How Many Gigabytes is the Xbox One S Model 1681?

The Xbox One S model 1681 has a 500GB hard drive. This was the launch edition from August 2016, with both 500GB and 1TB options available.

Managing 500GB of Storage Space

Let‘s dive into getting the most from your 500GB Xbox One S!

Owning the 500GB model means you‘ll need to be more careful with managing storage compared to the roomier 1TB edition. But with some diligent housekeeping, you can build a great gaming library on 500 gigs.

Here are my top tips for maximizing that 500GB:

Uninstall Old or Finished Games

Scan your My Games list and uninstall titles you aren‘t playing actively. Finished single player adventures, outdated annual sports games, or multiplayer betas you didn‘t click with can all be removed to free up precious space.

Don‘t worry – you can reinstall these anytime if you want to play again later. And your save data is always kept separately.

Move Games to External Drives

Use affordable external USB hard drives to move lesser played games off the internal storage. A 2TB drive gives tons of overflow capacity for around $60.

When you want to play a game on external storage, just transfer it back to the internal drive. This lets you rotate a bigger overall library on and off the 500GB.

Disable 4K Assets for Supported Games

Many Xbox One titles now pre-install 4K textures and cinematics. This bloats their file size but doesn‘t benefit 1080p TV gaming.

Disable 4K assets in your console‘s settings to shave 10-20GB off these game installs. Every bit of space counts!

Clear Cached Data and Old Updates

Over time, system caches, temp files, and outdated game updates take up drive space. Keep these cleaned out by using the storage management tools.

Most games have a "Clear Reserved Space" or "Clear Alternate MAC Address" option that wipes useless cached junk.

Limit Game Capture and Recording

The always-recording features of Xbox One eat up storage over time. Set captures to shorter lengths, reduce quality, or disable it entirely if you can live without those epic battlefield moments.

Buy Physical Game Discs When Possible

Digital titles install fully to the hard drive, while physical discs allow installs of only 30-50GB. Going disc-based avoids the full 40-80GB downloads of digital purchases.

Use Cloud Storage for Saves

Backup your save files to Xbox Live cloud storage rather than locally. Then you can delete local copies once synced safely in the cloud.

500GB vs 1TB Xbox One S Comparison

Let‘s break down the trade-offs between the 500GB and 1TB models in detail:

Storage Capacity

• 500GB fits around 15-25 average sized games before juggling storage.
• 1TB fits 25-35+ games with less management needed.

Cost

• 500GB is usually $50-100 cheaper than 1TB models.
• 1TB cost around $299 when still available. Limited supply now.

Future Proofing

• 500GB may require game uninstalls sooner as titles grow bigger.
• 1TB has headroom as game install sizes increase over time.

Resell Value

• Used 500GB models more common, so typically sell for less.
• Discontinued 1TB maintains higher demand and value.

For light gamers or kids, 500GB easily works. But hardcore players will benefit from 1TB models with double the headroom.

Game Install Size Breakdown

To estimate how many games fit into 500GB, here are typical install sizes for today‘s most popular Xbox One titles:

Call of Duty Black Ops 3	92GB
Gears of War 4	103GB
Forza Horizon 4	63GB
Grand Theft Auto V	59GB
Halo 5: Guardians	63GB
NBA 2K19	53GB
Red Dead Redemption 2	99GB

As you can see, today‘s AAA blockbusters often demand 50GB or more. But indie titles can still come in under 10GB.

Game Install Size Trends

Over the Xbox One‘s life, average game install sizes have grown significantly:

• 2013 launch titles were 8-25GB
• 2016 titles were 15-45GB
• 2019 titles were 25-70GB
• 2022 titles are 50-100GB+

With 500GB total space, here is a breakdown of how many potential game installs fit:

• 10-15 titles averaging around 30GB each
• 15-20 titles averaging 20-25GB each
• 25+ smaller indie titles under 10GB each

So realistically, the 500GB drive gives you 15-25 average sized games before needing to prune your lineup.

