FIFA 10 Hard Drive Evaluation

With FIFA 10 in hand I have gone through and timed different loading areas when running off the disc compared to running off the hard drive on the 360. Installing to the hard drive not only has proven to cut down on load times, in some cases significantly, but it also reduces stress to the system and the noise it produces. For FIFA 10 the actual install process took 10:16 and the game comes in at 6.2 GB. That is the longest timed install but not the largest since the capability to install became available.

Most of the sports titles tested have shown loading time improvements from areas such as the boot up, loading into games, and loading into various modes. However that is not the case with FIFA 10. Outside of the initial boot the actual loading processes are relatively brief, so any improvements there would be marginal. The timing from initial boot to reaching the main menu is longer than average and the install doesn’t help in that regard because the screens and cinematic can not be advanced through.

Install Size- 6.2 GB
Install Time- 10:16

Loading Times
Load to Main Menu- :58 disc vs :56 hard drive (2 seconds)
Load into Exhibition Match- :17 disc vs :11 hard drive (6 seconds)
Load out of Match to Main Menu- :04 disc vs :03 hard drive (1 seconds)
Load into Be a Pro Match- :16 disc vs :12 hard drive (4 seconds)
Load into saved Be a Pro Seasons- :04 disc vs :04 hard drive (0 seconds)

As always it is recommended to install the game to the hard drive if you have the space. With FIFA 10 there is no noticeable improvements made to the already reasonable loading times but the benefit is still there with the 360 running quiet and cool throughout the play sessions.