 31.76 GB
Just Dance 2014: 22.97GB
Killer Instinct: 3.25GB
Killer Instinct Ultra Edition: 3.25GB + 7.51MB
Kinect Sports Rivals Preseason: 3.09GB
Lego Marvel Super Heroes: 6.48GB
LocoCyle: 13.17GB
Madden NFL 25: 12.51GB
NBA 2K14: 43.14GB
NBA Live 14: 9GB
Need for Speed: Rivals: 15.35GB
Powerstar Golf: 3.92GB
Ryse: 34.94GB
Skylanders Swap Force: 15.72GB
Xbox Fitness: 252.13MB
Zoo Tycoon: 2.62 GB
Zumba Fitness World Party: 24.14GB

esemce3806d ago

The Xbone probably still uses a hard drive with the fatx format and unique firmware.

Yes the HDD is just a standard SATA hardrive but it has been modified by MS and will not work in a PC nor a PC drive work in the Xbone (without modifiying/hacking).

Not only will you void your warranty but you could risk getting your console banned.

I had one of my 360's banned from live when my DVD drive died and before I replaced it I played on live without it plugged in to the motherboard. I guess MS assumed It was something to do with piracy anyway it gave a error code and was flagged by ms and banned.

You have been warned.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 3806d ago
nypifisel3806d ago

Huh? Seems like a hassle to replace it and you void your warranty, easier on my PC.

Killa783806d ago

If you buy a pre-built pc, changing the internals voids your warranty anyway.

But still, easier to change on pc even though I don't understand why it's a valid comparison.

3806d ago
Soldierone3806d ago

@killa, not if your are certified to work on computers :P

nypifisel3806d ago

It's a valid comparison cause one of the main points of consoles (apparently) is the ease of use. I'm a PC guy and don't really get that having build PCs since the 90s but ye. So it's very much valid.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3806d ago
jacksons983806d ago

Cool until they find out you changed it and ban your console.

assdan3806d ago

How is it cool that a very simple (and cheap) addition would have made the drive removable, but they chose not to do it?

RjK311jR3806d ago

Most likely phase 2 xbox 1's probably will have replaceable drives hell we'd rebut the new system too and they know it... Give it a lil time like 1.5 yrs new thinner, standing, and maybe just maybe $50 price cut

assdan3805d ago

Yeah, and that makes me more mad. It would be a ploy to get people to rebuy something they already own.

SL1M DADDY3806d ago

Cool how? That they used off the shelf items or that they put the HDD in a place that you would have to void your warranty out and remove internals to get to it? Do they have a program built into the console so that you can swap out the drive without losing any of the OS or data saved from your games? Doesn't sound that cool if you ask me...

NeloAnjelo3806d ago

Not recommend by MS though... And prob voids your warranty, unlike the competition.

ziggurcat3806d ago

@ ELpork:

not sure how "cool" it is to have a normal, readily available HDD installed in the console, and not be allowed to upgrade it if you wanted unless you really wanted to void your warranty.

ELpork3806d ago

RIGHT! Forgot, I can't be even remotely positive on this site.

FamilyGuy3806d ago

It sounds cheap actually, off the shelf parts = them paying a really low price from buying in bulk. This tells me 2 things:
1. You can service your own X1 if it's faulty, that's kinda cool.
2. The X1 is even more overpriced than originally assumed.

Godmars2903806d ago

Did you miss the part where you have to break warranty to switch out the HDD?

tagan8tr3806d ago

@oner that was awesome bubble up sir..

trancefreak3806d ago

I wonder if a noctua fan would fit in there. I don't know the dimensions but it looks like a 90mm to 120mm CPU-GPU heatsink fan.

Would be nice if it is easy to clone the original drive and swap it with a larger or faster drive.

+ Show (10) more repliesLast reply 3805d ago
AlexanderNevermind3806d ago

Is there anyone willing to void the warranty and swap out the hdd?

GentlemenRUs3806d ago (Edited 3806d ago )

That's the catch!

E.G. Buy our OFFICIAL HDD's or face voiding the warranty! *evil laughs followed by middle finger*

Mr-Dude3806d ago

Yeah, that was my question also... The X1 has no slide like the PS4, so you have to open it up, wich will void the warrenty...

forcefullpower3806d ago (Edited 3806d ago )

Thats even if you are able to change the drive at all. As you may not be able replicate the drive or reinstall the firmware as its tied to the HDD serial number which I wouldn't be surprised.

Killa783806d ago

Wouldn't every xbox need to be opened to change the HDD regardless of whether you purchased it from Microsoft or not?

GentlemenRUs3806d ago

Guess they make you use one of the USB slots for an Official HDD.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 3806d ago
Belking3806d ago

lol..i would hardly call that a tear down.

rdgneoz33806d ago

It's like a preview of a review. They're dissecting the system right now, but wanting to bring a few interesting notes to people's attention.

gazgriff2k123806d ago

OFF THE SHELF LOL (build ya own xbone)

ELCUCO3806d ago

That's definitely voiding warranty

BG115793806d ago

As they say, change the hdd at your own risk.

