Forget Series S: $220 Seagate Plug-in SSD Proves Xbox Series X is Value

• New pre-order listing on Best Buy for Seagate’s Xbox Series S/X confirms $220 price tag.
• For those requiring additional storage, the Series X packs far more value than the Series S despite the higher-priced point of entry.
• Third-party SSD costs are likely to fall over time as other manufacturers jump into the fray.

Confirming rumors that emerged earlier this month, we now have a firm nod that the Xbox Series S/X 1 TB expansion card will cost a whopping $220. A new listing to pre-order the Seagate-manufactured expandable storage went up overnight at Best Buy , accompanied by the steep price tag.

As it stands, Seagate’s SSD is the only option available to expand the storage of the Series S/X, leaving future owners with no choice but to take the hit if they need to expand the Series S/X storage. Microsoft hasn’t clarified whether more models from other manufacturers and a more extensive selection of sizes are part of its plans, but for launch, that’s all we’re getting.

More Value In Buying a Series X

In the Series S case, abandoning the expansion card altogether and opting for a Series X is looking like a far better, value-packed course of action.

Let’s look at the numbers. The Series S features a 512GB internal SSD, while the Series X ups the count to 1TB. Say, we pick up a Series S for $300 and a Seagate SSD for $220, bringing the total to $520, we’d be paying $20 more than a full-fat $499 Xbox Series X.

Yes, storage ticks up to 1.5TB in the Series S-SSD combo, but on a console considerably under-powered compared to the Series X. That extra 500 GB, as useful as it may be, isn’t worth the price of a much better machine. You’re better off saving $20, buying a higher-spec Series X, then paying considerably less for an external HDD for cold storage and swapping out games onto the pretty generously-sized 1 TB internal SSD as and when required.

It’s not the most eloquent solution for sure, but Microsoft’s pricing means there’s little incentive to go down the Series S-expansion card route. Even the Series S’s budget-friendly appeal loses much of its luster in this instance.

Prices Will Go Down, Eventually

It’s worth noting that Gen 4.0 PCIe NVMe SSD technology at the speeds offered by the next-gen consoles is still in its relative infancy, and, over time, costs will naturally fall off as manufacturers perfect production and the forces of competition come into effect.

Nevertheless, for the time being, as much as it may be reflective of the cutting-edge tech at hand, $220 is hard to stomach even for enthusiasts and one that plays into the Xbox Series X’s long-term value when pitted against its less powerful sibling.