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Thread: Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

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    Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

    Meanwhile, Sony has published an official landing page for the PlayStation 5.
    Read more.

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    Re: Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

    Interesting, seems logical given that Thunderbolt/PCIE based USB4 isnt going to be ready in time so this external PCIE format is the next best substitute.

    Only one slot though isn't much two would be better.

    Also they really should replace the USB ports with type c ones.

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    Re: Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

    Quote Originally Posted by Kato-2 View Post
    Also they really should replace the USB ports with type c ones.
    Honestly, I don't think should.. it's STILL too early for type-c - especially for a "replacement" as opposed to in addition to. I work at a tech company, avid gamer etc etc. and I STILL haven't seen a single Type-C device out in the wild. Phones being the exception of course... but they come with a cable with a standard connector on the other end.

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    Re: Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

    If you have USB do you really need another storage connector?

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    Re: Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

    I do love how people keep speculating over the sockets when it says in great big letters that this is a prototype and prototypes can change a LOT before actual release.

    Hell even MS have come out and said that this image, while real, isn't how it's coming out... although obviously we'll have to wait and see if they're telling the truth about that.

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    Re: Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

    Quote Originally Posted by Luke7 View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Kato-2 View Post
    Also they really should replace the USB ports with type c ones.
    I work at a tech company, avid gamer etc etc. and I STILL haven't seen a single Type-C device out in the wild. Phones being the exception of course... but they come with a cable with a standard connector on the other end.

    External SSDs with USB-C connectors are becoming increasingly popular, as they can then break past the data transfer rate limits of USB 3.0 (Sandisk, Samsung, Lacie, Transcend, Western Digital, Seagate and many others have products in this category).

    I'd personally prefer USB-C to proprietary options for fast storage on a console, as there's more scope to shop around for a good deal.

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    Re: Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

    Quote Originally Posted by KultiVator View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Luke7 View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Kato-2 View Post
    Also they really should replace the USB ports with type c ones.
    I work at a tech company, avid gamer etc etc. and I STILL haven't seen a single Type-C device out in the wild. Phones being the exception of course... but they come with a cable with a standard connector on the other end.
    External SSDs with USB-C connectors are becoming increasingly popular, as they can then break past the data transfer rate limits of USB 3.0 (Sandisk, Samsung, Lacie, Transcend, Western Digital, Seagate and many others have products in this category).

    I'd personally prefer USB-C to proprietary options for fast storage on a console, as there's more scope to shop around for a good deal.
    I know, but the post I was replying seemed to suggest Type-C only. And yeah, I know they're are "increasingly popular" (which is a good thing, I like them too) but they are still a hell of a long way off from becoming anything close to as common, nevermind replacing standard connectors entirely.

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    Re: Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

    Quote Originally Posted by [GSV]Trig View Post
    If you have USB do you really need another storage connector?
    Some form of NVMe expansion is the obvious way forward.

    Properly plugging an NVMe card in requires access to the PCB and a really small screwdriver, so that wouldn't happen. But some sort of bay with a passive (ie cheap) PCIe to M.2 adapter PCB would allow a really fast storage brick that uses the technology that is currently going down in price. CFExpress is pretty much just that, so seems a good call.

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    Re: Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

    Quote Originally Posted by Luke7 View Post
    I work at a tech company, avid gamer etc etc. and I STILL haven't seen a single Type-C device out in the wild [..] they are still a hell of a long way off from becoming anything close to as common, nevermind replacing standard connectors entirely.
    Key thing to consider is that modern console generations span 6+ years, with the start of the next generation still the best part of a year away (tail-end of 2020). USB-C is very likely to become the dominant connector for high-speed mobile storage during this time, as it will be the most universally adopted high-bandwidth connector spanning PC, Mac, Android smartphones and presumably soon also a wider selection of iPads, beyond the Pro models (maybe iPhones too, if the EU get their way).

    It's hard to imagine CFExpress gaining the same kind of almost universal support [at this point], so perhaps the best we can hope for is Microsoft leaving the CFExpress connector unchanged in the new Xbox, as opposed to modifying it to make their implementation a proprietary one.

    Anything to help consumers dodge paying through the nose... and also to keep the Xbox competitive with Sony's more consumer-friendly stance that they adopted during the PS4 announcement/launch era [pretty easy to slap a new HDD in a PS4 from day one, XBox wasn't designed with user-replacable storage as a consideration].

    Thankfully, a more consumer-focused XBox division has emerged under Phil Spencer's watch, so let's hope that tradition continues.

    The PS5 and XBox Series X are both shaping up to be interesting beasts!
    Last edited by KultiVator; 06-02-2020 at 11:48 AM.

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    Re: Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

    Quote Originally Posted by KultiVator View Post
    It's hard to imagine CFExpress gaining the same kind of almost universal support [at this point], so perhaps the best we can hope for is Microsoft leaving the CFExpress connector unchanged in the new Xbox, as opposed to modifying it to make their implementation a proprietary one.
    CFExpress is a niche product for a niche audience. There's no common use for it outside of prosumer/professional camera gear and it'll remain priced for that market.

    There's an SD and microSD Express standard that's a backwards compatible SD card with extra pins for a 1x PCIe connection, that's more likely to gain mainstream traction than CFExpress.

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    Re: Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

    Makes sense for fast additional storage, as long as they still allow usb3 external devices its then a choice of faster and more expensive or slower ans cheaper which isn't a bad choice to have.

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    Re: Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

    Just because it's a Type-A connector on the xbox doesn't mean the usb can't be fast enough. The cables are out there from a to c or whatever. Also means roughly anything will plug in if Microsoft support it
    Old puter - still good enuff till I save some pennies!

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    Re: Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

    Quote Originally Posted by [GSV
    Trig;304]If you have USB do you really need another storage connector?
    Yes, storage connected via a PCI-Express based connection like CFExpress is an absolute buttload faster than USB3.

    Think SSD vs USB thumb drive.

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    Re: Xbox Series X 'mystery slot' expected to fit CFExpress cards

    Quote Originally Posted by Noxious89123 View Post
    Yes, storage connected via a PCI-Express based connection like CFExpress is an absolute buttload faster than USB3.

    Think SSD vs USB thumb drive.
    Thumb drives tend to be slow due to their single channel flash and really cheap controller. Put an SSD in a USB3 caddy and it isn't that bad.

    ... but not as good as NVMe.

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