Xbox Series X/S Consoles

Get gaming with the Xbox Series X|S consoles

The Xbox Series X and S entertainment consoles are for more than gaming: access tons of entertainment with amazing processing power and picture.

What’s the difference between the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles?

Introduced in November 2020, the Xbox Series X is the flagship console that features some notable upgrades over the Xbox Series S. It is a large, rectangular cube finished in sleek back with heat channeled out of the back while the Xbox Series S is thinner and finished in white.

The Xbox Series X supports the playback of 4K games as well as UHD Blu-ray discs through a physical drive, whereas the Xbox Series S is a digital-only console that accepts digitally downloaded games and supports up to 1,440p gaming at up to 120 fps. With support for 4K, the Xbox Series X can render games in 4K and 60 frames-per-second (fps), which can make a difference for serious gamers with a 4K enabled TV. Both consoles, however, can play back video at up to 8K.

The Xbox Series X also has a 1TB SSD, which can store about 16 games while the Xbox Series S has a 512 GB SSD, enough for about five. The Series X is equipped with 12 teraflops of graphics processing versus just four with the Xbox Series S.

What features do both consoles have?

Both the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X offer fast game play and reduced load times via ultra-low-latency and improved responsiveness. With advanced 3D spatial sound, you get dynamic audio to match the stunning visuals on screen. They also support thousands of gaming titles across four generations of Xbox consoles. Though, as noted, you can only play digital files with the Series S model where the Series X also accepts physical discs.

The Xbox Velocity Architecture found in both affords a custom SSD, with the Xbox Series X having a larger hard drive, as noted. With both, you can also access popular entertainment apps right from the console, like YouTube and Netflix (subscription to the service may be required).

Both have USB and HDMI ports and can work with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership for downloading and playing hundreds of game titles.

Which Xbox console is best for you?

Both Xbox consoles are powerhouses when it comes to gaming and entertainment. If you’re looking for the absolute best when it comes to video quality, processing power, graphics processing, and storage, fork over the extra money for the Xbox Series X.

If you want to play Blu-ray discs, including games and movies, opt for the Xbox Series X since the Xbox Series S only plays digital files. Keep in mind, however, that most (if not all) game titles come with a digital code as well.

If you’re willing to compromise, the Xbox Series S console provides most of the same features as the Xbox X console with a few pared down specs for much less. If you don’t have a 4K TV, for example, you can’t take advantage of the support for 4K gaming in the Series X model anyway. But if you’re a serious gamer who wants the top of the line and don’t want to skimp on any features, go for the Xbox Series X.