Xbox Series X Load Times
Game | |
---|---|
43 seconds | 1 min, 52 seconds |
This fast storage also helps enable a feature called Quick Resume on both consoles, which allows you to switch between games incredibly quickly in a lot of cases. The big problem right now is that its not supported by every game, although Microsoft is working to enable it across more titles. When it works, though, Quick Resume is one of the consoles best new additions, and Sonys PS5 doesnt have an equivalent feature.
One of the most significant differences between the Series S and Series X is found in the graphics department. Although both consoles use AMDs RDNA 2 graphics architecture, the Series X has 52 compute units. Thats not only more than double the 20 compute units youll find in the Series S, but theyre also clocked faster at 1.825GHz compared to 1.565GHz. In total, that means the Series X has 12.15 teraflops of graphical horsepower according to Microsoft, compared to 4 teraflops for the Series S.
There arent many cross-platform titles that allow us to see how the performance of the PS5 and Series X compare in practice, but an analysis of Devil May Cry 5 by Digital Foundrysees Sony and Microsofts consoles performing very similarly. In some modes, the Series X offers slightly faster performance, while the PS5 is ahead in others.
System Software And Features
Both consoles feature a similar user interface to the Xbox One, but there has been a 40% reduction in memory use to improve its speed. According to the UI development team, the Home section loads in about half the time as it did on the Xbox One. Other changes include adding rounded UI elements, a more-readable font for text elements, rearrangement of certain aligned features, and improvements to the sharing functions. These changes were brought to the Xbox One system software, the Windows’ Xbox application, and the Xbox mobile application around September 2020. Based on system previews, about 200 GB of space was reserved on the internal drive of the Xbox Series X for system files.
The console’s Quick Resume feature will allow users to suspend and resume more than one game at a time, and also resume suspended games after a reboot of the console.
Several video and streaming media services will be available through the system software on the consoles’ launch notably, it will be the first time that Apple TV+ will be available on Xbox consoles.
Microsoft plans to migrate the xCloud service from Xbox One S-based blade servers to Xbox Series X-based systems by 2021.
The Xbox Game Preview program, which allows games to be released through an early access model, continued into the Xbox Series X/S line with Spacebase Startopia as the first such title offered under the program in January 2021.
How To Buy An Xbox Series X On Black Friday
ByTabitha Bakerpublished 25 November 21
Restocks may be on their way, so here’s how to buy an Xbox Series X on Black Friday
This year’s Black Friday Xbox Series X deals will likely stick to accessories and games, such is the state of the console’s stock woes. However, we are expecting some Xbox Series X restock action on Black Friday. That means there’s a glimmer of hope for anyone aiming to get their hands on a console ahead of the holidays, but actually buying an Xbox Series X on Black Friday is far easier said than done.
Xbox Series X restocks have been incredibly difficult to take advantage of over the last year. With stock drops selling out in mere minutes and scalpers swarming retailer sites to secure their own inventory, actually coming out of a restock with a console under your arm has been tricky business. But it’s not impossible.
We’ve been tracking the Xbox Series X restock saga since the console’s release, and have picked up a handful of tips and tricks that see hungry punters straight through checkout. With so many retailers gearing up for more stock this week, then, it pays to know exactly how to buy an Xbox Series X on Black Friday.
- B& H Photo: Seagate game drives from $109.99
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Xbox Series X Graphics Performance
When the Xbox One X hit the market, it was considered the most powerful console ever released. The Xbox Series X is even more powerful and provides quite an upgrade in graphical performance.
Since the Xbox Series X has much-improved hardware, in-game graphics have never looked more fantastic on a console. As mentioned above, this is because of the 12 TFLOPS of and 52 compute units of the next-gen console contains which leads to considerably more computing power. And results in higher fidelity and more aesthetically pleasing graphics. In fact, the Xbox Series X can now support games up to 120 FPS at 4K though this depends on the specific gaming title.
Moreover, Microsoft has confirmed that the FidelityFX Super Resolution technology of AMD is coming to both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, which could enable developers to boost the framerates and resolution of games even further.
In addition, Epics showcase of the Unreal Engine 5 proves just how much better graphics will be on the next-generation console.
Also keep in mind, the Xbox Series X sports beefier hardware compared to the PlayStation 5. In terms of TFLOPs alone, the Xbox Series X has a significant advantage. It has, as mentioned earlier, 12 teraflops. Meanwhile, the PS5 only has 10.28 teraflops of power.
But, in general, there are significant improvements in graphical performance from the Xbox Series X including visuals, resolution, and FPS.
