After two months testing the new Microsoft consoles , I am going to tell you how I found these two new generation machines. And is that, considering that today it is impossible to buy one, should you despair? Is it better to wait quietly? Well, let me help you clear all those doubts.
Two consoles with perfect design
Let’s start at the beginning. The design of the new Xbox Series X and Series S is simply stunning. It may all come down to a very personal perspective, but IMHO they are perfect. They are perfect because they continue to maintain a continuity with respect to the previous models, with straight lines and a very minimalist design, but everything is perfected even more with a more complete block without too many edges.
In the case of the Xbox Series S, we find a device that surprises with its size. It is so small that at no time would you think that we are facing a new generation console, but the truth is that it is. It must be remembered that its maximum native resolution is 1440p, but as we will see later, a good rescue can be enough for many users.
On the other side we have the great Series X. And I say great because it is great, although not as big as the PlayStation 5. Its monolithic design is possibly one of the most surprising ever seen in a console, since it imposes its aesthetics and seriousness. It is a team that was born to offer the greatest graphic power, and that is where its processor and the GPU configuration with 12 teraflops come into play .
With the X Series we will be able to play in 4K at 60 images per second, and we can also do so in 4K at 120 images per second in some titles with less graphic load and better optimized. It is a beast that begins to demonstrate its technical capacity as soon as it is turned on, since, with the hibernation mode activated, we will only need a couple of seconds to get to the main menu.
X Series or S Series?
At the level of experience, both consoles will offer practically the same, but certain aspects will have to be taken into account, since, depending on your configuration and your requirements, one console could fit you better than another. In short, if you are a casual gamer, who has a screen of no more than 50 inches and is not in a hurry to reach the latest releases on the market, Xbox Series S would be an ideal proposal for your needs.
On the other hand, if you want to be up to date, enjoy the most spectacular graphics possible and have a large number of games installed, Series X is the model you are looking for. And to verify it, nothing better than some comparative samples.
Differences
As you can see in the images that we leave you below, Series X and Series S present differences in the level of detail in the same games when we play in 4K resolution. While Series X offers a fairly deep level of detail, in Series S a lot of sharpness is lost in most textures. The reason is none other than the rescue applied by the machine, since the native resolution in which the game is being generated is 1440p, so the console needs to increase the image to fill the remaining pixels until reaching 4K on the screen. to which you have it connected.
This is something quite appreciable in large inches, so our recommendation is that you take it into account if you have a TV of more than 50 inches at home.
| Xbox series x | Xbox Series S | |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 8 Core AMD Zen 2 CPU @ 3.8GHZ 3.6 GHz SMT enabled | 8 Core AMD Zen 2 CPU @ 3.6GHZ 3.4 GHz SMT enabled |
| GPU | AMD RDNA 2 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz |
AMD RDNA 2 20 CUs @ 1.565 GHz |
| GPU power | 12.15 Teraflops | 4 teraflops |
| SoC | 7 nanometer custom | 7 nanometer custom |
| RAM | 16 GB GDDR6 of which: 10GB @ 560GB / s 6GB @ 336GB / s |
10 GB GDDR6 of which: 8GB @ 224GB / s 2GB @ 56GB / s |
| Target performance | 4K @ 60 FPS, up to 120 FPS | 1440p @ 60 FPS, up to 120 FPS |
| Storage | 1 TB PCIe Gen 4 NVME SSD | 512GB PCIe Gen 4 NVME SSD |
| Expansion slot | 1 TB cards | 1 TB cards |
| Retrocompatibility | Hundreds of Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Xbox games available from launch. Backward compatibility with Xbox accessories. | Hundreds of Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Xbox games available from launch. Backward compatibility with Xbox accessories. |
| Optical unit | 4K UHD Blu-ray | Not available |
| Video output | HDMI 2.1 | HDMI 2.1 |
| Price | 499 euros | 299 euros |
Another aspect in which consoles also differ is in storage capacity. Series S stays at 512 GB of capacity (around 100 GB less if we count what the operating system occupies), and that in the end translates into free space for 3 or 4 high-caliber games. Xbox Series X doubles the capacity, leaving about 825 GB free, which allows you to install much more games.
In the case of wanting to increase the capacity, we will have to use the official Microsoft expansion card, which offers 1 TB of additional space and costs 249 euros. It is an accessory that will have to be purchased, since if we use traditional USB hard drives we will not take advantage of the maximum speed of the console, and it will not allow us to install new generation games there.
Is it a good time to buy an Xbox Series X | S?
As we have told you, choosing between one model or another will always depend on your needs. Depending on the screen you have and the use that you are going to give the console we could recommend one or the other, so you should analyze exactly when and how you are going to play with your new console. Another issue will be to be able to find an available model, and that is that today it is impossible to find stock of either of the two models, and everything indicates that new units will not arrive until June.
On the other hand, in the event that you can get a forgotten console in a department store or opt for the second-hand market, you should also take into account the catalog of games that exists today. With the delay of Halo Infinite, both Xboxes were orphaned in a release that was simply stuffed with third parties. The lack of their own titles slightly overshadowed the launch of both consoles, and only recently the arrival of The Medium has somewhat cleared the way.
But after two months of life, a game that sells consoles is still missing, and perhaps Microsoft has a safe conduct in its magnificent Xbox Game Pass service. Only if you are interested in accessing a large catalog of games (many of them accessible from Xbox One), the combination of the service with the console could make sense. Otherwise, you will have to keep waiting.