NestDo you need internal storage on your Xbox Series S or X? If you primarily play games optimized for the Series varianty, it can be quite a problem. You can't run these titles from anything other than internal storage or special expansion cards with support for Xbox Velocity Architecture technology. Although they aren't the cheapest, they can completely replace the quality of the internal disk, which means there's no need to uninstall games due to lack of space. And one such expansion card has now arrived for us to try out.
Technical parameters, construction and design
The WD_Black C50 expansion card for Xbox comes in three capacities variantach – 512 GB, 1TB and 2TB, with the largest one arriving at our editorial office for testing varianta. However, they all have one thing in common: they benefit from the Xbox Velocity Architecture, a technology that allows them to offer identical performance to the internal SSDs in the Xbox Series X and Series S. And why is this so important? Simply because only these officially licensed storage devices allow you to install and run games optimized for the next generation of Xboxes. In other words, if you don't have an internal drive or just such an expansion card at hand, you simply won't be able to play these titles.
When I switched from Xbox One S on Series X, this was a big surprise for me personally – and frankly, a minor complication. I was used to using regular external drives for backup and running games, but with the arrival of Series X, the rules changed. Fortunately, older titles without optimization can also run from classic external SSDs or HDDs, but as soon as you want to enjoy Forza Horizon 5 or Halo Infinite, for example, you have to reach for an extension, such as the one from WD_Black. And it's worth it – the two games mentioned swallowed almost a third of my entire 1TB internal drive. Fortunately Microsoft left the door open for licensed storage expansion, and manufacturers like Western Digital took full advantage of the opportunity.
The card's appearance itself follows the traditional WD_Black design style - a black plastic body with an industrial touch and a distinctive white logo looks really stylish. When you insert the card into the slot on the back of the console, only a small part of it remains visible, so the visual purity of the device is not disturbed during gameplay. On the other hand - it's a shame that you only look at the design for a moment. It looks damn good.
Installation and real-world experience
Using the card itself is incredibly simple. Just insert it into the dedicated slot on the back of the Xbox and the console will tell you whether to configure the drive for a single device or whether you want to transfer it between multiple Xboxes. The whole process takes no more than a few seconds and then you can use the drive fully – or almost fully. In the tested 1TB version, the system displayed a real available storage of 1,84 TB, which is no surprise – on the Xbox Series X itself, the “paper” 1TB of storage is actually about 802 GB. .
In terms of performance, I have nothing to complain about. All titles optimized for Series X/S launch exactly as quickly as from the internal drive. I tried Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Valhalla, Forza and The Witcher and there was no difference at all – neither in loading nor in smoothness. Even Quick Resume, the ability to instantly switch between games without having to restart them, worked absolutely flawlessly. So if you like playing multiple games at once, this card is absolutely invaluable. And that's exactly why I immediately set it as the default storage for installing new generation games.
A key advantage is portability. With classic external drives, I used to be able to simply transfer a game from one console to another. With the advent of the new generation, this was not possible – until now. You can take the WD_Black C50 card from one console, plug it into another and continue exactly where you left off. Of course, you need to be logged in to your Xbox account, or have the installation disc available if you have a physical version of the game (which is of course not the case on the Series S with the absence of a drive). But the principle remains – the transfer is easy, fast and, most importantly, fully functional.
Summary
If I had to summarize what the WD_Black C50 for Xbox actually brings, I would say one thing – it is an absolutely key addition for anyone who is running out of internal storage on their Xbox Series X or S. At the moment, you simply won't find an extension that is better optimized, faster, and more reliable. And most importantly – one that allows you to play the latest titles without any compromises.
Yes, the amount of CZK 2499 for 512 GB, CZK 4199 for 1 TB and CZK 6999 for the 2TB version is definitely not among the lowest, but here you are not only paying for capacity - you are paying for speed, trouble-free operation and maximal compatibility. The card works as a direct extension of the internal SSD and once you try it, you won't want to go back. Compared to regular external drives connected via USB, this is a completely different league - and who has tried playing from both variant, he knows that it's simply not worth making compromises here.
