Xbox 360 slim HDD data transfer cable to retail for $20

by Richard Mitchell on Jun 14th 2010 7:39PM

A question you may be asking yourself: If I upgrade to an Xbox 360 Slim, how do I transfer the data on my current Xbox to the new one? It was revealed to us at Microsoft's Xbox 360 Slim unwrapping event that the new console will support the current data transfer cable (originally made for the Xbox 360 Elite). We also learned that the cables will be available at retail for $19.99 -- a very good thing considering how hard the cables are to find these days. The cables should be available when the new consoles hit the shelves (which should be any day now).

The transfer process is easy enough: Attach the cable to your old hard drive and connect the other end into the USB slot of the 360 Slim. No additional software is required to initiate the transfer process.

If you prefer more cumbersome data transfer methods, of course, you could always move data 8GB at a time with flash drives. If that's still too convenient, you can redownload each and every piece of content from Xbox Live.

Tags: e3-2010, microsoft, xbox, Xbox-360-Slim

Reader Comments (56)

Must resist urge to buy another Xbox 360.

@panzerjedi: the whole, "Its still $299" made it pretty easy for me to resist buying one

@panzerjedi

I figure when my current Xbox inevitably dies (under warranty maybe? :D) they'll just send me a slim since they stopped making the older ones.

@216

Well, I hate trading *anything* into GameStop, because I know they turn it around and sell it for 3 times as much as they give me for it, but they actually had a pretty nice trade-in deal for old-to-new Xbox's. You could turn in your old 360 plus peripherals and you'd get $200+ off the cost of the new one. They probably aren't running that promotion anymore though.

@panzerjedi I ended up buying one when my old Xbox 360 got the red ring of death. One thing I found out from this video: http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-transfer-xbox-360-hard-drive-save-data-new-slim-360-385852/ is that you need to make sure you select "transfer to console" and finish up by transfering all your content licenses or you won't be able play the games you bought from the Xbox marketplace.

So it is not going to be included with the new 360 model?

@Viking34

No. You're already getting an uncharacteristically large amount of free sh*t from Microsoft.

@soypancho

Free? From Microsoft? Like what?

That's a rip off.

@Bubbameister33 I know what you mean. Paying that amount for something you'd probably only use once.

Wtf, microsoft?

@Bubbameister33 I'm sure you could sell it when your done. Also you can pick these up second hand right now. They use to be give these away if you bought one of the original elites.

@Bubbameister33 considering a PS3 cable costs $1.50 or free however you look at it. Everyone should have one laying around the house these days.

@Bubbameister33 Never pay full price for anything when you has the interwebz: http://www.meritline.com/xbox360-transfer-cable-hdd---p-37812.aspx

Guess I'll be redownloading each piece of XBL content I have. I'm not buying that cord. It should have at least come with the new 360.

@Annoying Adam
Soooo, you're going to pay $300 for a system that you already have, but your too cheap to pay $20 for a transfer cable? Um.....what?

@Annoying Adam

Good, no one should buy that cable. Make Microsoft pay in bandwidth for not giving it for free.

@Annoying Adam

Great, now you won't have the console licenses for your stuff. How will you play your downloaded stuff offline?

i understand why they wouldn't include it. Not everyone will have an older Xbox. My question is what about a headset? They add WiFi but take out the headset?
Still, i'm interested in adding a 360 along side my PS3.

@LegionsReign Didn't you watch the unboxing video, there's still a headset.

Thanks for this info it was what was holding me up in buying the new system. but being able to transfer with the usb is great. torturous

Wait so is this a new kit or the same old one? Pics?

@xnifex where do you see the cable?

That was a different type of cable, actually. That one looks different to me for sure.

Buy it, use the cable, then return it. Easy as pie at some place like Wal-mart.

Ok Cool thanks! i must have missed it lol

Is it the same transfer cable as before? If so, Im set. I need to know!

@Arsenic13 I have one already. I had bought a 120 GB HDD. I just need to know if it will be the same cable thats needed. Because Im selling my 120 so I can afford the new 360.

