Company Sony, with its PlayStation console, does not try to divide buyers into categories. Everyone reliably knows that the same Sony PlayStation 5 can be supplied with or without a disc drive. But for Microsoft, everything is different. Buyers are constantly concerned with just one question – what is better to buy, Xbox Series S or Series X. After releasing 2 consoles on the market, the manufacturer clearly drew a line between buyers. It might seem that the decision is made – the expensive console is better. But that’s not necessarily true.
Xbox Series S or Series X – similarities and differences
The architecture of both consoles is identical – it uses AMD’s Zen 2 platform. However, in terms of processing units and RAM with ROM, there are differences. The easiest way to see the difference is in synthetic tests. In floating-point operations, the Series S demonstrates 4 TFLOPS, while Series X – 12 TFLOPS. That is, the performance (theoretical) of the more expensive console is higher.
Series X is equipped with 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD ROM. The budget console has 10 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD module. It’s better not to rely solely on these figures. If desired, the volumes of both types of memory can always be increased. The focus here should be on effective gaming performance. And it depends on the power of the processor, which cannot be upgraded.
Additional differences include the presence of a Blu-Ray drive in the expensive Microsoft Series X. It is not cheap, just like the discs for it. This fact should be considered before purchase. Some find it expensive to buy discs, while others find it problematic to download games due to poor internet connection.
The ports on the consoles are identical. There are 3 USB 3.0 ports, the latest HDMI version 2.1, and a gigabit RJ-45 port for internet connection. The gamepads are also identical. The budget model has a white controller, and the Series S – a black one. The most pleasant aspect here is that the controller remains unchanged, like in Xbox One. It’s great that the manufacturer did not make changes to the standard version.
Video output to the screen – Xbox Series S vs Series X
It may seem that Microsoft deliberately equipped the expensive console with 4K video support, leaving the budget model at 2K level. This is not the case. Due to lower performance, Xbox Series S will not be able to display games at high resolutions with a normal frame rate. And note, for most 4K TVs, resolution 2K is not critical. Even in Full HD, the picture will look excellent.
One of the pleasant moments is that both consoles support ray tracing. Initially, gamers reacted negatively to this technology. But by the end of 2020, after some refinement, it became clear that this technology indeed makes lighting more realistic. And this is not the final result. This technology has a long and bright future.
Xbox Series S or Series X – which is better
It’s better to buy Xbox Series S. The reason is simple – during game development, developers faced one problem. Each console requires a tailored game. For the processor, memory, and video output. In fact, two different games need to be created. This takes time and money. Therefore, most developers chose the budget Microsoft Series S. Since these models were sold the most.
And what happens next – there are many games for Series S and fewer for the powerful Microsoft Series X. Accordingly, console enthusiasts buy the budget console. This motivates developers to continue creating games for Xbox Series S. And this vicious circle cannot be broken. Do you think which is better – Xbox Series S or Series X? Believe me – the budget model is more practical. It simply has many more cool modern games.
By the way, applause and thanks can be sent to Microsoft, which by this division into categories simply undermined all earnings from Premium consoles. Only financial subsidies to developers could fix this situation. But Microsoft is unlikely to take such a step.
