The Fastest Way to Transfer Data from Xbox One to Series X/S

Upgrading to a new Xbox Series X or Series S? Transferring your data from your old Xbox One doesn’t have to be a headache. This guide will walk you through the fastest and most efficient method: using external storage.

1. Prepare Your External Storage

• **Get a USB 3.0 drive:** You’ll need an external drive with at least 128GB of storage space.
• **Connect the drive:** Plug your external drive into your Xbox One console.
• **Format for games:** When prompted, choose the option to “Use for Games”. This formats the drive specifically for storing Xbox games and saves.
• **Multiple console access:** You may be offered the choice of making the drive accessible on just this console or on multiple consoles. Choose “Multiple consoles” for flexibility, but either option will work for the transfer process.
• **Replug if necessary:** You may need to unplug and replug the external drive after formatting for it to be recognized properly.

2. Transfer Your Settings and Saves

• **Navigate to system settings:** On your Xbox One console, go to **Settings > System > Backup & Transfer**.
• **Choose “Back up my settings”:** Select this option to back up your personalized Xbox settings, including game saves, profile information, and customizations.
• **Select the external drive:** The screen will display your connected external drive as the destination for the backup. Select it.
• **Start the backup:** Initiate the backup process. This will save your settings to the external drive. This will be used later to restore your settings on the new Xbox console.

3. Move Your Games

• **Navigate to hard drive transfer:** Go back one step in the menu to **Settings > System > Hard Drive transfer**.
• **Choose the games you want to move:** Browse the list of games stored on your Xbox One’s internal hard drive. Select all the games you want to transfer to the new console.
• **Select “Move”:** On the bottom of the screen, choose “Copy and Move” followed by “Move”. This starts the transfer process – copying your Xbox One games to the external drive.

4. Access Games on the New Xbox

• **Set up your new Xbox:** Once you’ve set up your new Series X or Series S console, connect your external drive.
• **Import your settings:** To quickly get back your customized settings, go to **Settings > System > Backup & Transfer** on your new console and choose “Import” and select the drive to restore your settings.
• **Play your games directly from the drive:** Xbox One games are playable directly from the external drive on your Series X/S console.
• **Enhance Series X/S titles:** If you have Xbox One games that are “Series X/S Enhanced”, you can choose to copy those games to the internal storage of your Series X/S for optimal performance and to take advantage of the enhancements.

Key Points to Remember:

• **USB 3.0 is essential:** Ensure that your external drive uses the USB 3.0 standard for faster data transfer speeds.
• **Xbox One games run well on external drives:** Save your Series X/S storage space by playing your Xbox One games directly from the external drive.
• **Backup your settings first:** Transferring settings to the external drive before moving games ensures a smoother transition and quicker access to your personalized experience.
• **Import settings early or later:** You can import your settings on the new console as soon as you connect the external drive or later on, after you’ve finished setting up the console.

Conclusion

Transferring your data from an Xbox One to a Series X/S is a simple process that should be fast and efficient. Using external storage is the most recommended method because it utilizes your existing setup, minimizes downtime, and simplifies the process. This allows you to enjoy your new console and your games without sacrificing your valuable time.