What is the hard drive for?

[tigersty1e]

I'm new to this whole console and my old one never had a hard drive.

What is the hard drive on the console used for?

 

[Modeps]

what console.

 

[nycxandy]

Save files, cached memory, and most importantly, downloadable content.

 

[YoungGun21]

Same thing its used for on the computer. Storage.

 

[DaveSimmons]

- (360 only) xbox 1 backwards compatibility files
- (360 only) downloaded movies and TV shows
- (360 only) ripped CDs for in-game custom soundtracks -- on PS3 developers must add this game-by-game, and none have yet.

- (PS3 only) movies, music, photos -- 360 must put movies and photos on external USB HD or stream from a PC?
- (PS3 only) dual-boot the Linux operating system to use PS3 as a computer

- downloadable new maps / content, patches
- game demos and trailers
- games purchased as downloads
- saves

- store parts of game DVD to faster hard drive to improve performance / reduce load times

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
- (360 only) xbox 1 backwards compatibility files
- (360 only) downloaded movies and TV shows

- ( PS3 only) movies, music, photos -- 360 must put these on external USB HD or stream from a PC
- (PS3 only) dual-boot the Linux operating system to use PS3 as a computer

- downloadable new maps / content, patches
- game demos and trailers
- games purchased as downloads
- saves

- store parts of game DVD to faster hard drive to improve performance / reduce load times

Dave,

The 360 can rip music to the drive to play "in game" for soundtracks. The original Xbox worked the same way.

Can the PS3 do that? Will it let you rip music to the HD and then brink up the "jukebox" while in a game?

 

[onlyCOpunk]

Certainly not, but a stereo next to the PS3 can easily be turned on and music can be played.

 

[randay]

gyroscopic action.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
- (360 only) xbox 1 backwards compatibility files
- (360 only) downloaded movies and TV shows

- ( PS3 only) movies, music, photos -- 360 must put these on external USB HD or stream from a PC
- (PS3 only) dual-boot the Linux operating system to use PS3 as a computer

Dave,

The 360 can rip music to the drive to play "in game" for soundtracks. The original Xbox worked the same way.

Can the PS3 do that? Will it let you rip music to the HD and then brink up the "jukebox" while in a game?

I'm not trying to start yet another pointless flamewar, though I should have mentioned in-game radio stations in GTA and such.

Does the 360 media player let you play songs, photos and DVD rips from the internal HD? I'd read that it only worked from streaming and from external HDs.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

Originally posted by: vi_edit

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
- (360 only) xbox 1 backwards compatibility files
- (360 only) downloaded movies and TV shows

- ( PS3 only) movies, music, photos -- 360 must put these on external USB HD or stream from a PC
- (PS3 only) dual-boot the Linux operating system to use PS3 as a computer

Dave,

The 360 can rip music to the drive to play "in game" for soundtracks. The original Xbox worked the same way.

Can the PS3 do that? Will it let you rip music to the HD and then brink up the "jukebox" while in a game?

I'm not trying to start yet another pointless flamewar, though I should have mentioned in-game radio stations in GTA and such.

Does the 360 media player let you play songs, photos and DVD rips from the internal HD? I'd read that it only worked from streaming and from external HDs.

I should have worded my post better. I meant it as an honest question about what the PS3 is capable of, not to be condescending.

And yes, the Xbox does let you rip songs and playback from the internal drive. They can be played back in game from "live" popup or can be done from the startup center. I don't know about videos and photos, never tried that.

 

[DaveSimmons]

And I always use the game's own music so I've never tried in-game music on my PS3 🙂

Sony keeps adding features to the PS3 via at least one firmware update a month, but I know the in-game features still lag behind the 360. The all-knowing Google tells me that right now Sony just provides code to developers who must add the function to the game themselves (like the Xbox-1 days).

 

[MrPickins]

Anybody have a list of games (for either system) which do hard drive caching?

 

[CKDragon]

I learned about the whole "play your own music while playing a 360 game" feature immediately after I put a LOT of hours into Puzzle Quest. DOH! The music was good, but it got SO repetitive.