title: "Xbox Series X|S Storage Expansion Cards Can Apparently Double as PC SSDs, With" One Big Catch excerpt: "A cheap CFexpress Type-B adapter can make Xbox expansion cards usable on" PC, but the speeds are nowhere near proper NVMe SSD territory. category: esports date: '2026-04-20T20:02:41+08:00' author: Aimirul tags:
- xbox
- pc hardware
- storage
- ssd
- cfexpress featured: false coverImage: /images/esports/xbox-series-x-s-storage-expansion-cards-can-apparently-double-as-pc-ssds-with-one-big-catc.jpg
If you’ve got an Xbox Series X|S Storage Expansion Card sitting around, here’s a random but actually useful hardware trick: it can be used as storage on a PC with a cheap CFexpress adapter.
That little discovery popped up again after a Reddit user showed an Xbox expansion card working through a PCIe-to-CFexpress adapter plugged into a motherboard. The reason this works is pretty simple, the Xbox card uses a CFexpress Type-B connector underneath all the Microsoft branding.
So yes, the so-called proprietary Xbox storage format is not completely locked down after all.
What you need
According to the report, there are a couple of ways to do this:
- a PCIe to CFexpress Type-B adapter
- an M.2 to CFexpress Type-B adapter
The important part is making sure the adapter supports Type-B, because that is the connector used by Xbox Series X|S expansion cards.
The catch, you need to format it first
Before anyone gets too excited, you cannot just pull the card from your Xbox and expect Windows to treat it like a normal SSD immediately.
The card still carries an Xbox-specific file system, so while a PC may detect the hardware, you’ll need to format it before it becomes usable in Windows. Once that’s done, it behaves like regular local storage.
Don’t expect crazy SSD performance
This is where the hype cools down a bit.
In the Reddit test cited by Tom’s Hardware, the formatted expansion card hit about 1,117 MB/s read and 1,570 MB/s write. That is decent enough for general file storage, backups, or moving games around, but it is still slower than even entry-level PCIe 3.0 NVMe drives.
So if you’re thinking this is some secret budget monster SSD hack, not really lah. It works, but it is more of a clever reuse option than a performance play.
Why this matters
The interesting part is not just that it works, but why it works. CFexpress itself uses the NVMe protocol, and the standard is typically limited to PCIe 3.0 x2. Microsoft’s custom implementation reportedly supports PCIe 4.0 x2, which is why these cards have always felt a bit unusual compared to normal removable storage.
This also flips an older modding idea on its head. People had already figured out ways to adapt certain M.2 SSDs into Xbox-compatible expansion storage. Now we’re seeing the reverse, turning an Xbox expansion card into PC storage instead.
Why Malaysian and SEA gamers should care
For most PC gamers in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, or the Philippines, this is probably not something you should go out and buy fresh. Normal M.2 NVMe SSDs are still the more sensible option for a PC build.
But if you already own an Xbox expansion card, or if you find one cheap second-hand, this could be a handy stopgap while SSD pricing stays annoying. Tom’s Hardware also noted that storage prices have been pushed up by the wider component squeeze, so weird reuse hacks like this suddenly look a lot more practical.
There is also a small buying tip here. Tom’s Hardware said both Seagate and Western Digital Xbox expansion cards perform the same, but the WD versions were consistently cheaper in the listed deals. So if this adapter route ever becomes a real budget option in SEA marketplaces, that is probably the brand to watch first.
Bottom line, this is a neat hardware workaround, especially for tinkerers. Just go in with the right expectation: it’s a functional backup plan, not a magic SSD bargain.
Source: Tom's Hardware
