The Xbox Series X and S consoles are available on November 10 in several countries, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. And, since Microsoft is releasing two new consoles at different price points to play next-generation games, it’s important to understand how they differ to decide which is better for you.
So, how do these two game systems differ? Price is perhaps the most important factor, the Xbox Series X has a retail price tag of $499, while the Xbox Series S is more affordable at $299.
In terms of size, the Series X is a black cube-like device with an exhaust vent at the top. It also includes a disc drive, which means that you’ll be able to play physical media and digital downloads, and with an optional drive that supports Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. On the other hand, the Series S is a white rectangle-like device with an exhaust vent on the side, and since it doesn’t feature an optical drive, it’s relatively 60 percent smaller. Also, this means that you can only play digital downloads.
| Xbox Series S vs. X tech specs | ||
|---|---|---|
| Xbox Series S | Xbox Series X | |
| Dimessions | 275mm (10.8in) tall and 151mm (5.95in) in depth and width | 301mm (11.85in) tall and 151mm (5.95in) in depth and width |
| Processor | 8x Cores @ 3.6GHz (3.4 GHz w/ SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU | 8x Cores @ 3.8GHz (3.6 GHz w/ SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU |
| Graphics | 4 TFLOPS (teraflops), 20 CUs (compute units) @ 1.565 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU | 12 TFLOPS (teraflops), 52 CUs (compute units) @ 1.825 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU |
| System on a Chip (SoC) | Custom 7nm Enhanced SoC | Custom 7nm Enhanced SoC |
| RAM | 10GB GDDR6 RAM 8GB @ 224GB/s 2GB @ 56GB/s | 16GB GDDR6 10GB @ 560GB/s 6GB @ 336GB/s |
| Performance Target | 1440p @ 60 FPS (up to 120 FPS) | 4K @ 60fps (up to 120fps) |
| Storage | 512GB PCIe 4.0 NVME SSD 2.4GB/s (uncompressed) 4.8GB/s (compressed) | 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVME SSD 2.4GB/s (uncompressed) 4.8GB/s (compressed) |
| Expandable Storage | 1TB Expansion Card | 1TB Expansion Card |
| Disc Drive | No (Digital Only) | 4K UHD Blu-Ray Drive |
| Display Output | HDMI 2.1 | HDMI 2.1 |
| Networking | Ethernet Wireless | Ethernet Wireless |
| Ray Tracing | Yes | Yes |
| Audio | Audio out only, through HDMI port | Audio out only, through HDMI port |
| Backward Compatibility | Most Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox. Xbox One accessories are backward compatible. | Most Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox. Xbox One accessories are backward compatible. |
| Other specs | Full tech specs | Full tech specs |
Either system features an AMD’s Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architectures, but the Xbox Series X offers 12 teraflops of processing power and 16GB of memory for up to 4K resolution and up to 120fps. However, the Xbox Series S provides up to 4 teraflops of power and 10GB of memory that limits resolution to up to 1440p resolution and up to 120fps. You can still use the console on a 4K TV, but it will upscale the native resolution without actually rendering the content in 4K.
Also, both consoles come with fast SSD storage, but the one on the Xbox Series X includes 1TB of storage, while the Xbox Series S only ships storage with 512GB.
Although these two systems are significantly different in design, graphical power, and storage, they share some core similarities. They both use the same processor architecture to play the next-generation games. The Xbox Series S may include a smaller drive, but it’s as fast as the one in the Series X, and both consoles include the same expansion slot to add more storage. The consoles can stream and output content at 4K resolution, and they both support DirectX ray tracing, variable refresh rate, and variable refresh shading.
Which Xbox Series should you buy?
The answer depends on the kind of gamer you are and your budget. If you already have a collection of physical game discs, you want to watch movies using physical media, and you want the most performance, then the Xbox Series X is the best choice for you.
Otherwise, if you prefer downloading your games, you stream all your content using streaming services like Netflix and YouTube, and you are a casual gamer, then the Xbox Series S is the best console for you.
The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will be ready for preorder on September 22, and they’ll be officially released on November 10 at the Microsoft Store, Amazon, and many other retailers around the world.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows expert and the Editor-in-Chief who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He is also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 12 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows, software, and related technologies, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.