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Bethesda Needs to Reduce the Gaps Between New Fallout and Elder Scrolls Releases

Waiting a decade for new instalments in franchises as massive as Fallout and Elder Scrolls feels like a waste.

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gamingbolt.com
-Foxtrot10h ago

Microsoft have Obsidian but I feel it's Bethesda who just don't want to play ball as they've always said they want to do it themselves.

Once MS bought Zenimax in 2020 they should have put the Outer Worlds 2 on the back burner, allow Bethesda to finish off its own Space RPG with Starfield (despite totally different tone why have two in your first party portfolio with two developers who's gameplay is a tad similar) and got Obsidian for one of their projects to make a spiritual successor to New Vegas.

When the Elder Scrolls VI is finished Bethesda can then onto the main numbered Fallout 5 themselves.

The Outer Worlds 2 started development in 2019 so putting it on the back burner wouldn't have been the end of the world, they'd have always come back to it once Fallout was done and it would have been nicely spaced out from Starfields release once they had most likely stopped supporting it and all the expansions were released.

If they did this back in 2020 when they bought Zenimax and the game had a good, steady 4 - 5 years development, you might have seen it release in 2025.

We are literally going to be waiting until 2030 at the very earliest for Fallout 5 and all they seem bothered about is pushing Fallout 76.

RaidenBlack8h ago(Edited 8h ago)

Its not just only Todd not playing ball.
Obsidian have made a name for themselves in delivering stellar RPGs, but most famous once have always been sequels/spin-offs to borrowed IPs like KOTOR 2, Neverwinter Nights 2, Fallout: New Vegas, Stick of Truth etc.
Obsidian wants to invest more in their own original IPs like Outer Worlds or Pillars of Eternity with Avowed.
Similar to what Bluepoint & inXile wants to do or Kojima is doing (i.e not involving anymore in Konami's IPs).
So yea, even if New Vegas has the most votes from 3D Fallout fans, Obsidian just wants to do their own thing, like any aspiring dev studio and MS is likely currently respecting that.
But a future Fallout game from Obsidian will surely happen. Founder Feargus Urquhart has already stated an year ago that they're eager to make a new Fallout game with Bethesda, New Vegas 2 or otherwise. Urquhart was the director of the very first 1995's Fallout game after all.
And don't forget Brian Fargo and his studio inXile, as Brian Fargo was the director of Fallout's 1988 predecessor: Wasteland

KyRo4h ago(Edited 4h ago)

Obsidian should take over the FO IP. They're do far better with it than Bethesda who hasn't made a great game for almost 15 years

Duke194h ago(Edited 4h ago)

I disagree. Part of these games is the support for the mod community. If they move to releasing a "next game" every 2 or 3 years, the modding support plummets and the franchises turn into just another run of the mill RPG.

Make the games good enough to withstand the test of time, to keep people coming back to them and expanding on them with mod support.

--Onilink--1h ago(Edited 1h ago)

I dont think anyone is saying they need to come out every 2 years (not to mention almost no game is released that quickly anymore)

By the time Fallout 5 comes out, it will be more than 15 years since Fallout 4 came out (same with ES6 coming out 15 years after Skyrim). Even if you want to use F76 as the metric for the most recent release, that one came out in 2018. It will be a miracle if F5 comes out before 2030

The point is that for a studio that doesnt seem to operate with multiple teams doing several projects at once, that their projects normally take 4-5 years as a minimum, and that now they even added Starfield to the rotation, it becomes a 15+ years waiting period between releases for each series, which doesnt make sense. Imagine that Nintendo only released a mainline Mario or Zelda game every 15 years…

They either need to start developing more than 1 project at a time, let someone else take a crack at one of the IPs or significantly reduce their development times

Duke1919m ago(Edited 16m ago)

Why should someone else take a crack at one of the IPs? Look at what happened to Final Fantasy as a recent example - there is pretty clear FF fatigue setting in because they are now pumping out titles in the franchise every few years. Pumping out more games faster doesn't always make a series better.

There are plenty of options to make new games, not just create more titles in the same universe at a faster pace.

mandf1h ago

Yeah I’m going to say it, who cares about the modding community when making a game? Half the time developers only tolerate modders because they fix there game for them.

Skuletor3h ago

Yeah, let's all advocate for smaller gaps between series' releases, then we'll probably get headlines about how the series have dropped in quality and they could have benefited from more time in the oven. Let them cook.

SimpleSlave2h ago

"how the series have dropped in quality and they could have benefited from more time in the oven" So every Bethesda game then? Got it.

Listen, I would agree if this was about From Software or something, but Bethesda?

🤣

C'mon now. What timeline are you from?

Skuletor13m ago

Think about it, they're already bug filled messes on their current schedule, can you imagine how much worse it would be if they rushed things?

Duke1918m ago

I mean you aren't wrong. People are going to complain about anything

isarai2h ago

Hows about you focus on quality, just a thought 🤷‍♂️

Sciurus_vulgaris1h ago

Bethesda [or Microsoft] would have to reallocate internal and external studios towards fallout and elder scrolls titles. Bethesda has the issue of developing 2 big IPs that are large RPGs on rotation. If you want more Fallout and Elder Scrolls, development will have to be outsourced.

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