Difference between xbox s and xbox series x

If you want one of the consoles now, though, or are trying to decide between the two for holiday gift giving, note that both are in short supply but it's easier to find the Series S than the Series X. Newbie gamers will likely be happy with the S. But a lot of more seasoned gamers pooh-pooh the Series S, with its lesser storage capacity and components, as not a very future-proof choice.

Yes, technically the Xbox Series X has more memory and beefier processing components that run at faster speeds than the Series S, but it's all in service of hitting 4K and 120 frames per second while gaming without upscaling. Or it's 8K/60 frames per second with it -- if you think you need it. 

The Series S' target of 1440p and 120 fps is a lot less demanding, hence its lower-power components and smaller body. For streaming video, the Series X can do native 4K and upscale to 8K, while the series S upscales to 4K.

Now playing: Watch this: Xbox Series X and Series S offer a fine-tuned, streamlined...

5:19

The Series S comes with only 512GB of SSD storage compared with the Series X's 1TB, but thanks to Smart Delivery, games optimized for the new consoles won't take up as much space on the Series S as the Series X. If you want to keep a lot of big games on deck and in progress, the Series S supports the same Velocity Architecture for SSD expansion, either via swapping the NVMe or the pricey (relative to the price of the console) Seagate 1TB plug-in card. Whizzy new game features are designed to be compatible with both and they have the same support for the new wireless controller and other peripherals. 

Microsoft's offering both with its two year Xbox All Access bundles -- that's its plan for leasing an Xbox plus a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate -- with the Series X for $35 a month and the Series S for $25.

Xbox Series S

The biggest challenge for a living-room-bound Series S is finding a TV that supports the 1440p maximum resolution natively rather than forcing it to dial back to 1080p. Most TVs do 1080p or 4K (or both). But if the console is cohabiting with your workspace, there are a ton of compatible monitors you can connect to it. The Series X may look better, but if you're playing on a monitor-sized screen, you won't miss the 4K as much.

The Series S is a much better deal if you're planning to sign up for Xbox All Access. Once you subtract the price of the console, you end up paying about $12.50 a month for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate compared to its solo $15 monthly rate. If you have an older console, though, you may be able to get the Series X for as little as $300 with a trade-in.

Read the Xbox Series S review.

$300 at Best Buy

You're receiving price alerts for Microsoft Xbox Series S

Xbox Series X

If you've been gaming at 4K on an Xbox One X, you may want to shell out the bigger bucks and upgrade to this model. You'll be able to get a higher frame rate with the One S, but that's at the expense of resolution. If you're used to playing in 4K, 1440p might look soft to you. But that will depend on the size of your screen and your visual acuity.

Xbox All Access isn't a terrific deal with the Xbox Series X. At $35 a month, once you subtract the price of the console you're shaving only about 80 cents off putting the console on your credit card and subscribing separately to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. (If you don't have a credit card, remember that in order to sign up for the plan you still have to pass a credit check with Microsoft's third-party financing company, Citizens One. The latter is the only way to subscribe to All Access as well.)

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are Xbox's next-gen video game consoles that were released during the holiday season of 2020.

While both consoles are technically part of the same console generation (similar to how the Xbox One and Xbox One S are in the same generation), there are some noteworthy differences between the systems.

We’re here with a look at the major differences (and similarities) between the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, so you can have all of the information you need to decide which console is right for your family.

Price and Release Date

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S launched on November 10, 2020.

The Xbox Series X costs $499, while the Xbox Series S is $200 cheaper, at $299.

You can purchase either console individually, or purchase your desired system through an Xbox All Access installment plan.

Through the Xbox All Access program, you can purchase the console of your choice, along with a 24-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, for a flat monthly price for 24 months.

(As a reminder, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is Xbox’s game subscription service that gives you unlimited access to over 100 console and PC games, as well as Xbox Live Gold, for a flat monthly price.)

Through the Xbox All Access program, the Xbox Series X is available for $34.99 per month for 24 months, while the Xbox Series S can be purchased for $24.99 per month for 24 months.

Disc Drive or No Disc Drive

Aside from the price, one of the biggest differences between the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S is the fact that the Xbox Series S does not include a disc drive. This means you will not be able to play any of the Xbox games you purchase at the store using their physical discs. You’ll only be able to play games that you’ve downloaded over the internet.

Physically, the Xbox Series S is a much smaller console than the Xbox Series X, so if space near the TV is a concern, keep that in mind.

Performance and Storage

The Xbox Series X is a more powerful console than the Xbox Series S, and it also has more space to store games.

Specifically, the Xbox Series X will contain a 1TB solid state drive (SSD), while the Xbox Series S will only have a 512GB SSD (that’s about half of the space). You’ll be able to expand the storage capacity for both consoles by purchasing a separate expansion card.

The Xbox Series X will also support 4K at 60 FPS (and up to 120 FPS), while the Series S supports 1440p at 60 FPS (and up to 120 FPS).

Aside from these differences, both consoles will be able to play next-gen Xbox games, as well as play “thousands” of Xbox One games and backwards-compatible Xbox 360 games. You’ll also be able to use your Xbox One accessories with both systems.

Check out the image below for a more in-depth comparison of the two consoles’ technical performance.

Smart Delivery

The Xbox One X will support a special feature called Smart Delivery. If your family already owns an Xbox One and you plan to upgrade to an Xbox One X, this Smart Delivery feature will allow you to purchase a game for Xbox One, and then receive an upgrade to the Xbox Series X version of the title at a later time, without buying the game all over again. 

Xbox will use Smart Delivery with all of its Xbox Game Studios titles, and all developers and publishers will have the option to use the feature for their own games.

You can learn more about Smart Delivery in our previous coverage.

The Xbox Series X and S aren't the only new video game consoles that launched in 2020. If you're interested in learning about the differences between the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition, check out our guide.

Or, if you're looking for the best kid-friendly games on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, we have a list of recommendations right here.

Brandy Berthelson

Editor-in-Chief

Brandy Berthelson has been writing about video games and technology since 2006, with her work appearing on sites including AOL Games, Digital Spy, and Adweek’s Social Pro Daily. When she’s not gaming, Brandy enjoys crafting, baking, and traveling with her husband.