How to Add Storage to Xbox Series X|S for GTA VI

To add space that GTA 6 can run from on Xbox, plug a Storage Expansion Card into the slot on the back of your Series X or Series S. Confirmed The Xbox Store lists GTA 6 as Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox Support says those games have to be installed on the console’s internal SSD or a Storage Expansion Card to play. A USB drive can still hold the game, or your other games, but it can’t run it.

Not announced No install size has been published or reported for Xbox yet. Kotaku reported a 210 GB download on PS5; our file size guide shows how much of a Series S or Series X that would fill.

Expansion card or USB drive

	Storage Expansion Card	USB external drive
Play Optimized for Xbox Series X\|S games, like GTA 6	Yes, like the internal SSD	No, move them back first
Play Xbox One, Xbox 360 and original Xbox games	Yes	Yes, only Optimized games need the internal SSD or card
Sizes	512 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB	128 GB or more
Connection	Storage expansion slot on the back	USB 3.0 or 3.1
Other uses	Works only in Xbox Series X\|S	Can hold pictures, music and video instead

Everything in the table is from Xbox Support’s storage pages, linked in the sources below.

How much space your Xbox has now

Xbox Support says Xbox consoles come with a 500 GB, 1 TB or 2 TB drive, but part of it is kept for saved games, system software and other system functions. So even an empty console shows less than its full size free.

To see what’s free, press the Xbox button, then go to Profile & system > Settings > System > Storage devices. Each drive shows how much is used and how much is free.

What a Storage Expansion Card does

Xbox Support describes the Storage Expansion Card as an optional external SSD in 2 TB, 1 TB or 512 GB sizes that performs the same as the console’s internal SSD.

Optimized for Xbox Series X|S games run from it, just as they do from the internal SSD.
Xbox One, Xbox 360 and original Xbox games run from it too, and Xbox Support says many of them load faster from it.
It works only with Xbox Series X|S, not Xbox One or Windows PCs.

Analysis Because GTA 6 is Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, the card is the only way to add space it can be played from. A USB drive helps by making room on the internal SSD instead.

How to set up a Storage Expansion Card

Update the console first. Xbox Support says to install your first Xbox update before you connect a card, so a brand new console should finish its setup before you plug it in.
Remove the protective cover from the card.
Plug the card firmly into the Storage expansion slot on the back of the console.
Choose how you’ll use it. The first time, the console asks whether you’ll use the card mainly with this console or with several. Mainly this console lets the card check for game updates on its own. Several consoles turns automatic updates off for it, though you can still update games yourself from My games & apps.
Check the extra space. Press the Xbox button, go to My games & apps > See all, and look at the All storage meter in the bottom left corner.

You can change the choice in step 4 later in My games & apps > Manage > Storage devices: select the card, press A and pick the other option.

If the console doesn’t see the card

Go to Profile & system > Settings > System > Storage and look for the card.
If it isn’t listed, take the card out, wait 30 seconds and push it back in firmly.
If it still isn’t there after 30 seconds, remove it, restart the console and insert it again.

If that doesn’t work, Xbox Support sends you to the card maker’s support, Seagate or Western Digital.

Make GTA 6 install to the card

You can choose which drive new games go to:

Press the Xbox button and go to Profile & system > Settings > System > Storage devices.
Select Change install locations.
Pick the card as the default for games, or choose Let Xbox decide.

Xbox Support says Let Xbox decide puts games on the faster drives (the internal SSD or the card) first, but can still use a slower drive if it is the only one with enough room. Analysis With a game this big, setting the location yourself before the November 12 preload is the surer choice.

To move a game that’s already installed, see the moving steps below; they work the same for the card.

Use a USB drive to make room

A USB drive won’t run GTA 6, but you can move other games onto it, or keep GTA 6 there while you play something else, and skip a long download later. Xbox Support says this can help if your internet plan has a data cap.

What the drive needs: 128 GB or more, connected by USB 3.0 or 3.1. The console asks to format it the first time you plug it in, which erases everything on it. Drives that don’t meet these requirements are treated as media storage only.

Move or copy games to it:

Press the Xbox button and go to My games & apps > See all > Games.
Highlight a game, press the Menu button and choose Manage game and add-ons.
Select the game box in the top right corner and choose Move or copy.
Tick what you want to move, pick the drive, then select Move selected or Copy selected.

When you want to play an Optimized for Xbox Series X|S game again, move it back to the internal SSD or the card the same way. Xbox Support says add-ons listed under More add-ons don’t need moving, since they aren’t stored on the drive.

A console can use up to three external USB drives at once. Drives over 16 TB are split into partitions of up to 16 TB each.

Which to choose for GTA 6

Analysis If you want GTA 6 and your other Series X|S games playable at the same time, the Storage Expansion Card is the only add-on that does it. If you just need room for GTA 6, moving other games to a USB drive frees up the internal SSD for it. Series S owners should check the file size guide first, since its drive fills fastest.

Do it before preloading opens on November 12. Our preload and download guide covers that day, and GTA 6 launch day setup has the rest of the console settings. If you’re still choosing a console, see GTA 6 on PS5 or Xbox. On PS5 the add-on drive works differently; see how to add more storage to your PS5.

Common questions

Can I move the card to a friend’s Xbox?

Yes. Xbox Support says the card works in other Xbox Series X|S consoles and that you can swap between several cards. You’ll need to sign in with the account that owns a digital game, or insert the disc for a disc game.

Where can I see which drive a game is on?

Press the Xbox button, go to My games & apps > See all > Games, select Filter > All storage and choose a drive to see what’s on it.

Will my saves be lost if I uninstall a game to make room?

Xbox Support says game saves sync to the cloud when you’re signed in, so they come back when you reinstall the game. Uninstalling also doesn’t remove your licence to the game.