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How to Format USB for Xbox One and Xbox One S
Format your flash drive to NTFS to freely use USB on all Xbox consoles
4 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
If you want to know how to format a USB drive for Xbox One and Xbox One S, this article will help you.
TheXbox consolesare very reliable, stable, and fast. Microsoft’s gaming consoles are true powerhouses, but they also go down from time to time.
If your Xbox One console doesn’t install the latest updates, you can also perform an offline system update.
In order to do this, you need aflash drivealready formatted to NTFS.
What format does a USB need to be for Xbox One?
The Xbox One supports both USB 2 and 3, even the USB 1. So, there should not be an issue with using any of these USB drives on this device. However, if you consider using storage, you must format it to FAT16, FAT32, exFAT, or NTFS formats.
Please note that not all file system formats will work great for all purposes. It is always recommended to use the NTFS unless you need other formats for special cases.
What format does a USB need to be for Xbox Series S?
Xbox Series Ssupports any USB devices compatible with USB 3. For storage, the format should be NTFS. Otherwise, it may not work.
Does USB 3.2 work with Xbox One?
USB 3.2 is backward compatible. It means this version will work with the previous version of USB products like 3.1, 3.0, or even older editions. So, any USB 3.2 device should work with Xbox One.
How do I format a USB for Xbox one?
While they’re both Microsoft-owned, PC and console work differently and execute different OS versions. Compatibility is a big deal, so one cannot help but wonder: what format does Xbox One use for USB?
NTFS should be the only choice for most purposes, even though it can read files from other formats as well. We will guide you through the formatting process step by step. Here we go.
How to format a USB drive for Xbox One on PC
It may take a while to complete the process.
If you are curious about how to format USB 3.0 for Xbox One, you should know any removable storage device, whether it is USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, or USB-C, will need the same steps to format.
After formatting, you can start using it as you have set up the flash drive to download the latest Xbox One update files. You can then connect it to your console and install the updates.
As a quick reminder, you need a USB flash drive with a minimum of 4 GB of space to update your console.
For more information on how to perform an offline system update on your Xbox One or Xbox One S console, you can check outMicrosoft’s Support page.
If you’ve encountered an error message during the update process, check out our dedicated article on how tofix frequent Xbox One S errors.
How do I change my USB from FAT32 to NTFS?
If you already have files on storage that were formatted for Xbox 360 and are not working with newer versions, you may consider converting the storage device directly. You can do it by using a simple command. Here are the steps:
Make sure you have replaced the letterFwith your one. If your removable storage device letter isE, the command should be like this:convert E: /FS:NTFS
It may take some time, depending on the capacity of the drive and how many files are there.
In the above, you already have seen how to format a USB drive in NTFS for Xbox One. By following the same way, you can format to any available file systems you want.
There you have it, now you know how to format a USB for Xbox One, 360, Series X, or S for games, whether it is USB 3.0, 3.1, or any other versions. Try your hand at this guide, and feel free to reach out for any further questions that may come along.
More about the topics:USB flash drive,xbox one
Radu Tyrsina
Radu Tyrsina has been a Windows fan ever since he got his first PC, a Pentium III (a monster at that time).
For most of the kids of his age, the Internet was an amazing way to play and communicate with others, but he was deeply impressed by the flow of information and how easily you can find anything on the web.
Prior to founding Windows Report, this particular curiosity about digital content enabled him to grow a number of sites that helped hundreds of millions reach faster the answer they’re looking for.
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