Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are Microsoft’s new generation consoles with a release date scheduled for November 10. Last week, the manufacturer unveiled Series S, a more compact and less powerful version of Xbox Series X, but which comes at a more affordable price than its powerful brother. The company disclosed all the details of the technical specifications and design of the Xbox Series S, which it virtualised on the Internet with several memes.
In terms of value, the Xbox Series X comes for $499, while the Xbox Series S costs $299. Below is a comparison between the two Microsoft devices and learn all the differences between them.
Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S
Xbox Series X | Xbox Series S | |
---|---|---|
CPU | AMD Zen 2 Custom 8-core | AMD Zen 2 Custom 8-core |
GPU | 12 teraflops | 4 teraflops |
Memory | 16GB GDDR6 | 10GB GDDR6 |
Storage | 1TB SSD | 512GB SSD |
Reader | 4K UHD Blu-ray | Digital only |
Price | $499 | $299 |
Design
One of the main highlights of the Xbox Series S is size. According to the manufacturer, the console is the “smallest Xbox of all time,” being 60% more compact than the Xbox Series X. In terms of looks, the Series S comes in white and a format more like Xbox One than the Xbox Series X. The compact version is only digital, with no disk input.
The Xbox Series X had the design revealed long ago: the device resembles a square tower and focuses on a minimalist appearance of black color. Both consoles feature the new Xbox Wireless Controller, with the same features and novelties – the only difference is the color that follows the pattern of each, black for Series X and white for Series S.
CPU
The Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X tend to offer similar speed and performance. The consoles’ CPU is quite similar: Microsoft has confirmed that both use an eight-core AMD Zen 2 processor running at 3.8 GHz on Xbox Series X and 3.6 GHz on Xbox Series S – that is, a little slower than the more powerful brother.
This allows developers to work to deliver the same performance, but with lower resolution renderings in the case of the Xbox Series S. It is worth noting that, although less powerful, the CPU of the Xbox Series S tends to be faster than the PlayStation 5 (PS5) processor, which has frequencies up to 3.5 GHz.
GPU
To reduce the price of the Xbox Series S, Microsoft has chosen to use a different GPU than Xbox Series X. The GPU specifications of the compact version include 4 Teraflops of performance, while the larger version comes with 12 Teraflops. Xbox Series S targets 1080p or 2K (1440p) resolution monitors but can run games at up to 120 FPS.
On the other hand, Xbox Series X is capable of running games at 8K, up to 120 FPS. Both consoles feature support for Ray Tracing technology, accelerated by hardware, which serves to give more realism to images, improving textures and colors in games. Also, there is the variable-rate shading feature that promises to increase performance and rendering quality by varying the shading rate for different regions of the frame.
Memory
In RAM, both consoles work with the same category, but the Xbox Series X should have a bigger advantage. The console has 16 GB of GDDR6, with processor speeds from 10 GB to 560 GB/s (gigabytes per second) and 6 GB to 336 GB/s. Meanwhile, the Xbox Series S is equipped with 10 GB RAM of GDDR6, running with processor speeds at 224 GB/s for 8 GB and 56 GB/s for the other 2 GB.
Storage
Regarding storage, the Xbox Series S has an SSD of 512 GB. Similarly, the Xbox Series X is also equipped with SSD technology, but with a higher capacity of 1 TB. Both video games come with input to allow internal memory expansion through external SDDs of up to 1 TB of space.
Microsoft has also confirmed that both consoles have the technology known as Velocity architecture, which bets on speed to switch quickly between games. The promise is to deliver faster loading times, more stable frame rates, and the ability to leave multiple games open in the background.
Available Games
During the Xbox Games Showcase event in July, Microsoft announced several titles that arrive for the company’s next generation of consoles. The main releases include Halo Infinite, Forza Motorsport, State of Decay 3, Hellblade II, and Fable, among other games.
Besides, the consoles also feature the backward compatibility of games from all previous generations of Xbox and also services such as Xbox Game Pass and Smart Delivery. The novelty allows some games purchased on Xbox One to be upgraded to the new generation at no additional cost. Microsoft recently announced that members of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will receive free EA Play subscriptions and access to over 60 EA Games titles such as FIFA 20 and Need for Speed: Heat.
Launch and Price
Both Microsoft consoles already have their prices revealed – unlike the value of PlayStation 5 (PS5), which remains a mystery. The compact version arrives in the United States for $299. The Xbox Series X, the most powerful model, arrives in the American market for $499. With a launch date scheduled for November 10 in the U.S.
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.