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What Is The Xbox Series S

The Microsoft Xbox Series S plays all the games and other content you can play on the Series X, only slower. The Series S is slightly down-specced from the Series X, with a slower CPU and GPS, a bit less memory, half the storage space, support for 4K video max, and no optical drive. The Series S can stream content for games but cannot play hard media you already own or buy.
The Series S console lists for $300, or you can buy it with a 24-month, $25-per-month Xbox All Access subscription. The Xbox Series S console is a lower-priced choice for players who dont want to spend $500 on a game console or who are more casual about their gameplay. With the current shortage of available Xbox consoles, youll probably have to pay close to $500 to buy a Series S console anyway, unless you luck out by finding one during the brief availability windows when a new shipment arrives at a retail store or website.
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Xbox Series X Cost To Run Per Week Month And Year
Now that we know the running cost for each mode per hour, lets take a look at how much our electricity costs could be per week , per month and per year .
To work this out lets use the average number of ours gamers in the US spend gaming 6.76 hours p/w.
The table below shows the average weekly, monthly and annual cost that US gamers can expect to pay in electricity charges to run their Xbox Series X.
Mode | |
$1.20 | $14.39 |
In the US, on average, gamers can expect to pay 19 cents per week, 80 cents per month and $9.64 per year in electricity to run their Xbox Series X.
At maximum capacity, it costs US gamers 28 cents per week, $1.20 per month and $14.39 per year, on average, in electricity costs to power their Xbox Series X.
Notably, it costs Xbox Series X gamers $1.60 less per year at max capacity compared to PS5 gamers playing the same amount. See how much it costs to run a PS5 per week, month and year in the US. Alternatively, get the direct PS5 vs Xbox Series X power consumption comparison, here.
So now we know what it costs on average while gaming, but what about when the console is not in use?
Xbox Series X Storage: How Much Do You Get
The Xbox Series X comes with a 1TB NVMe SSD, while the Xbox Series S is equipped with a 512GB NVMe SSD. The Xbox Series X has 802GB storage, which means 198GB is reserved for system files and the Xbox operating system.
The Xbox Series S, meanwhile, only has 364GB of usable storage. Games should take up 30% less room than their Xbox Series X counterparts as file sizes are reduced due to developers not targeting a 4K resolution, but you’ll likely need to expand the system’s memory sooner rather than later.
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New Xbox Series X Series S Controller: Price Release Date And Everything We Know
Microsoft’s Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are now available. The more powerful Xbox Series X rocks a 12TF spec sheet, alongside a more affordable Xbox Series S at 4TF, complementing our earlier exclusives. One thing we did not know about, though, was the revised controller.
Microsoft has built a brand-new iteration on its current-gen Xbox controllers, evolving its existing ergonomics and features while also adding new ones.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Xbox Series X/S controller.
Xbox Series X Vs Series S Vs Ps5
Categories | |
---|---|
$499/£449/499 | $399/£349/399 |
The difference in power generally means early Series S and Series X games run at different resolutions but often perform similarly. For example, Watch Dogs: Legion targets 4K at 30fps on the Series X and 1080p 30fps on the Series S, and both support ray-tracing for better-looking reflections.
Similarly, Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon run at 60fps at 1080p on the Series S, compared to 4K 60fps on the Series X.
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How To Expand Xbox Series X/s Storage
Microsofts solution to expanding the Xbox Series X/Ss internal memory with more super-fast NVMe storage is rather elegant, albeit expensive. Microsoft has released a 1TB Storage Expansion Card that slots into the back of both consoles, much like a memory card. Anything you store on the NVMe drives will benefit from the full suite of power that the Xbox Series X/S provide.
Microsoft has also revealed that more storage solutions will be on the way, so consumers wont just be at the mercy of buying the proprietary drive. This is good news, as proprietary drives can often be more expensive than components from third-party manufacturers.
You can plug in an external HDD or SSD to play Xbox One, Xbox 360 and original Xbox games on. You wont benefit from the lightning-quick speeds that the NVMe drives can provide, however, SSD drives are still considerably quicker than HDD, so if you do go for an external option, opt for an SSD. Any games that are optimized for Xbox Series X will subsequently need to be moved to the internal NVMe drives to be played.
Xbox Series X/S optimized games can be stored on external drives, but they wont be playable unless theyre transferred back to the main NVMe drives. Quick Resume, which is a feature that lets you suspend and resume multiple games at a time, will work no matter where games are installed.
