WD_Black Xbox expansion cards still sport the brand’s trademark rugged exterior, only in a much tinier form. | Image: Western Digital
If you’ve just unwrapped a new Xbox Series X or Series S for Christmas, you’ll have enough storage out of the box to download several games. But you’ll quickly feel the squeeze from 100GB-plus installs, especially if you tend to keep a heavy rotation. Expansion cards are your only relief on Xbox consoles if you’re playing titles optimized for Series X/S. Thankfully, you can get a 2TB expansion card cheaper than ever, with Western Digital’s WD_Black C50 going for $189.99 ($70 off) at Amazon. You can also get it in 512GB for $69.99 ($10 off) and 1TB for $109.99 ($48 off). That said, the 2TB model is the better deal in the long run.
Because the Series X and Series S use a proprietary storage format, you can’t use an external SSD, an internal NVMe SSD (as you could on the PS5), or a standard external hard drive to play newer games that are optimized for those consoles. You can use those hard drives to store Series X/S games, but expansion cards like the C50 are the only ones you can actually play them from. That’s because they support the platform’s “velocity architecture,” which has a minimum speed requirement and uses unique hardware and software tricks to enable console features like Quick Resume, not to mention other benefits for developers. Anyway, you don’t need to be a computer science major to understand the bottom line: if you want more storage for your Series X/S games, you’ll need an expansion card.
A few more deals
Now through December 31st, home decor brand Umbra is running a sitewide sale that takes 20 percent off most products in its store, including the Cono portable smart lamp we fell in love with at IFA last year that’s down to $76 ($19 off) at Umbra’s online store, for example. Sadly, the taller $130 “Cup” smart lamp with its convenient organizer for a base isn’t discounted, but the Cono is an intriguing tabletop RGB lamp with an X-shaped stand that lets you shine the light vertically or horizontally. As Nanoleaf helped create it, that’s the app you’ll use for manual remote control over Bluetooth. But because it’s also Matter-ready, you can use voice commands and set lighting schedules when it’s connected to a compatible smart home ecosystem.
Although there’s a newer model with faster polling rates and USB-C charging, the original Logitech G Pro X Superlight is still one of the best gaming mice you can buy. It’s starting around $79.99 (50 percent off) right now at Amazon, Best Buy, and Woot, which is an all-time low price. Through December 29th, Woot is taking an extra $5 off with code LOGITECHFIVE. The Superlight is named for its 63-gram weight, but it drops some fan-favorite features to get there, such as RGB, dedicated DPI buttons, and a weighted scroll wheel. However, you still get five programmable buttons (including two mounted on the left edge) and a 25,600 DPI Hero sensor that offers far more optical resolution than most gamers need. The mouse lasts up to 70 hours per charge, though it uses micro-USB for recharging.
The Beats Pill is matching its all-time low of $99.95 ($50 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. Apple’s refreshed Bluetooth speaker updates the line with features like two-way USB-C charging and lossless audio. It also has native support for some iOS and Android features, including each operating system’s Find My feature and access to Siri and Google Assistant, but you can’t initiate either via voice. The speaker is built for extended outdoor outings, too, with a battery that lasts up to 24 hours per charge and IP67 protection against water and dust. Read our review.