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How to free up space on Xbox: our guide

Rounding up the best ways to save on Xbox storage
Last Updated on February 12, 2024
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Owning an Xbox console means endless hours of gaming enjoyment. But this enjoyment can be interrupted because of storage issues. Xbox games are usually big and require a lot of storage. Most Xbox consoles come with 500 GB or 1 TB hard drive space. But as games grow, you can quickly be out of space, disrupting your gaming experience. But fear not. In this article, we will list some ways to free up space on Xbox so that you can install and play more games.

3 ways to free up space on Xbox

You can use different ways to free up space on your Microsoft Xbox’s internal drive. Here are some of the common and easiest ways to do so. Remember, we’ve got some great guides to Xbox accessories and peripherals, like this guide to the best monitor for Xbox Series X & Series S or the best TVs for Xbox X series.

How to free up space on Xbox: Delete Unwanted Games and Apps

The most obvious way to free up space on your Xbox’s internal storage is by removing games, leftover add-ons and apps you no longer use. Follow these steps:

Step

1

Head to ‘my games and apps’

From the home screen, navigate to “My games & apps.”

Step

2

View all apps and games

Select “See all” to view a list of all your installed games and apps.

Step

3

Choose and uninstall game

Highlight the game or app you want to delete and press the “Menu” button (three horizontal lines on your controller). Choose “Uninstall.”

See, that’s how simple it is. With a few clicks, you will have a lot of space on your Xbox. You can also sort the games based on how often you use them to delete the least used ones.

How to free up space on Xbox: Move Games to External Storage

Xbox consoles support external storage devices, such as USB or hard drives. You can move games and apps to external storage to free up space on your Xbox. Here’s how:

Step

1

Connect external storage to Xbox

Connect your external storage device to your Xbox. You can do this via USB or other methods.

Step

2

Navigate to storage

Go to “Settings” > “System” > “Storage.”

Step

3

Prepare to transfer

Select your external drive/storage device. Choose “Transfer.”

Step

4

Transfer games

Select the games or apps you want to move to external storage and follow the on-screen instructions.

How to free up space on Xbox: Clear Media Files From the Xbox

If you have taken pictures or video clips of any games you play, you can remove them to free up space on Xbox.

Here are the steps to access pics and video clips and delete them:

Step

1

Open guide

Press and hold the Xbox button on your Xbox controller to open the guide.

Step

2

Navigate to ‘recent captures’

Press the view button, a shortcut to the “Recent Captures” menu.

Step

3

Delete media files

Select the media files you want to delete and delete them.

You can also go to Settings to clear the cache for improved performance.

How to free up space on Xbox: Conclusion

Running out of storage space on your Xbox can be a headache. If you face this issue, use any of the three methods mentioned above and free up space on Xbox. This will help you get some free space quickly. However, if you frequently face this issue, it is best to expand the storage space with external hard drives.

Gloria is a tech and AI writer for PC Guide. She is interested in what new technology means for the future of digital and broadcast journalism.