Xbox Series X delivers 4K gaming at 120fps with 12 TFLOPS of processing power, while Xbox Series S targets 1440p gaming at 120fps with 10 TFLOPS, making the Series X the premium choice for high-end performance and the Series S the budget-friendly alternative for casual players.
Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Premium next-gen console with 12 TFLOPS GPU, 1TB storage, and 4K gaming capabilities.
Budget-friendly next-gen console with 10 TFLOPS GPU, 512GB storage, and 1440p gaming focus.
GPU Processing Power. Native Resolution Target. Storage Capacity. Price (MSRP). Maximum Frame Rate. Ray Tracing Support. Disc Drive
Choose Xbox Series X if you own a 4K TV, want the maximum graphical fidelity, value physical media support, and plan extended gaming sessions with demanding AAA titles. Choose Xbox Series S if you game on 1080p-1440p displays, prioritize affordability, have limited storage space concerns with Game Pass integration, or play primarily indie and lighter titles.
Xbox Series X: $499 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: AMD Zen 2 (8-core at 3.8GHz) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 12 TFLOPs | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 10GB GDDR6 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4K at 60fps native | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 2020 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: RDNA 2 (Current-gen) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 220 MB/s | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 27.5% | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $17.99/month | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Quietest gaming console ever made | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 2 (Standard & All-Digital) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: -2.9% | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: ~98% Xbox One compatible | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $180/year (Game Pass Ultimate) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: No major announcement | Xbox Series S: N/A
Standard Console Launch Price (MSRP 2026)
Xbox Series X: $499 (Xbox Series X) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 16GB | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: PCIe Gen 4 NVME | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 500+ games included | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 25 million units | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4 generations (Xbox original to Series) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 16 GB (10 GDDR6 + 6 DDR5) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 60 FPS at 4K | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: WiFi 7 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 34.43 million | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 27.4% | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 120 fps | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Forza, Starfield, Game Pass exclusives | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4000+ with enhancements | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $220 per 1TB | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $16.99 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 16GB GDDR6 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $599.99 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 3328 shading units | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 320-bit interface | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4K / 60fps | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 3500+ titles | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Baseline (100%) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 16.7 TFLOPS | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 3-4 major titles | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Standard vibration | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4K (3840×2160) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 60 FPS standard, up to 120 FPS | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 2.4 GB/s | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Supported (developer-dependent) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 8 major exclusives | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $10.99/month (Game Pass Core) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 560 GB/s | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 500+ titles (Game Pass Ultimate) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: No - standard vibration only | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 16.7% more powerful | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 10% faster | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Standard speed | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Current generation (4 years optimized) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Xbox One, Xbox 360, Original Xbox titles | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Yes, 4K/60FPS standard | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: £449.99 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 1000GB | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Yes, native 4K/60fps | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Can keep up with PS5 Pro in some instances | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4 generations (Xbox One, 360, Original, Series) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 300+ | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 3 major exclusives | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Standard SSD | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Extensive (4+ generations of Xbox titles) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Consistent 4-8% performance advantage on cross-platform titles | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Current generation optimization | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $649.99 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Not available | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 12.15 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 1000 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 649.99 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 499.99 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4K/1440p | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Extensive (4 generations) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 6,000+ (Xbox One, 360, OG Xbox) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 100+ annually | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 60 fps (targeted) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $499 | Xbox Series S: $299
Xbox Series X: 8 major titles | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 400+ (Game Pass) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 38% | Xbox Series S: 27.5%
Xbox Series X: Yes, standard | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 52 CUs equivalent (12 TFLOPS) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 10x faster SSD (vs PS4) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Baseline stable performance | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4K/60FPS confirmed (Replaced) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4 generations (Xbox to Series X) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: No thermal issues reported | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 1000GB usable | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 120fps native | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Outperforms PS5 Pro | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Game Pass (400+ games, day-one releases) | Xbox Series S: Game Pass (300+ titles)
Xbox Series X: 2,560 MB/s | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 1,000 GB | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 25+ exclusives | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 500+ (Xbox Game Pass) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Requires external TV (typically 43-85 inches) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 3840 x 2160 (4K) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 120 Hz | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: N/A (mains powered) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4.45 kg | Xbox Series S: 2.25 kg
Xbox Series X: 450+ Game Pass + digital store | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4K (2160p) | Xbox Series S: 1440p
Xbox Series X: 1000 GB | Xbox Series S: 512 GB
Xbox Series X: 4K Blu-ray disc drive | Xbox Series S: Digital only
Xbox Series X: 4K @ 60 FPS (Replaced) | Xbox Series S: 1440p @ 60 FPS (Replaced)
