The more affordable Xbox Series S was confirmed today. But how does it stack up against Xbox Series X? We look at the specs of both models.
As we noted earlier today, the Xbox Series S lacks a disc drive, but that’s not all. It also has different specs than the Xbox Series X.
Microsoft says that the Series S has four times the processing power of Xbox One. In comparison, the Series X has eight times the processing power of Xbox One. So it’s a leap forward but not as much of a leap forward.
For an apples-to-apples comparison, you’ll probably want to examine the specs. Oh, and look here. We’ve included the specs for both models below. How convenient!
For a more detailed look on the hardware, keep reading.
Xbox Series S Specs
| CPU | 8x Cores @ 3.6 GHz (3.4 GHz w/ SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU |
| GPU | 4 TFLOPS, 20 CUs @ 1.565 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU |
| SoC | 7nm Enhanced |
| Memory | 10 GB GDDR6 |
| Memory Bandwidth | 8GB @ 224GB/s, 2GB @ 56GB/s |
| Internal Storage | 512GB Custom NVME SSD |
| I/O Throughput | 2.4 GB/s (Raw), 4.8 GB/s (Compressed, with custom hardware decompression block) |
| Expandable Storage | 1 TB Expansion Card (matches internal storage exactly) |
| External Storage | USB 3.2 External HDD Support |
| Optical Drive | Digital only |
| Performance Target | 1440p @ 60 FPS, Up to 120 FPS |
Xbox Series X Specs
| CPU | 8x Cores @ 3.8 GHz (3.6 GHz w/ SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU |
| GPU | 12 TFLOPS, 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU |
| SoC | 7nm Enhanced |
| Memory | 16 GB GDDR6 w/ 320b bus |
| Memory Bandwidth | 10GB @ 560 GB/s, 6GB @ 336 GB/s |
| Internal Storage | 1 TB Custom NVME SSD |
| I/O Throughput | 2.4 GB/s (Raw), 4.8 GB/s (Compressed, with custom hardware decompression block) |
| Expandable Storage | 1 TB Expansion Card (matches internal storage exactly) |
| External Storage | USB 3.2 External HDD Support |
| Optical Drive | 4K UHD Blu-Ray Drive |
| Performance Target | 4K @ 60 FPS, Up to 120 FPS |
Microsoft announced the Xbox Series X specs in March, so these are not new. But it does give you an easy comparison between the two different models as you consider which one to buy.
Analysis
So you’ll notice that the Series S has a similar CPU as the Series X but a clearly inferior GPU. That’s because Microsoft is marketing the Series X as a 4K gaming machine while only aiming for 1440p on Series S.
RAM is another major difference between the two machines and the size of the internal SSD, but load times should be the same. To keep things simple, if you’re looking to play in 4K, the Series X is the route to go.
Conclusion
Xbox Series S retails for $299 while Xbox Series X is $499. Both models launch on November 10, 2020. We’ll have more details on next-gen console launches, including the PS5, as we get closer to November.
