Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S: These are the differences
14.9.2020
Translation: machine translated
November will not only see the release of the new Xbox Series X, but also a cheaper version called Series S. Find out which of the two next-gen consoles is right for you here.
499 or 299 are Microsoft's recommended retail prices in euros and Swiss francs at the launch of the new consoles. In terms of price, the Xbox Series S is therefore on a par with the Nintendo Switch. This has an impact on the features and therefore the use.
Small console without drive
Even without looking at the exact dimensions, it is clear from looking at the pictures that the Xbox Series S is only about half the size of the Series X. So you need less space under or next to the TV for it. Oh yes, the Series X is black, the Series S is white.
One reason for the small dimensions is that the Series S has no disc drive and you can only download games. With the Xbox Series X, you can install them from Blu-rays and watch films from Blu-rays.
Microsoft also saves on storage space with the Series S. You have to make do with a 512 gigabyte SSD. By comparison, the Series X has 1 terabyte, i.e. twice as much storage space. Because the Series S has no drive, you will have to download and install each game instead of playing it from the disc. This will fill up the storage space even faster. However, you can add up to one terabyte more capacity to both with a new memory expansion card.
Less resolution, same FPS
| Xbox Series X | Xbox Series S | |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset (CPU) | 8-Core AMD Zen 2 CPU @ 3.8GHz | 8-Core AMD Zen 2 CPU @ 3.6GHz |
| Graphics unit (GPU) | AMD RDNA 2 GPU
52 CUs @ 1.825GHz | AMD RDNA 2 GPU
20 CUs @ 1.565GHz |
| Random access memory (RAM) | 16 GB | 10 GB |
The Zen 2 processor in the Series X is clocked slightly faster and the graphics processor from AMD also has a higher clock rate and more compute units. 52 instead of just 20 in the Series S. This means that the Series X can perform more graphics calculations in parallel. The larger working memory also helps here. The computing power per second then also differs significantly with 4 teraflops for the Series S and 12.15 teraflops for the Series X.
But what does this mean for gaming? Microsoft promises that all new NextGen games can be played on both consoles. The different hardware should ultimately only ensure different resolutions. The Xbox Series X is designed for a 4K resolution at 60 FPS. The displayed frames per second are an important quality feature in games, which ensures smooth animations, among other things. The Series S only fills a resolution of 1440p at 60 FPS. This is less than 4K, but many people don't own a 4K television anyway. In theory, both new consoles even support up to 120 FPS.
However, it has now been announced that Xbox One and Xbox 360 games that have been improved for the Xbox One X will not run on the Xbox Series S in this form. Such improvements include more FPS, higher resolution, better textures and faster loading times. The Xbox Series S will fall back to the Xbox One S version in these cases. This means that older games could look better on an Xbox One X than with the new Series S.
Which Xbox is right for you
That's it for the differences. Both are backwards compatible with games from older Xbox generations and the image is output to a TV, projector or other display via HDMI 2.1.
But which console is best for whom? Or to put it another way: who can save money and go for the Series S with a clear conscience?
If you already have a UHD TV at home, you should go for the Series X. Theoretically, the 1440p of the Series S can also be upscaled, but you can expect a better picture with the direct 4K resolution. The Series X is also the first choice if you want to install several large games at the same time. 60 to 100 gigabytes for a game are not uncommon and the SSD of the Series S would quickly be full. If you need the console as a Blu-ray player or want to be able to install your old Xbox games on silver discs in the future, there is no way around the Series X with its drive.
The Xbox Series S is interesting if you "only" have a Full HD TV and are not planning to replace it with a UHD model in the next few years. Then the performance of the affordable new Xbox should be perfectly adequate. If you're more of a casual gamer, the smaller storage space and purely digital access to new games shouldn't be a problem - provided you have a fast internet connection for the ever-increasing downloads.
When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.