Xbox Series X/S storage space problems solved by a sneaky Xbox Game Pass update

The Xbox Series X has matured into a fine, powerful console since its launch in 2020, while the Xbox Series S has proved a great way to get into this generation of gaming on the cheap.

However, both of them continue to suffer from the same caveats that plagued them at launch – a lack of storage space. Indeed, considering the file sizes of some of the most recent games, it's arguably even worse.

The Series S has a feeble 512GB of internal storage (with even less available to the user), while the Series X's 1TB soon fills up with games – especially if you subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and have 100s at your disposal.

I've often found myself having to uninstall games I'd rather not just to download a flashy new title I've bought.

Yes, there are external solutions, such as the WD_Black C50 and Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox, but they can be pricey – costing £120 and more for just 1TB of extra space.

And you can't just add a USB HDD unless you only want to play Xbox One games as full Xbox Series X/S titles can't be played from one directly.

Thankfully though, there now seems to be a better solution that, as long as you have an Ultimate subscription, won't cost you a penny more. Microsoft now offers the ability to play your bought games over the cloud on your own console – you no longer have to install them.

You've previously been able to play Xbox Cloud Gaming titles available as part of an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, but now you can stream your own purchases too.

Not all games are eligible as yet, but over 100 of them are. And you can even stream your Xbox Series X enhanced games on an Xbox One. So, it's time to dig out that old console for a second room.

You can check with of your bought games have cloud streaming by heading to My games & apps > Full library > Owned Games and seeing which ones have a cloud badge on the game page. You can then uninstall it from your storage to give you extra space. Save games will still sync with your account.

Also added as part of the latest Xbox update is the ability to play games via Xbox Remote Play on any web browser. That accesses your own Xbox console over the net to stream pretty much anything on it, including the user experience.

Original Xbox and Xbox 360 games also now work with Remote Play.

Finally, there's an additional way to find more storage space on your Xbox – head to My Games & Apps > Manage > Free up space and you'll get recommendations on duplicate installations, add-ons that are no longer being used, and more. Then you can easily delete them.