The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, collectively referred to as Xbox Series X|S, are two consoles representing Microsoft's entry in The Ninth Generation of Console Video Games. They are the fourth generation of the Xbox console family, following their third console line, the Xbox One. Of the two, the Series X is the more powerful, premium console, while the smaller, less powerful Series S is value-oriented and can only play digitally downloaded games. Both consoles were released on November 10, 2020.
Similar to the PlayStation 5, the Series systems take advantage of a Solid State Drive for storage to enable significantly faster load times. The systems also have a new Quick Resume feature, allowing multiple games to be paused and exited while letting you open another without losing the game state of the other games. Quick Resume even saves the game state if the console is turned off.
The Xbox Series line of consoles supports all games playable on the Xbox One, including backward compatible original Xbox and Xbox 360 games. The only exception to this are games that require Kinect, as the new consoles do not support the peripheral. As a bonus, all backwards compatible games benefit from the increase in power and the internal SSD - performing better and loading faster as a result. For example, Grand Theft Auto IV, a 360 game with rough performance even on the One X, runs at a near flawless 60 frames-per-second on the X|S. While some games are limited in what improvements they benefit from due to framerate or resolution caps that were placed in there with the Xbox One's performance in mind, Microsoft has stated that they will be able to remove said caps in certain games (such as Fallout 4) without the developers having to touch anything using a feature called FPS boost.
The systems' controller is a refined version of its predecessor's, including a slightly smaller size to accommodate a wider range of hands, a USB-C wired connection replacing the microUSB one, a redesigned D-pad similar to the one from the Elite controller and a share button to allow instantaneous online sharing of screenshots and other data from the console. The new controller is backwards compatible with Xbox One consoles and all Xbox One controllers and peripherals (minus Kinect) are fully compatible with the X|S.
Cross-generation compatibility extends to other aspects of the console as well. The Series X|S use the same operating system and interface as the Xbox One. Crossgeneration Video Games also benefit from Microsoft's "Smart Delivery" program, which makes cross-gen games a seamless experience. Rather than having separate releases for both the Xbox One and the X|S versions, Smart Delivery rolls both versions of a game into a single release and automatically supplies the correct version of the game based on what system it is installed onto, for free and with all progress, save data, and achievements seamlessly moving back and forth, and multiplayer cross-play between both systems. The use of the feature is optional for developers, however, with some games (such as the FIFA Soccer and Madden NFL franchises) implementing their own cross-gen upgrade systems and others (such as Devil May Cry 5) simply having no upgrade path at all.
Technical Specifications
Xbox Series X
Processors- CPU: AMD Zen 2-based CPU with 8 cores running at 3.8 GHz (3.6 GHz with simultaneous multithreading)
- GPU: Custom AMD Radeon RDNA 2 based GPU with 52 CUs at a frequency up to 1.825GHz, for a sustained performance of 12.15 TFLOPs
Memory/Storage
- 16 GB of GDDR6 SDRAM with a 320-bit bus (10 GB at 560 GB/s, 6 GB @ 336 GB/s)
- 1 TB NVMe based SSD with a raw throughput of 2.4 GB/s, though a compression block can raise the throughput to about 4.8 GB/s.
- 4K UHD Blu-ray drive.
Xbox Series S
Processors- CPU: AMD Zen 2-based CPU with 8 cores running at 3.6 GHz (3.4 GHz with simultaneous multithreading)
- GPU: Custom AMD Radeon RDNA 2 based GPU with 20 CUs at a frequency up to 1.55GHz, for a sustained performance of 4 TFLOPs
Memory/Storage
- 10 GB of GDDR6 SDRAM with a 128-bit bus (8 GB at 224 GB/s, 2 GB @ 56 GB/s)
- 512 GB NVMe based SSD with a raw throughput of 2.4 GB/s, though a compression block can raise the throughput to about 4.8 GB/s.
