Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S: What’s the difference?

The Xbox Series X and Series S were released together back in 2020, but despite similar branding, there are some important differences between the two next-gen consoles that you should consider before taking the plunge.

We’re not talking about minor differences in design here either; the two consoles are surprisingly different in most areas, from price to design and even the specs of the machines. That might sound confusing at first, but it’s simply because the two consoles are designed for two different audiences; casual gamers and dedicated gamers.

If you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge on an Xbox Series console and are unsure of where to start, we’re here to help. We’ve both reviewed and used the consoles for the past four years, giving you a unique insight into the differences between the two to help you make an informed purchase. Let’s dive in.

Price

Xbox Series X with 1TB of storage initially went up for sale at £449/$499, though that price was raised to £479 in the UK in 2024. A price hike is never welcome, but you do get native 4K support in return to make it worthwhile.

The Xbox Series S with 512GB of storage costs a far more affordable £249/$299, but we’ve seen it drop down as low as £199.99 on Amazon UK, making it the far more affordable option. There are a number of compromises you’ll have to face when buying the cheaper Series S though, as you’ll miss out on a 4K performance and a physical disk drive.

There’s also an Xbox Series S console with a 1TB drive, which is priced at $349.99/£299.99, while you can get an Xbox Series X with a boosted 2TB drive for £549.99/$599.99.

Design

The Xbox Series X sports the most unconventional console design we’ve seen in decades, resembling a traditional PC far more than anything else on the market right now. To be honest, it’s a welcome change, even if some players might have trouble fitting it under their television.

Given the size of this gaming monolith, the Xbox Series S is a much smaller affair considering its relative power in comparison. It is 60% smaller than the Xbox Series X, and it is roughly two and a half controllers tall in terms of height. It’s a small yet powerful little beast and should be much easier to fit under your television. 

The Series S has a single USB port on the front alongside a small button for syncing controllers and other peripherals. Perhaps the most striking part of the design is the large black vent on the chassis, which is unusual.

Microsoft has also launched a new all-black version of the Xbox Series S with a larger 1TB hard drive, offering players a little more choice in terms of colour. But the more expensive Series X is still only available in black.

Specs

We’ve compiled the full comparison of technical specifications for the Xbox Series X and Series S below. You’ll notice that some features are rather uniform, with the biggest gulf coming in the GPU performance. System memory also shares a rather big difference, although 10GB is nothing to be sniffed at. 

Our own testing shows that the Xbox Series S usually offers a 1440p performance, but has dropped down to Full HD for particularly demanding games. There’s no doubt that games on the Xbox Series X look substantially better, with more detail and a sharper image.

We’ve noticed that both consoles have struggled to run ray tracing in the vast majority of supported games, although you’ve got even less chance of it working with smooth performance on the Series S console.

On the bright side, there doesn’t seem to be a major difference in SSD speed. Both consoles are extremely fast at loading up games, so you needn’t worry about the performance downgrade here when opting for the Xbox Series S.

Features

Aside from the difference in technical specs, the core experience across Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are almost identical with features like Quick Resume and fast loading times enabled by the SSD both being supported. The latter can fluctuate across both systems according to our testing, although the general consensus is that each console is incredibly fast regardless of the difference in power. 

The SSD storage of both consoles can be upgraded by purchasing bespoke expansion cards from the likes of Seagate and Western Digital, although these can be fairly expensive.

However, the Xbox Series X has a much more powerful GPU that in turn delivers better visuals than what you’ll get from the Xbox Series S. In testing, that translates to not only better quality textures and higher resolutions, but you also get the choice between performance and quality modes on the more powerful console to further dial in the kind of experience you want.

The other big difference between the consoles is the disk drive, or rather the absence of one on the Xbox Series S. If you opt for the cheaper Xbox, you’ll have to be dependent on the digital store and will be unable to use discount pre-owned games.

Games

The Xbox Series X and Series S can play the exact same games, meaning that you won’t be prevented from playing modern games if you do opt for the more affordable console.

Backwards compatibility plays a huge role in the new generation of consoles, with Microsoft standing at the forefront thanks to its implementation of Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Play Anywhere. A number of Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles are already playable and enhanced on Xbox One, all of which will be playable on the new series of machines. 

The “optimised enhancements” you receive for certain games will differ depending on the console you’re playing on, too. Games will still receive ample improvements, but they will always peak at 1440p and a certain level of performance, likely because the horsepower simply can’t compete with its older sibling.

You also need to remember Xbox Smart Delivery, which grants you the same game across all platforms regardless of where it’s purchased. This includes all of your saves, achievements and other important information that might be associated with online and serviced-based titles. Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Yakuza: Like a Dragon are just some of the games confirmed to support it.

Verdict

Ultimately, the Xbox Series X and Series S are both fantastic consoles, but your choice will depend on what exactly you’re looking for. If you’re not looking to game in 4K and don’t mind the lack of a physical disk drive, the Xbox Series S is a very easy recommendation.

The Xbox Series X is appealing for a lot of reasons, but it does come with a much larger price. Supported games can run in 4K – provided that you also have a 4K monitor/TV to pair it with. If you do want to play Starfield and Forza Motorsport in 4K with all the bells and whistles, the Xbox Series X is the console for you.