Xbox Series X Backwards Compatibility
The Xbox Series X has a custom processor with eight AMD Zen 2 CPU cores, and a 12 Teraflop RDNA 2 GPU. That pairing means that the console can target performance of eight times the original Xbox One and twice that of the Xbox One X, with the new Xbox Series X able to execute games at a native 4K resolution and at 60 frames per second with little compromise. There are few new games at launch that will truly take advantage of this power, and so it’s, the way the powerful CPU can work in tandem with the SSD to automatically enhance backwards compatible games that will reflect the most obvious next-generation upgrades.
The Xbox Series X has full backwards compatibility for Xbox One games, and it supports any Xbox 360 and original Xbox titles that worked on that system too. Legacy titles run natively on Series X, which means that the thousands of available games automatically benefit from performance of CPU and SSD. Every game I have tested has seen significant reductions in load times lowering by as much as 70% in some cases. Typically, games run smoother, enjoy steadier framerates, and more stable transitions between the action and menu-based admin.
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Xbox Series X Launch Games
With 31 launch day games, Microsoft is touting this as the largest launch lineup in history. These are the Series X Optimized titles, which will deliver higher frame rates, resolution improvements, and new features, such as 4K 120Hz and ray tracing.
But there are no exclusives. All the games around at launch are all either playable today on the PC and Xbox One X, and are releasing on those platforms at the same time.
While Microsoft can claim a huge instant library of games, thanks to its backwards compatibility efforts, easy access via Game Pass, and a host of these optimised titles, there’s nothing here that can’t be played elsewhere. Pretties are pretty, but I’d argue they’re not game changing.
This is the full list of Day One Series X Optimized games:
Assassins Creed Valhalla |
Uk: Xbox Series X Order Details

The Xbox Series X costs £449 in the UK, while the all-digital Xbox Series S is £249. Below are links to the major UK shops stocking the Xbox. As its a brand new console, the price should be the same across all stores.
- GAME: Series S in stock
- Currys PC World: Series S in stock
- 4Gadgets : Series S in stock
- BT: Series S in stock
- : Series S in stock
- Box: Series S in stock
- EE: sold out existing customers can keep checking the Add to Plan service
- Argos: Series S in stock
- Smyths Toys : Series S in stock
- Simply Games: Series S in stock
- Shopto: Series S in stock
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Us: Xbox Series X Order Details
The Xbox Series X costs $499 in the US while the all-digital Xbox Series S is $299. Many stores are out of stock so be prepared to search high and low. One place you can buy the new Xbox Series X is StockX, but be prepared to pay more than the list price. Buyers are currently asking around $400 for the Series S and $700 for the Series X. You’ll also want to make sure the console has the right plug for your region.
- GameStop : Series S in stock
- Best Buy: Series S in stock
- Walmart : Series X and S in stock from third parties
- : available from third-party sellers
- Microsoft Store: Series S in stock
- Target: Series S in stock
- Newegg: Series S in stock
- Sams Club: out of stock
- StockX: stock available but be prepared to pay over the MSRP
Is Microsoft Even Planning To Turn A Profit
Hype for Xbox Series X has been building for months, but now that Microsoft has confirmed the existence of a $299 Series S and now that weve seen a leak claiming a $499 price tag for the Series X we have a better idea of what the full Xbox lineup will look like when both allegedly launch in November.
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Xbox Bundle Deals In Australia
Will Xbox Series X bundles appear over the next few months? There was already a Halo Infinite bundle, but that’s long sold out. Whether more stock will arrive ahead of the game’s December release is unknown, but if it does return we’ll let you know with an update at the top of this page. The Xbox Series X Halo Infinite bundle was AU$849, so pretty much the console, with an added AU$100 for the game.
So yeah: You shouldn’t expect big discounts when it comes to bundles, as stock is still rare. We don’t normally see price-drops in the early days of a console’s life-cycle, so Xbox Series X deals are probably going to be a similar price to buying the console and games separately. If anything, it’s more likely that retailers will slash prices on extras like Xbox Live Gold deals or a few free months of Xbox Game Pass.
With more first-party Microsoft games on the horizon, such as Senuas Saga: Hellblade 2, we may see more bundles. No word as yet on whether Forza Horizon 5 will get its own bundle, but we’ll keep an eye out.
For other possible bundle inclusions, take a look at our roundup of upcoming Xbox Series X games for a clearer picture.
When Will The Xbox Series X And Series S Be Easy To Find
The Xbox Series X and Series S launched on November 10, 2020, and have been in short supply ever since. This supply shortage, which also affects Sonys PlayStation 5, PC graphics cards and other components, as well as microprocessors used in vehicle production and other electronics-based devices, is widespread, related to Covid-19 and other production problems, and is likely to persist throughout 2021. The Xbox Series S has recently become easier to find, though its often out of stock. We expect it will be difficult to find an Xbox Series X until some time in 2022.
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