1. Back up the drive before formatting

Connect the drive to a computer if it already contains files you want to keep. Copy them to another storage device and open a few of those copies to confirm they are usable. Merely deciding that a backup exists is not enough.

Formatting the drive for Xbox games and apps erases its contents. Disconnect other external drives if that helps you identify the right device. If the name or capacity shown is unexpected, cancel rather than guessing.

Do not use the only copy of photos, documents or other personal files as disposable game storage. Finish the backup before continuing.

2. Connect and configure the correct USB drive

Connect the compatible drive to the console using a suitable cable. When prompted, select the option for games and apps. Read the formatting warning and confirm only after checking that the backup is complete and the selected drive is correct.

Give the drive a recognisable name. If you dismissed the initial prompt, look in Profile & system → Settings → System → Storage devices for the connected drive and the available formatting option.

Wait for preparation to finish. The expected result is a storage device available for game installations, not simply a detected multimedia device.

3. Choose single-console or multiple-console use

If Xbox asks whether the drive will be used mainly on this console or across several consoles, select the option that reflects your plans.

Mainly using it on one console allows automatic updates for its games and apps. The multiple-console option disables those automatic updates; update the affected titles manually from My games & apps when needed.

This choice does not grant licences to other users. The appropriate account, subscription or disc is still required to access a game.

4. Move installations and verify the freed space

Open My games & apps → See all → Games. Highlight a title, press Menu and choose Manage game and add-ons. Select the game box, then Move or copy.

Choose the USB drive and the required items. Copy leaves the original in place, so it does not free that space. Choose Move when your aim is to transfer the installation off internal storage.

Allow the transfer to complete without unplugging the drive. Check that the installation is present at the destination and compare the free space on both devices. Begin with one game so the result is easy to understand.

5. Know which storage a game needs to run

Games optimised for Xbox Series X|S generally need the internal SSD or a compatible storage expansion card to run. USB storage remains useful for keeping those installations until you need them.

Before playing, move the relevant game back to suitable storage and check that there is enough free space. A USB SSD’s speed does not remove this storage requirement.

Keeping an installation locally can avoid downloading it all over again, but it does not guarantee that no update or additional data will be required. Follow the console’s message for the particular game.

Keep installations and saved progress separate

Moving game files is not the same as confirming that saved progress has synchronised. Xbox can synchronise saves through its online services, but progress made offline may not yet have uploaded.

Before changing consoles, reconnect the original Xbox and allow the relevant synchronisation to finish. Then check your progress in the game on the destination console. Seeing a game on the external drive is not proof that its latest save is available.

If the drive does not work as expected

• Not offered as game storage: check its capacity, USB standard and cable. Media detection alone is not sufficient.
• Internal space has not increased: check whether you copied rather than moved the installation, and whether the operation finished.
• A Series X|S game will not run from USB: move it to internal storage or a compatible expansion card.
• Drive identity is uncertain: stop before formatting; reconnect only the intended drive and identify it.

Record the drive model and exact message before trying further changes. Repeatedly formatting unidentified devices is not a troubleshooting method.

Sources and scope

Prepared from official Xbox support documentation checked on 20 October 2026. This is a documentation-based guide, not a claim of hands-on testing on every console or drive. Menu wording can vary with the system language and update.

• Xbox Support — manage storage