Competing against the PlayStation 5 this shopping season is the new Xbox Series X and series S. Both consoles were released by Nov. 10 with their respective accessories and are available through retailers like GameStop, Amazon, Target and Walmart. 

Both consoles come with “next generation” features according to Microsoft, such as quick resume, spatial sound and 120 frames per second (FPS). The Series X retails for $500 and the S retails for $300.

“This launch is especially exciting because Xbox hasn’t launched a new console in a while,” senior Evan Fippen said. “Playstation launches and updates quite frequently compared to Xbox, but they still compete side-by-side.” 

Series X

This console has a black exterior accompanied by black wireless controllers. The console stands 15.1 cm x 15.1 cm x 30.1 cm and weighs about 9.8 lbs. This is the biggest cosmetic difference between the X and S; the X is bigger all around, and with that extra space come a few extra features. 

The Series X comes with one terabyte of custom solid-state drive (SSD) internal storage, this can also be expanded by the Seagate Storage Expansion Card. This plugs into the back of the console providing additional game storage at the same performance. 

The frame rate is significantly increased to 120 FPS compared to the original 60 FPS in the Xbox 360. This is possible with the appropriate monitor and set up, so some may not be able to see the full potential with the hardware currently owned. 

“I think the Series X is a little expensive for features that many people won’t use,” Senior Trey Johnson said.

The processor is much stronger in hopes to eliminate loading time between games. This processor comes with 12 teraflops of processing power and 4k gaming resolution. It also provides up to 8k high dynamic range for video quality. This is lowered down to 4k resolution and 60FPS when streaming or recording is involved.

Series S

Contrary to the Series X, the Series S is primarily white, with the matching-colored controllers. This console stands at 6.5 cm x 15.1 cm x 27.5 cm and weighs 4.25 lbs. This is smaller and lighter than the Series X, but the price does represent that. With purchase, the console comes with a Xbox wireless controller and a high-speed HDMI cable. 

This console comes with 512 gigabytes of custom SSD internal storage, which is a bit less than the Series X but can be expanded with the USB 3.1 or the expansion card. 

At the given price, the Series S holds 1440p (megapixels), and 4 teraflop processor. However, it still produces 120 FPS and is capable of 8k high dynamic range for video. 

The Series S is focused more on portable, wireless, easy gameplay. For this reason, an optical disc drive is not provided and promotes disk-free gaming. With this feature you can order the Series S and X with pre-installed games and play the moment they launch. Xbox also offers a Game Pass which allows players with access to over 100 games 

“If you’re looking for an affordable console with all the new software, I would definitely say go for the Series S”, Fippen said. “You get all the new features for a good price.”