Here you go, transfer cable for $11

http://www.amazon.com/XBOX-Drive-Migration-Transfer-Cable/dp/B001IUUH72/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1276559722&sr=1-2

@(Unverified)

$4.14 lol

I'm not paying 300 for anything. I'm trading in my crap I don't use, meaning my Wii also.(lol) What does it matter to you anyway, you going to buy it for me?

Gamestop and Best Buy should just have these in store for people to come in nd pay a dollar to use once. I guess maybe Microsoft met not let them do that though but it might help increase their new console sales a tiny bit.

@maemikemae

I don't know about everyone else, but those guys are just as bad as Microsoft. Geek Squad offers transfers for $50 for a transfer. Literally, all they do is plug your HDD in, start the transfer, and say "come back tomorrow".

So will you need a working 360 to transfer from the old, big HDD to the new small one? I had some trouble when my old PS3 broke, and transferring that HDD to the new slim wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. This sounds a little less troublesome, but still a hassle.

I don't think it's the same cable because it doesn't look like you can use it the same way. If it is, thank god because I have the original one too

its the same cable

where do you see the cable?

to save $20 for a CABLE, I would totally copy everything in 8gb chunks via flash.

So that means I gotta pay $20 for something im going to use ONLY once?

I still have the same cable from when I bought the 120GB HD as a standalone item a couple of years ago. I wonder if I can use that one. I mean, it will still plug into the old HD easily enough.

I could do it in 8GB chunks, but I have a lot of data on there, would take ages to do all that, I'd rather pay for the cable and be done with it. :)

Does the $20 transfer cable transfer the licenses too?

@Greyvvolf You can transfer your gaming licenses on Xbox.com for free once or twice a year. I think you just have to sign in with your gamertag once on the new console to make it show up on the license transfer page.

MS nickel and diming you? Color me surprised.

Glad I held on to my transfer cable.

Thanks for the reply.

@Acosta02:
The $20 cable does not transfer the licenses. The free tool on Xbox.com does.

I'm pretty sure you can move everything in one go if you have a large enough portable (USB) HDD (has to be exFAT, IIRC). No need for multiple passes w/ an 8GB flash drive.

Of course, I could be wrong. Still, since I have a spare, empty 500GB HDD sitting around... all I'll have to do is format it to exFAT and make an attempt. Worst case scenario, I do at most 4 passes (seeing as I'm still on a 20GB HDD).

(This is all assuming I even get the redesigned. Gonna sit and wait to hear about hardware issues first...)

-- Griffinhart

Suckin the money out of the consumer one $ at a time ha... why couldn't they just do a simple usb cable?

Why do you need one? Just go to the license transfer page on Xbox live online, change your default console, then download all your content to the new Xbox. Then transfer save games with a USB drive (they generally aren't that big).

With the USB addition recently, I just don't see why you'd want to waste money on a cable.

I am sure the original cable would still work, the new Xbox still has USB ports so I don't see why it wouldn't work.

wtf? why did that post there?

How hard they are to find? I just ordered one off the Microsoft website like a month ago.

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Xbox 360 slim HDD data transfer cable to retail for $20

Reader Comments (56)

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:41PM panzerjedi said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:55PM 216 said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 8:16PM Raiki said

Posted: Jul 15th 2010 1:05PM FredFredrickson said

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Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:42PM Viking34 said

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Posted: Jun 14th 2010 10:11PM Ballistic H said

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Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:47PM Evin said

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Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:47PM Annoying Adam said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:56PM Grey said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 8:17PM Raiki said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 8:35PM Acosta02 said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:47PM LegionsReign said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:48PM Evin said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:47PM L0sther0 said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:47PM xnifex said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 9:31PM xnifex said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 8:00PM R Planteer said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:53PM LegionsReign said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:51PM Arsenic13 said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:57PM Arsenic13 said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:56PM WiNGSPANTT from TopTierTacticsco said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 8:05PM TheMainProtagonist said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 8:05PM Annoying Adam said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:56PM maemikemae said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 8:35PM DelTrigger said

Posted: Jun 14th 2010 7:57PM garnsr said

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Posted: Jun 16th 2010 5:36PM kjsin1994 said

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Posted: Jun 14th 2010 8:30PM (Unverified) said

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