- No optical drive.
- Both consoles can have their storage expanded using either proprietary expansion cards or USB 3.2 external HDDs.
The Series X is targeting a performance of 4K at 60fps, with frame rates up to 120fps, while the Series S is targeting 1440p at 60fps, also with frame rates up to 120fps.
Games announced or released
- Twelve Minutes
- Aeon Drive
- AEW Fight Forever
- Age of Empires
- Age of Empires II Definitive Edition
- Age of Empires IV
- Age of Mythology Retold
- Alan Wake II
- Alba: A Wildlife Adventure
- Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX
- Alone in the Dark (2024)
- ANNO: Mutationem
- Anodyne
- Another Crab’s Treasure
- APICO
- Arcade Paradise
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
- [[index/]]Assassin's Creed:
- Azure Striker Gunvolt Series:
- The Ascent
- Astronite
- Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
- Avatar: The Last Airbender: Quest for Balance
- Avowed
- Back 4 Blood
- Battlefield 2042
- Balan Wonderworld
- Balatro
- Black Myth: Wukong
- Baldur's Gate III
- Bio Mutant
- Blasphemous II
- Blue Protocol
- Borderlands series:
- Born of Bread
- Braid
- Breakneck City
- Bright Memory Infinite
- Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (2024)
- Call of Duty
- Call of the Sea
- Cassette Beasts
- The Casting of Frank Stone
- Castle Of Pixel Skulls
- The Chant
- Chorus
- Clash: Artifacts of Chaos
- Cocoon (2023)
- COGEN: Sword of Rewind
- Contra: Operation Galuga
- The Crackpet Show: Happy Tree Friends Edition
- Crash Bandicoot
- The Crew Motorfest
- Crime Boss: Rockay City
- Crossbow Crusade
- Crossfire X
- Crow Country
- The Crown of Wu
- Crown Trick
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Cynthia: Hidden in the Moonshadow
- Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles
- DEEEER Simulator
- Disco Elysium
- Doki Doki Literature Club! Plus!
- DiRT 5
- Dragon Ball:
- Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
- Dragon Ball Fighterz
- Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2
- Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO
- DREDGE
- EA Sports UFC 5
- Eastern Exorcist
- Ebenezer and the Invisible World
- Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
- Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising
- El Paso, Elsewhere
- Everwild
- Evil Dead: The Game
- Evil West
- Exoborne
- Exoprimal
- Fable
- Fall Guys
- FIFA 21 (through 23)
- EA Sports FC 24
- The Finals
- Final Vendetta
- Final Fantasy
- The First Berserker: Khazan
- The First Descendant
- Fobia: St. Dinfna Hotel
- Foreclosed
- Fortnite
- Forza
- Forza Horizon 4
- Forza Horizon 5
- Forza Motorsport (2023)
- Freedom Planet 2
- Fuga: Melodies of Steel
- Funko Fusion
- F1 2021
- F1 Manager 2022
- Garfield Lasagna Party
- Gears 5
- Gears Tactics
- Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed
- Ghostlore
- Ghostrunner
- Grand Theft Auto
- Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition:
- Grand Theft Auto V Expanded and Enhanced Edition
- Grand Theft Auto VI
- GreedFall
- GRID Legends
- Grounded
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2021)
- Gungrave Gore
- The Gunk
- Halo:
- The Master Chief Collection
- Halo Infinite
- Happy's Humble Burger Farm
- Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos
- Heidelberg 1693
- Hellboy Web of Wyrd
- Hell Let Loose
- Hell Pie
- Hi-Fi RUSH
- High on Life
- Hitman
- Hoa
- Hogwarts Legacy
- Immortals Fenyx Rising
- Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
- INDUSTRIA
- Inescapable
- Isonzo
- It Takes Two (2021)
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R
- Judas
- Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash
- Jurassic Park: Survival
- A Juggler's Tale
- KeyWe
- King Arthur: Knight's Tale
