New Xbox 360 disc 'format' gives extra 1GB to game data?

Microsoft's new "disc format" that it is looking for beta testers to try out will provide more capacity to game data.

The disc that is being used by the Xbox 360 console will not physically change (this would likely be impossible anyway when trying to keep older consoles working with new discs.) Instead, a dashboard update will allow game developers to use more of a DVD disc's capacity to store game data.

While a dual layer DVD holds around 8GB of data, the game data partition on an Xbox 360 game disc only allows for 6.8GB of data. The rest of used for a video partition present on each disc and other data. By using a dashboard update to enable the system to read from a larger game data partition, developers will get about an extra 1GB of space.

Of course this pales in comparison to the 25GB a single layer Blu-ray disc provides for PS3 game development (or 50GB for dual layer) but it might provide some relief for developers who have questioned the use of the DVD format for the console since its details first emerged.

As games have become rapidly more complex with high resolution textures and countless high-quality audio effects and recordings, more storage capacity has been required. Some Xbox 360 games need multiple discs to store an entire game as it stands. It's unclear if 1GB extra will make that much of a difference to that problem.

Microsoft is looking for thousands of participants in a beta program to test the new disc. You can apply here.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 30 Mar 2011 17:14

Interestx

An extra 1gb (along with several hundred mb's or a couple gb's DD content) is very useful.
It also would appear that Xbox compresses data better, Resident Evil (the exact same game) was 13gb on PS3 but 6.5gb on Xbox.

30.3.2011 19:17 #1

mike.m

It's mostly the developers fault if they can't fit their game on one disc. Look at Crysis 2, a lot of gameplay, best graphics, and they kept it all under 5.5GB. The cut-scenes were using the game engine but they still looked pretty good. If developers focus more on giving a great game and produce a better game engine, instead of spending more time giving tons of disc space to cut-scenes (like Konami), then there really isn't a need for larger space, at least not for now.

30.3.2011 20:09 #2

KillerBug

RE had fasterf loading times and more detailed graphics on the ps3...and better quality videos. That is why it was bigger on ps3. This all seems rather pointless when we are seeing 3 disk games; dvd is an old format that needs to die already.

30.3.2011 21:53 #3

Interestx

Killerbug

It was the exact same game (what is it with PS3 fans & this ridiculous pretense that there is a vast difference in graphics between the 2 consoles?).

Just because PS3 has a ton of 1080p cut scenes.
No-one cares.

31.3.2011 11:50 #4

dEwMe

I'm pretty sure part of it is that these new disks will be hard to reproduce/pirate...for a while anyway.

Just my $0.02,

dEwMe

31.3.2011 13:27 #5

Jemborg

Originally posted by Interestx: Killerbug

It was the exact same game (what is it with PS3 fans & this ridiculous pretense that there is a vast difference in graphics between the 2 consoles?).

Just because PS3 has a ton of 1080p cut scenes.
No-one cares. Killerbug,

The cut scenes in RE on the X360 were generated in-game! Whilst in game the graphics were seamless, the cut scenes suffered from frame tear which could be eliminated by selecting 720p output and letting your TV/monitor upscale the image to 1080p instead. On my setup it makes no difference to the image as the game's original output is around 720p anyway (like for the PS3).

It depends on the game. Head over to YouTube to see side by side comparisons of games and stop making assumptions. Take a look at the difference in Bayonetta, and that, by any standards is a hectic game. In fact you will bust your hands trying to keep up in that OTT game.

Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

2.4.2011 10:15 #6

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