How to Delete ‘Other’ Storage on Xbox One to Free Up Space
Nothing is more annoying than trying to download a new game only to find your hard drive is full—especially when a large chunk of that space is occupied by the mysterious “Other” category. Unlike games or apps, you can’t just click “Uninstall” on ‘Other’ storage. This data is usually a mix of system updates, local save caches, and temporary files that have built up over years of use.
At AwesomeGaming101.com, we’ve found the best ways to purge this ghost data and reclaim your gigabytes. Here is how to clean up your Xbox One storage once and for all.
🔍 What is ‘Other’ Storage?
On an Xbox One, ‘Other’ typically consists of:
- Local Saved Games: Cached versions of your cloud saves.
- System Reserved Space: Needed for the OS to function.
- Game DLC & Add-ons: Items that aren’t the main game file.
- Temporary Browser Data: Cache from the Microsoft Edge app.
Step 1: Clear Local Saved Games
This is the most effective way to shrink the ‘Other’ category. Don’t worry—your progress is safe in the Xbox Cloud!
- Go to Settings > System > Storage devices.
- Select Clear local saved games.
- The console will restart, and it will re-sync your saves from the cloud the next time you launch a game. This often clears several gigabytes of “phantom” data.
Step 2: Remove Leftover Add-ons
Sometimes when you uninstall a game, the DLC or “Pre-order bonus” files stay behind, hidden in the ‘Other’ category.
- Go to My games & apps > Manage > Free up space.
- Select Leftover add-ons.
- Select Uninstall all. This removes files for games that are no longer installed on your console.
Step 3: Clear the Blu-ray Cache
If you watch movies on your Xbox, the console stores temporary “Persistent Storage” data that can grow over time.
- Go to Settings > Devices & connections > Blu-ray.
- Select Persistent storage.
- Click Clear persistent storage.
You will never be able to delete ‘Other’ entirely. Every Xbox One reserves about 40GB to 150GB (depending on the model) for the Operating System and system updates. If your ‘Other’ is within this range, you’ve reached the limit of what you can delete.
Storage Recovery Comparison
| Action | Estimated Space Gained | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|
| Clear Local Saves | 500MB – 5GB | Safe (Cloud Backed) |
| Delete Leftover Add-ons | 1GB – 20GB | Very Safe |
| Clear Blu-ray Cache | 100MB – 1GB | Very Safe |
| Factory Reset (Keep Games) | 10GB – 30GB | Moderate (Setup Required) |
❓ FAQ: Xbox Storage Mysteries
Q: Will clearing local saves delete my progress? A: No. Your saves are automatically uploaded to the Xbox Cloud. When you clear local saves, you are just deleting the “offline copy.” The next time you play, your console will download the latest version from the cloud. Q: My ‘Other’ is still 100GB. What else can I do? A: If the steps above don’t work, perform a Factory Reset but choose “Keep my games & apps.” This flushes the OS cache entirely and often resets the ‘Other’ category to its minimum size. Q: Should I buy an external hard drive? A: Absolutely. If you find yourself constantly deleting things, a cheap 2TB External USB 3.0 drive is the best investment you can make for a legacy console.Final Verdict
Clearing Leftover Add-ons and Local Saves is the fastest way to shrink the ‘Other’ category. If you’re still out of space, it’s probably time to look into an external drive rather than fighting the system cache every week.
How much space did you reclaim? Let us know your “Before and After” numbers in the comments! And if you’re looking for more ways to optimize your console, check out our guide on Why Your Xbox One Downloads Are Slow.