- The King of Fighters XV
- Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series
- Klonoa (2008) (based on Door to Phantomile remake)
- Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil
- Kung Fu Kickball
- Kunio-kun:
- Land of War - The Beginning
- The Legend of Tian-ding
- LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
- Lies of P
- Life Is Strange: True Colors
- Like a Dragon
- LISA: Definitive Edition
- Little Bug
- Little Kitty, Big City
- Little Nightmares II
- Lost in Random
- Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
- Madden NFL 21
- Marvel's Avengers
- Marvel's Blade
- Mass Effect Legendary Edition:
- Master Detective Archives: Rain Code
- The Medium
- Metal Gear
- Metal Gear Master Collection Vol. 1 :
- Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater
- Metaphor: ReFantazio
- Midnight Suns
- Mika and the Witch's Mountain
- Minecraft Dungeons
- MLB The Show 21
- Mobile Suit Gundam:
- Monster Hunter
- Monster Hunter: Rise
- Monster Hunter Wilds
- Mr. Prepper
- MultiVersus
- My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure
- Naruto X Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections
- NBA 2K21
- Need for Speed Unbound
- Neptunia:
- NHL 22
- Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl
- No Rest for the Wicked
- OD
- Oddworld: Soulstorm
- OlliOlli World
- Operation Wolf Returns: First Mission
- Overcooked! All You Can Eat
- The Outlast Trials
- Outriders
- Paleo Pines
- Palworld
- PAW Patrol: Grand Prix
- PAW Patrol World
- PAYDAY 3
- Penny's Big Breakaway
- Pentiment
- Perfect Dark (Remake)
- Perish
- The Persistence
- Persona
- Persona 3 Portable
- Persona 4 Golden
- Persona 5 Royal
- Persona 5 Tactica
- Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis
- A Plague Tale: Innocence
- Planet of Lana
- Potion Permit
- PowerWash Simulator
- Pragmata
- Primal Light
- The Prince of Landis
- Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
- Pro Gymnast Simulator
- Project Eve
- Pumpkin Jack
- Puyo Puyo Tetris 2
- The Quarry
- Redfall
- Remorse: The List
- Resident Evil
- The Rise of the Golden Idol
- RoboCop: Rogue City
- Rocket League
- RP Golf Legends
- Save Room
- Scarlet Nexus
- Sea of Stars
- Second Extinction
- Senuas Saga Hellblade II
- Serious Sam series
- Sherlock Holmes Chapter One
- Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
- Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom
- SIGNALIS
- Skull & Bones
- Skull Island: Rise of Kong
- Slime Rancher 2
- Sniper Elite 5
- Sonic the Hedgehog
- Soul Hackers 2
- Soulstice
- South Park: Snow Day!
- A Space for the Unbound
- Spidersaurs
- SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake
- Star Ocean: The Divine Force
- Star Trek: Resurgence
- Star Wars
- Star Wars: Squadrons
- Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
- Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection:
- State Of Decay 3
- Starfield
- Steelrising
- Still Wakes the Deep
- Story of Seasons: A Wonderful Life
- Stray Gods
- Street Fighter 6
- Steven Universe: Unleash The Light
- Sword Art Online: Last Recollection
- Tales of Arise
- Tales of Kenzera: ZAU
- Tekken 8
- Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown
- Tetris Effect
- Them's Fightin' Herds
- Thirsty Suitors
- Thymesia
- Trash Quest
- Tunic
- Turbo Overkill
- Twin Robots: Ultimate Edition
- Two Point Campus
- Unicorn Overlord
- Vampire: The Masquerade — Swansong
- Vernal Edge
- Wanted: Dead
- Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
- Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II
- Warstride Challenges
- Watch Dogs: Legion
- Wildcat Gun Machine
- Wild Hearts
- The Wind Road
- Visions of Mana
- Wizard with a Gun
- Young Souls
- Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel