The wait is finally over — Xbox Series X|S has arrived. Last week, Microsoft launched the Xbox Series X to widespread critical acclaim. Boasting the most powerful hardware ever seen on a home video game console and nearly full backward compatibility with older Xbox One titles, the Series X is an incredibly compelling game system. Microsoft also released the Xbox Series S on the same day, offering many of the same benefits as its bigger brother, but at a more affordable price. Are the Xbox Series X and Series S worth it? Keep reading to find out.
Table of Contents:
- Xbox Series X Price and release date
- Xbox One vs Xbox Series X|S Specs
- Xbox One vs XBox Series X|S Games
- Which Xbox should I buy for 2020 and beyond?
Xbox Series X price and release date
The Xbox Series X launched on November 10, 2020 for $499. The Xbox Series S came out the same day for $299. Taking a trip down memory lane, the original Xbox One launched on November 22, 2013 for $499, with eventual price drops taking it all the way down to $299 before being discontinued in favor of the $299 Xbox One S in August 2016. Microsoft also released the more powerful Xbox One X as a mid-cycle refresh in November 2017 for $499.
As you would expect, prices on Swappa are considerably lower. But just how much lower are they? The original Xbox One can be yours for under $100, whereas the more powerful Xbox One X starts at just $190 on Swappa. Putting this into context, you can buy FIVE Xbox One consoles on Swappa for the price of a brand new Xbox One X — and still have a few bucks left over for games. Or if you’re a 4K gamer, you can purchase TWO Xbox One X consoles and still have $120 left over to spend as you see fit. But price doesn’t tell the whole story — so keep reading as we take a closer look at how these consoles stack up.
Xbox One vs XBox Series X/S Comparison
Now it’s time to see how the new Xbox Series X and Series S stack up to the outgoing models.
| Xbox One / One S | Xbox One X | Xbox Series S | Xbox Series X | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD “Jaguar” 8-core, 8-thread 1.75 GHz | AMD “Evolved Jaguar” 8-core, 8-thread 2.3 GHz | AMD Ryzen “Zen2” 8-core, 16-thread Up to 3.6GHz | AMD Ryzen “Zen2” 8-core, 16-thread Up to 3.8GHz |
| GPU | AMD Radeon GCN 2 853MHz / 914 MHz | AMD Radeon GCN 4 1.2GHz | AMD Radeon RDNA 2 Ray Tracing Acceleration 20CU @ 1.6GHz | AMD Radeon RDNA 2 Ray Tracing Acceleration 52CU @ 1.8GHz |
| Graphics Power | 1.3 / 1.4 TFLOPS | 6 TFLOPS | 4 TFLOPS | 12 TFLOPS |
| System Memory | 8GB DDR3 RAM 68.3GB/s Bandwidth (32MB ESRAM cache at 204GB/s) | 12GB GDDR5 RAM 326GB/s Bandwidth | 10GB GDDR6 RAM 224GB/s Peak Bandwidth | 16GB GDDR6 RAM 560GB/s Peak Bandwidth |
| Storage | 500GB or 1TB SATA 5400RPM HDD | 1TB SATA 5400RPM HDD | 512GB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD 2.4GB/s Read Bandwidth (RAW) | 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSD 2.4GB/s Read Bandwidth (RAW) |
| Game Disk | Blu-ray Up to 100GB/disc | Ultra HD Blu-ray Up to 100GB/disc | N/A | Ultra HD Blu-ray Up to 100GB/disc |
| Video Out | 1080p 60Hz TVs HDMI 1.4 | 4K 60Hz TVs HDR supported HDMI 2.0 | 4K 120Hz TVs 8k 60Hz TVs HDR and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) HDMI 2.1 | 4K 120Hz TVs 8k 60Hz TVs HDR and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) HDMI 2.1 |
| Audio | AMD TrueAudio | AMD TrueAudio | Project Acoustics 3D Audio | Project Acoustics 3D Audio |
| Dimensions | 333mm (h) x 79mm (w) 274mm (d) | 300mm (h) x 60mm (w) x 240mm (d) | 275mm (h) x 65mm (w) x 151mm (d) | 301mm (h) x 151mm (w) x 151mm (d) |
| Release Date | November 22, 2013 | November 7, 2017 | November 10, 2020 | November 10, 2020 |
| MSRP | $499 (as low as $95) | $499 (as low as $190) | $299 MSRP | $499 MSRP |
Xbox Series X|S Performance
Let’s not beat around the bush — the Xbox Series X is an absolute gaming powerhouse. With 12 TFLOPS of computational power, the Xbox Series X is the world’s most powerful game console. This means that many of your favorite games will run at 4K resolution and an insanely smooth 120 Hz frame rate. Future games will also be specifically coded to take advantage of this added processing power — so expect to see cinema-quality effects such as real-time ray tracing, convincing volumetric fog, advanced physics, dynamic lighting, and much more.
What is a TFLOP?
Graphics power is measured in units called teraflops (TFLOPS). This represents the number of operations that a computer or game system can execute within one second, with 1 teraflop being equivalent to 1 trillion floating-point operations per second. The higher the better — and this directly translates into greater resolutions and frame rates, while simultaneously allowing developers to implement new and innovative graphical effects.
The Xbox Series S, on the other hand, isn’t quite as powerful. With 4TFLOPS of graphics power, it’s roughly a third as capable as the Xbox Series X. In practice, this means that in games where the Xbox Series X delivers 4K resolution at 60 FPS, the Series S will generally target 1080p at 60 FPS — or even 30 FPS at times.
In terms of raw graphics power, the previous generation Xbox One X actually serves as a sort of middle-ground between the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. With 6 TFLOPS of computational power, the older Xbox One X can often deliver higher frame rates and resolution targets than the Series S, though performance will obviously vary from title to title. What’s particularly noteworthy about this comparison is that the Xbox One X can be had for as little as $190 on Swappa — making it roughly half the price of a brand new Xbox Series S.
In summary, the Xbox Series X and Xbox One X are capable of delivering a great 4K gaming experience with loads of visual effects and high frame rates — but the Xbox One X can do so for a fraction of the price.
Xbox Series X|S Storage
It’s not all about raw performance. Load times matter a lot, and the Xbox Series X and Series S have some of the most advanced SSD technology available today. Featuring PCIe Gen4 NVMe SSDs capable of 2.4 GB/s read bandwidth and what Microsoft is calling Xbox Velocity Architecture, the Series X and Series S load games faster than any previous Xbox — including the 4K-capable Xbox One X.
Although both the Series X and Series S offer the same drive technology, the Series X offers twice the drive capacity with 1TB of storage, compared to 512GB on the Series S.
Xbox One vs XBox Series X/S Games
What good is a lightning-fast console if there aren’t any games to play? Luckily, there are plenty of great titles you can play on any recent Xbox. Last generation’s Xbox One has an incredibly large game library of over 2600 titles. This includes staples such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Forza Horizon 4, Gears of War 5, the entire Halo franchise, and many more. Many of these titles also received graphical updates to take advantage of the Xbox One X’s additional processing power.
The number of games available for the Xbox One is only set to grow, with Microsoft promising that all first-party games such as the upcoming Halo Infinite will make their way to both the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
“You won’t be forced into the next generation. We want every Xbox player to play all the new games from Xbox Game Studios. That’s why Xbox Game Studios titles we release in the next couple of years—like Halo Infinite—will be available and play great on Xbox Series X and Xbox One. We won’t force you to upgrade to Xbox Series X at launch to play Xbox exclusives.”
Source: Microsoft Xbox Blog
In contrast, the Xbox Series X and Series S don’t have too many games just yet. With a grand total of just 33 games, players are instead forced to rely on Xbox One backward compatibility in order to fill in the gaps. Thankfully, the Xbox Series X and Series S are capable of playing the vast majority of Xbox One titles flawlessly — and the Xbox Series X is even able to do so at higher resolutions and frame rates.
Just keep in mind that these backward compatibility performance and image quality enhancements don’t extend to the Xbox Series S. The Series S is only capable of running the standard Xbox One versions of older games, rather than the more graphically intensive Xbox One X versions — likely due to the processing power limitations.
One final point to consider is Xbox Game Pass. Game Pass is a subscription service that lets you download and play nearly any game you’d like. Instead of paying for each game individually, you just pay a $9.99 monthly fee. You can think of it like Netflix, but for video games.
Currently, there are just under 500 games available for Xbox Game Pass, making it one of the best deals for players looking to diversify their gaming experience. And best of all, it works on all Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S game consoles.
Xbox One vs Xbox Series X|S in 2020 and beyond
The Microsoft Xbox Series X and Series S are phenomenal home consoles. The Series X is an all-out gaming powerhouse, capable of native 4K rendering and advanced features such as real-time ray tracing, advanced game physics, variable-rate shading, and much more. But at $499 MSRP — assuming you can even find one on store shelves — it better be fast.
If you want a premium 4K gaming experience for less, consider picking up an Xbox One X instead. With its powerful GPU and Microsoft’s commitment to providing several years of new games, the Xbox One X is a great alternative to the Xbox Series X — and best of all, it starts at just $175. And if you’re looking for the cheapest point of entry into a massive library of over 2600 games, pick up a gently used Xbox One for under $100 on Swappa.
Whichever game console you choose, you’ll always find the best deals on Swappa. Our safe and easy-to-use marketplace cuts out the middlemen to save you money. Buy with confidence because every listing is screened by our expert moderation team before it goes live.
