Cloud game saves: Frequently asked questions

For information on how to setup cloud storage for game saves, see Store your saved games in the cloud.

Game saves in the cloud requires 514 megabytes (MB) of local storage space to cache and store files prior to uploading game saves to the cloud. When you play a game, your game save is not immediately uploaded to the cloud. Instead, it is cached locally on your console and automatically uploaded to the cloud when you exit the game.

Only the game saves that you access are stored locally in a cache on your console. If you don’t play a cloud game save from your console, the game save remains in the cloud.

If cloud saved games is turned on, Cloud Saved Games will appear as a storage device along with other storage devices, such as your hard drive. When you start playing a game for the first time, you are prompted for a game-save location. Simply select Cloud Saved Games. Once you do this, your saved game will automatically be uploaded to the cloud when you exit the game.

You can also move or copy existing game saves to the cloud. For information on how to do this, see Store your saved games in the cloud.

Cloud game saves are automatically uploaded to the cloud when you exit a game. For information about this, see When is my game save uploaded to the cloud.

When you sign in on another console and start playing your game, your game save is automatically downloaded to the console (as long as Cloud Saved Games is enabled on that console). For more information about this, see Use a cloud game save on another console.

To see which game saves are in the cloud:

1. On your console, go to Settings, and then select System.
2. Select Storage, and then select Cloud Saved Games.
3. Select a game.

The game files are shown with a status. For information about what the different statuses mean, see Status of your Cloud Saved Games.

If you’re having problems using Cloud Saved Games, see Troubleshoot saved games in the cloud.

You must be connected to Xbox LIVE when you start a game in order to access Cloud Saved Games. If you get disconnected from Xbox LIVE while playing a game, you can continue playing the game. If you’re not connected to Xbox LIVE when you exit the game, your game save will not be uploaded to the cloud. You will need to connect to Xbox LIVE before you can use the game save on another console (when you connect to Xbox LIVE, your game save will be uploaded to the cloud).

No. Downloadable content must be stored locally to allow for fast loading. If you need to re-download something that you previously purchased from Xbox LIVE, see Buy and redownload content from Xbox LIVE.

Xbox LIVE profiles are already stored in the cloud. For more about this, see Use your Xbox LIVE profile on multiple consoles.

Yes. Each Xbox LIVE gamertag can store 512 MB in the cloud. When you turn on cloud saves, 514 MB of local storage space is reserved to cache and store files prior to uploading to the cloud. If this local cache begins to fill, files that have already been uploaded to the cloud will be removed from the local console cache in order to make room for new files. Don’t worry, your game saves are in the cloud and will be automatically downloaded to the local cache the next time you start the game.

Since cloud storage space is currently limited to 512 MB, you can’t copy all of your game saves to the cloud.

We recommend copying game saves for games that you’re currently playing to the cloud, as well as saving new game saves to the cloud.

For information on how to save or move a saved game to the cloud, please see Store your saved games in the cloud.

This message is letting you know that you last played this game on another console, and the game save didn’t get uploaded to the cloud. To resolve this problem, please see Troubleshoot saved games in the cloud.

Nothing. While you can’t save games saves to the cloud with a Free membership, you can move saved games from the cloud to a local storage device regardless of your membership type (Free or Gold). For information on how to move content from a Cloud Saved Games storage device to a local storage device, see Copy, move, or delete content.