Xbox One Generation Storage Evolution

The Xbox One S brought some key storage upgrades over previous models:

Original Xbox One (2013)

• 500GB non-removable hard drive
• No built-in option for 1TB or larger

Xbox One S (2016)

• 500GB or 1TB internal hard drives
• Support for external USB 3.0 storage

This expanded capacity helped manage growing game file sizes through the generation.

Xbox One X (2017)

• 1TB hard drive only
• Performance optimized for 4K games

Xbox Series S (2020)

• Custom 512GB NVMe SSD
• 300GB usable after system files

Xbox Series X (2020)

• Custom 1TB NVMe SSD
• 800GB usable space

The newest generation finally adopts super-fast solid state drives. This is a big jump from the old mechanical hard drives of Xbox One models!

Factors Reducing Usable Space on 500GB Drives

Don‘t be surprised to see less than 500GB reported as usable space on your console. This is due to:

System Software Overhead

The Xbox OS and system tools take up around 100-150GB right off the bat. This reserved system space always reduces usable capacity.

Cached Data and Updates

Temporary cached game data and leftover old updates are hidden space hogs over time.

Binary vs Decimal Units

Storage uses binary units (1,024 bytes in a kilobyte) versus decimal (1,000 bytes per kilobyte). So 500GB is really closer to 466GB.

Manufacturer Rounding

Drive makers round size, so a "500GB" drive may physically have 465GB or less.

Consider 350-400GB as the truly usable space once you factor in these reductions.

Game Performance and Hardware

While storage size varies, all Xbox One S models share identical performance hardware:

• AMD 8-core 1.75GHz Jaguar CPU
• 8GB DDR3 RAM
• Integrated AMD graphics (1.4 teraflop GPU)

This provides solid 1080p gaming and support for 4K/HDR video playback.

The Xbox One X enhanced things in 2017 with a faster 2.3GHz CPU, more RAM, and 6 teraflop GPU.

But original Xbox One and One S models deliver the same baseline gaming experience. The X merely optimizes some titles for 4K.

Adding External Storage

Running out of room on a 500GB console? Fortunately, it‘s easy to attach external USB storage.

Benefits of external drives include:

• Additional capacity for games and apps
• Ability to transfer titles between internal and external
• Faster load times from USB 3.0 or SSD models

Shop for drives from reputable brands like Seagate, WD, Samsung, and SanDisk. Some good options:

• Seagate Game Drive Hub – 8TB external HDD designed for Xbox. Around $160.
• WD_BLACK P10 – Portable USB 3.2 HDD from 500GB to 5TB. Starts around $60.
• Samsung T5 – Slim and portable external SSDs. 500GB for around $80.

For optimal performance, get a USB 3.0 drive or even better, an external SSD. Avoid cheap USB 2.0 drives.

Should You Upgrade to Xbox Series X|S?

As we wrap up, you might be wondering – should I upgrade from my trusty Xbox One S to the latest generation? Let‘s weigh the pros and cons:

Reasons to Upgrade

• Faster loading times from SSD storage
• Smoother gameplay with 120 FPS support
• Experience next-gen features like ray tracing
• Play brand new Series X|S exclusive titles

Reasons to Stick with Xbox One

• Xbox One S still runs 99% of Xbox One games fine
• Plenty of life left for casual gaming
• Large existing game library and accessories
• Very affordable compared to $300-$500 for Series X|S

If you game under 10 hours a week or on a budget, the Xbox One S remains a capable console. But for hardcore gamers who want the latest performance and games, upgrading makes sense.

The 500GB Xbox One S still fills a niche – an affordable family/secondary console focused on value. But for uncompromised gaming, Microsoft‘s newest generation now leads the way.

Hopefully this overview gives you plenty of tips and info for getting the most from your 500GB Xbox One S! Let me know if you have any other questions.