Why the Xbox Series S May Be a Better Option than Series X

Published 09/10/2020, 11:23 PM EDT

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The Xbox Series X and Series S announcement has created quite a buzz in the gaming community. Comparisons across consoles are a common sight, especially between the PlayStation and the Xbox.

We have already covered which one of the Microsoft or the Sony console is a practical choice. However, when it comes to the Xbox, is the Series X worth investing the extra bucks in?

Xbox Series S Has a Better Hardware Component Than PlayStation 5

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Xbox Series X specs

via Imago

The premium variant would cost $499 (Estimated Retail Price) on launch. The buyers also have an option to buy it at $34.99 a month for 24 months if they opt for the Xbox All-Access Pass which includes various other benefits as well (only available in 12 countries as of yet).

  • CPU: 8x Cores @ 3.8 GHz (3.66 GHz w/ SMT) Custom Zen 2 CPU
  • GPU: 12 TFLOPS, 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz Custom RDNA 2 GPU
  • Die Size: 360.45 mm
  • Process: 7nm Enhanced
  • Memory: 16 GB GDDR6 w/ 320mb 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

Xbox Series S specs

via Imago

The cheaper version of the new Xbox known as the Series S would cost $299 (Estimated Retail Price). The All-Access Pass can also be used to buy the Series S at $24.99 for 24 months.

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While the model has been priced at $200 less than its premium version with a few hardware reductions, the question remains, will there be a major difference in gameplay?

  • CPU: Eight-core 3.6GHz (3.4GHz with SMT) custom AMD 7nm
  • GPU: 4 teraflops at 1.550GHz
  • RAM: 10GB GDDR6
  • Frame Rate: Up to 120 fps
  • Resolution: 1440p with 4K upscaling
  • Optical: No disk drive
  • Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD

As per a recent blog post, Xbox claims that their consoles use proprietary technology to deliver a “next-generation gaming experience.” The Xbox Series S is designed around the same technology that will make these games and so many others look and feel incredible.

In the blog, Phil Spencer, Head of Xbox says, “In speaking to game developers, we identified the areas that are most difficult to scale effectively, including the CPU and I/O, and made it easy to include Xbox Series S for developers who are targeting their experiences for the Series X.

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“Powered by the Xbox Velocity Architecture, you can expect the same benefits from Xbox Series S such as faster load times and Quick Resume. The Series S also supports all the same next-gen features including HDMI 2.1, frame rates up to 120fps, DirectX Raytracing, and Variable Rate Shading.

“It will also support Spatial Sound, including Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Vision via streaming media apps like Disney+, Vudu, and Netflix at launch. Plus: Dolby Vision support for gaming will come first to our next-gen consoles in 2021.”

Comparison

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This would mean that the users are playing the extra bucks for a disk drive, 512GB SSD storage, 8K resolution, higher clock speed and a much more efficient CPU. The question that arises is, would the upgrade in hardware lead to a substantial improvement in the gameplay? The hardware would enable users to run games at maximum graphics on bigger displays. This would obviously require people to have 8K displays which cost thousands of dollars. However, by asking developers, to deliver the same gaming experience on both the consoles, Microsoft is rendering the Series X a mere novelty item. Since the Series S would also be capable of running the same games at high graphics on 4K displays while providing a similar sounding experience, it definitely makes for a more practical choice.

With the given pricing difference, it seems that the Series S not only beats the Sony PS5 but also the Series X in practical use. It looks like Microsoft is trying to push people into buying the Series S.

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Written by:

Shwetang Parthsarthy

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Shwetang Parthsarthy is an eSports author at EssentiallySports. His love for arguments and games has led him down two paths: being a law student and writing about the world of gaming since 2017. What started as a teenage hobby in the relatively small mobile gaming world with FPS games like Critical Ops and Call of Duty: Mobile, has grown into a professional pursuit with EssentiallySports.
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