Microsoft finds 1GB of extra space on Xbox 360 DVDs

If you compare games on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 there is very little to choose between them now. The PS3 was notoriously difficult to squeeze performance out of when it first got released, not because it wasn’t there, but because the system architecture made it so difficult to utilize. But developers have caught up and at the very least equalized the platforms.

One area where Microsoft can’t compete with PS3 is on Blu-ray. Not only can the PS3 playback Blu-ray content, it also offers developers up to 50GB of storage space for a game. That means better quality videos and higher resolution graphics can be stored without worry of reaching the upper limits of the disc.

The Xbox 360 on the other hand can only offer up 6.8GB of space. When the console first appeared this wasn’t an issue as developers were making smaller games or using lower resolution assets. But as a platform matures the ability to build bigger and use better art assets also becomes an option. 6.8GB no longer looks like a lot of space today.

While Microsoft would never accept a Blu-ray drive as part of an Xbox console, it has found a way to unlock more storage for developers on a DVD. The DVD disc can actually store 7.95GB of data, but 1GB of that is reserved for anti-piracy solutions and DVD-Video. As 360 developers don’t need such features Microsoft has removed them and pushed the storage limit up.

Although Microsoft hasn’t officially announced this new disc, it has been discovered by a hacker who has access to the 360 SDK. The new media is called xgd3 and is supported in the new 20500 SDK.

If you live in the U.S., and sign up for the new Xbox 360 System Update Preview announced by Major Nelson yesterday, you may in fact receive one of these new discs to try out with Halo: Reach on it.

things you'll need:

Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows	Hard Drive Data Migration Transfer Cable Kit 4 XBOX 360	Rechargeable Battery for Wireless XBOX 360 Controller	Xbox360 HARD DRIVE 250GB HDD + Headset