Xbox Series X: 8 cores @ 3.8 GHz | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Up to 4K (2160p) @ 120Hz | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 16 GB GDDR6 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $499 (standard) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 448 GB/s | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: ~50 major exclusives | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Standard FSR/DLSS support | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $500 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 60 FPS (native optimized) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 200+ exclusive | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 10 minutes | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4K/120fps (native) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4,250g (requires desk/TV mount) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: N/A (not portable) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 150+ exclusives | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 3.8 GHz (7-core Zen 2) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4K @ 120fps | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 500+ (Game Pass) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 500+ Xbox/360 games | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Standard ray tracing | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 12 TFLOPS | Xbox Series S: 10 TFLOPS
Xbox Series X: No, stationary only | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4K (2160p) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 25+ million | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 8 cores (custom x86) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 1000 GB (internal) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 500+ | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 400+ | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 28+ Million | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 12 TFLOPS | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: AMD Zen 2, 8 cores @ 3.8 GHz | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 1 TB NVMe SSD (proprietary expansion) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $499 (with disc drive) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: UHD Blu-ray included | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Hardware ray tracing (AMD) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 1.2-1.8s | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4K/60fps typical | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4 major exclusives | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 3.8 GHz | Xbox Series S: 3.6 GHz
Xbox Series X: 700+ games | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Standard implementation | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 30+ exclusive franchises | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 10+ simultaneous | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 12 TFLOPS | Xbox Series S: 4 TFLOPS
Xbox Series X: 800+ | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 16 GB | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 28 million | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 6 years (released Nov 2020) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 3.8 GHz (fixed frequency) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 500+ optimized for Series X | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 47 exclusives | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 25 million | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 180W typical | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $16.99 (Game Pass Ultimate) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $499.99 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 1.2 seconds | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Current Generation (5+ years) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4K (2160p) at 120fps | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4K 120Hz | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 156 games | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $180 | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 500 (Game Pass Ultimate) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 2250GB (expansion card) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 0 hours (requires power outlet) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 500+ fully optimized | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 2560 MB/s | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 0.5-2 seconds | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 95%+ across 4 generations | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Standard vibration, impulse triggers | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4 years (2020-present) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4+ (Halo, Forza, Gears, Starfield) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Average Game Load Time (Major AAA Titles)
Xbox Series X: ~4.8 seconds | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Consistent 50-65fps with fixed architecture | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 28 major exclusives | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 3.8 GHz | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 1000GB SSD | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4K @ 120fps (select titles) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 400+ (Game Pass Ultimate) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 139 exclusives | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 1.5-2.5 seconds | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 120 fps (variable) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $11.99 (Standard Tier) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 15 exclusives | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 4K (3840x2160) @ 120Hz | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 60-120 fps (varies by game) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 3,000 (Xbox native) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 15 minutes | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 0 (fixed hardware) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $17/month (Game Pass) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: $399 (Series X) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: ~25 million | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 120 fps | Xbox Series S: 120 fps
Xbox Series X: $60-120 (Game Pass tiers) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: Home console only; 3.8kg (8.4 lbs) | Xbox Series S: N/A
Xbox Series X: 3.8 GHz (variable) | Xbox Series S: 3.6 GHz (variable)
Xbox Series X: 1000 GB SSD | Xbox Series S: 512 GB SSD
Xbox Series X: 301 x 151 x 151 | Xbox Series S: 172 x 150 x 150
Xbox Series X: N/A | Xbox Series S: 10GB (8GB GDDR6 + 2GB DDR5)
Xbox Series X: N/A | Xbox Series S: 1920x1440 (1440p)
Xbox Series X: N/A | Xbox Series S: $299
Xbox Series X: N/A | Xbox Series S: Performance dips and frame drops
Xbox Series X: N/A | Xbox Series S: ~60% smaller
How to choose between Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S
Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S. Contains 256 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S.
Can Xbox Series S play all the same games as Series X?
Yes, all Xbox Series X/S games work on both consoles through Smart Delivery, but Series S versions may have reduced resolution (1440p vs 4K), lower frame rates (30-60fps vs 60-120fps), or reduced graphical settings. Both support ray tracing and play Game Pass titles identically in terms of library access.
Is the 512GB storage on Series S really a problem?
Yes, practically speaking. Modern AAA games consume 100-150GB each, so Series S holds 3-5 large titles before filling up. Expansion requires a $150-200 external 2TB SSD, adding 40-50% to console cost. Series X's 1TB helps but also fills quickly, making external storage important for both.
Which console should I buy if I have a 1440p TV?
Xbox Series S is the optimal choice for 1440p displays. Series X is designed for 4K TVs and wastes its performance advantage on lower-resolution screens. Series S delivers silky-smooth 60-120fps gameplay at native 1440p for half the price, making it a perfect match.
Does Xbox Series S struggle with current-gen games in 2026?
Series S remains competitive for most 2026 games at 1440p, but increasingly faces trade-offs. Demanding titles like Starfield run at 30fps on Series S versus 60fps on Series X. Game Pass day-one titles are optimized for both, but expect Series S to lag 6-12 months behind as developers optimize for Series X and PC.
Can I use external USB storage with Series X/S?
Partially. External USB drives store backward-compatible Xbox One/360 games but cannot store Series X/S optimized titles. Only Seagate's proprietary 2TB/1TB SSD expansion ($150-200) plays Series X/S games directly, making it the only practical expansion option for the current generation.
How to Choose Between Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S
GPU Processing Power: Xbox Series X has 12 TFLOPS, while Xbox Series S has 10 TFLOPS.
Native Resolution Target: Xbox Series X has 4K (2160p), while Xbox Series S has 1440p.
Storage Capacity: Xbox Series X has 1TB SSD, while Xbox Series S has 512GB SSD.
Price (MSRP): Xbox Series X has $499, while Xbox Series S has $299.
Maximum Frame Rate: Xbox Series X has 120fps, while Xbox Series S has 120fps.
Ray Tracing Support: Xbox Series X has Yes, Hardware Accelerated, while Xbox Series S has Yes, Hardware Accelerated.
Disc Drive: Xbox Series X has 4K UHD Blu-ray, while Xbox Series S has No Disc Drive.