Here's how scalable storage works on the Xbox Series X

For scalable storage on the Xbox Series X, Microsoft wants to adapt as much as possible.

As part of today's big business Xbox Series X Information blown out, Microsoft revealed the full specifications of the console. In addition to these, we also received confirmation on how to accurately expand the console storage space.

Microsoft revealed in a blog post that the mysterious port on the back of the device is indeed used for scalable storage. This port matches the speed of the 1TB NVMe SSD inside the console.

Microsoft first introduced a custom 1TB drive it created using Seagate, which is located in a neat expansion card that plugs into the port. Of course, there is another SSD, which will be used with internal drives to store the next generation of games.

However, there is another way for Xbox Series X owners to expand system storage, and that is through more common USB 3.2 external drives, such as those used on the Xbox One today. This particular option is for previous-generation games; therefore the Xbox One, Xbox 360, and the original Xbox games that are compatible with the Xbox Series X.

Microsoft recommends installing native Xbox Series X games on internal drives or expandable SSD slots, the next generation of games. Considering the huge speed difference, this makes sense, but the first wave of games is likely to work well on USDB 3.2 storage. Interestingly, if we consider the speed of the SSD, we will step into the next generation before installing the game on any other device.

Regardless, storage upgrades are a big deal for Microsoft on the Xbox X. Among other things, they allow the console to suspend and resume at least three games simultaneously at once.