Xbox Series X and S Consoles

Microsoft’s latest Home Console is available in two models: the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S. The Xbox Series X is the premium model with a suite of state of the art features and technical specifications. The Xbox Series S is a budget model designed as an entry point for the Xbox Series platform. Both models play the same games, utilize HDMI 2.1 output and can have their storage expanded up to 2TB.

The Xbox Series X has better graphics and performance capabilities, with more interior storage and a disk drive for playing games from a physical disc. The Series X will play all the same games as an Xbox Series S Console but with higher settings. This typically means the same game running on a Series X will have a higher resolution than on a Series S, with the same frame rate performance.

Whilst both Consoles target high framerate (up to 120fps), the Series X targets 4K up to 8K resolutions, whereas the Series S targets a lower 1440p resolution.

One difference between the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S is their internal storage capacities. Both models feature the same type of high speed SSD (Solid State Drive) storage technology. The SSD greatly reduces the load times of any installed games on the Xbox.

The Xbox Series X has a 1TB SSD which is almost double the 512GB capacity of the Xbox Series S SSD. The cheaper Xbox Series S also does not have a built-in disc drive, which means it will only play digital versions of games. This means the Xbox will need enough available internal storage on the Console to install all the games you want to play.

The simple solution is to free up space by uninstalling games no longer played to make space. Once purchased digital games can be reinstalled at any time, but will need to be redownloaded. If more games need to be installed at one time, then SSD Expansions can add an extra 1TB or 2TB.

Most games on the Microsoft Store can be played on both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Titles that are given the Optimised for Xbox Series X|S designation have either been developed or rebuilt to take full advantage of the power of the most recent Xbox Console range. In addition to this, there are a significant number of older titles that will also run on the Xbox Series X & S.

Most of the games released for Microsoft’s previous Xbox One will be playable on the new Xbox Series X and S Consoles. In many instances these older titles will also look and perform better on the newer hardware with improvements to resolution, framerate and auto HDR. Keep in mind that compatibility is handled by the game developers on a per title basis and disc versions of games will not work on an Xbox Series S, which does not have a disc drive built-in. There is also a select library of classic games from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 era that will run on the Xbox Series X or S.

If you are considering buying a new Video Game Console, then there's a good chance it will come down between Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S Consoles and Sony’s PlayStation 5. In terms of hardware both consoles are roughly on par, with each having some slight advantages over the other in some specific circumstances.

Before deciding on a new console, it is worth thinking about what specific games you want to be able to play. Although many games are multi-platform and will come out on the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, along with other platforms like Nintendo Switch and PC, there are always a select number of games that will be released exclusively on one. Sometimes a game may be a “timed exclusive” meaning that it will come to one platform first with other versions released several months or a year later.

The latest Xbox Consoles are also designed to take advantage of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass subscription service, which gives users access to a wide library of games updated regularly.