benefits of installing 360 games to hdd?

[HFS+]

What are the benefits other than a quieter xbox 360 when you install the game to the hard disk?

 

[AstroManLuca]

For most games, it means quicker loading times and less noise from the DVD drive. Could potentially mean less wear and tear on your game discs, and if they do get a little scratched, they'll probably still work since the data is backed up and the console only has to make sure the disc is present.

There are a few games where installing can cause problems or slow it down. Blur has audio problems when you install it. Halo 3 wasn't designed to be run from the hard drive and Bungie have said it could possibly make loading times slower, so don't install that one. Most newer games should work better if they're installed, though, since the feature was added in 2008.

 

[digiram]

My MW2 and 3 discs are scratched to hell.. install to hdd has saved me.

 

[RedRooster]

You actually get better graphics in Battlefield 3.

 

[HFS+]

You actually get better graphics in Battlefield 3.

really? I thought you had to install the High defination pack for that to happen.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Try playing Skyrim without HDD install. 2+ minute load times..

 

[Sonikku]

The faster loading seems to exist more in theory then in practice. Load Mass Effect 2 onto the Slims harddrive and it improves load times so slightly you're hard pressed to notice. Install the PC version on Windows on Ye Olde 7200rpm old school harddrive from four years ago and loading is done in almost a blink. Honestly I think I'd just be glad if after installing both dvd's to the xbox that I only had to keep disc 1 in the drive to access all the games content without having to swap them.

 

[ScottAD]

For most games, it means quicker loading times and less noise from the DVD drive. Could potentially mean less wear and tear on your game discs, and if they do get a little scratched, they'll probably still work since the data is backed up and the console only has to make sure the disc is present.

This.

 

[gorcorps]

Fallout 3 would crash all the friggin time trying to load stuff from the disc when I entered or exited a building. Installing to HDD fixed that.

 

[Soundmanred]

That's way too many games to put on a hard drive.

 

[jpiniero]

Honestly I think I'd just be glad if after installing both dvd's to the xbox that I only had to keep disc 1 in the drive to access all the games content without having to swap them.

I imagine that the FMVs aren't copied so it would need the disc for that.

That's way too many games to put on a hard drive.

If you have one with a large drive in it, you might as well use the space to lower the loading times.

 

[gorcorps]

I imagine that the FMVs aren't copied so it would need the disc for that.

Nope, entire disc image is copied to the HDD. Some things are compressed to save space obviously, but it's all there. Disc still needs to be in for initial check that you do actually own the game and have the disc, but after that the drive never needs to run again.

 

[Oyeve]

hmm, i havent installed a game to hd since fable 2. would you be able to install a game to a usb flash drive?

 

[HFS+]

hmm, i havent installed a game to hd since fable 2. would you be able to install a game to a usb flash drive?

I havent tried but i think you can however it will proabaly be slower than a hard disk and not to mention the 4gb file size limit on the flash drive if the disk size is over 4gb

 

[BD2003]

I havent tried but i think you can however it will proabaly be slower than a hard disk and not to mention the 4gb file size limit on the flash drive if the disk size is over 4gb

It can be slower than HDD but usually faster than the disc. Counting seconds either way.

There's no file size limit.

 

[Sonikku]

There is no limit on flash drives? I had heard the 360 only recognizes up to 16gb no matter what their capacity, though it may merely have been rumor or something Microsoft patched.

 

[BD2003]

There is no limit on flash drives? I had heard the 360 only recognizes up to 16gb no matter what their capacity, though it may merely have been rumor or something Microsoft patched.

More specifically then, yes, there is a 16 GB overall limit per stick, but there is no 4GB file size limit that prevents you from installing games. 4GB+ games install on a stick just fine.

The 16GB limit is completely arbitrary so people don't stop buying their overpriced HDDs.