New Xbox Series X & S Specs Revealed: Wi-FI, Weight, and What's Included in the Box

Microsoft has today updated the official pages for both next-gen consoles! The Xbox Series X & S weight, what's inside the box and more revealed.

[ziggurcat]

"In case you didn’t notice it, the Series X will ship with a 2.1 HDMI cable, while the Series S will come bundled with a 1.4 HDMI one."

Why on earth would they ship the Series S with an HDMI cable that doesn't have the ability to even do HDR?

[italiangamer]

Cutting costs everywhere

[ziggurcat]

HDMI 1.4 hasn't really been the standard since even a bit before 2013, so it makes no sense to supply people with a cable that can do 1080p max, and no HDR.

Now they're going to force people to spend money on a proper HDMI cable on top of the cost of the console.

Edit:

Raiden: I stand corrected - forgot that 1.4 did have some form of 4K support.

[Nitrowolf2]

1.4 supports 4K from what I read, but 1440P through sampling I believe? FPS 120 is there also iirc
It could be a labeling mistake

[RaidenBlack]

@ziggurcat
HDMI 1.4 can do 4K @ 30fps max.
HDMI 2.0 added 4K @ 60fps and HDR support.
But yea its a bummer Series S comes with HDMI 1.4 cable.

[ziggurcat]

@Nitro

If that's the case it still needs to be at least HDMI 2.0 to get proper HDR.

[Nitrowolf2]

@ziggurcat

You aren't wrong, but most probably won't notice like Vits said TBH. It's a good way to save on overall cost though, even if its not much.

This is after all a budget next gen console

[ziggurcat]

@nitro

It's a pretty lame way to try to save a few bucks. I sincerely doubt the cable itself adds much, if anything, to the cost of the console. They should really just ship the same cable in each box or at least the one that came with the Xbox One S in the Series S box, which was a proper HDMI 2.0 cable iirc.

[darthv72]

I already have a 2.0 cable at the ready. It's currently plugged into my SAD. The SS is going to replace my SAD so I'm all set.

[gamer7804]

probably makes a bigger difference for MS when they ship a ton of cables, but add on 6$ to the cost for those that are interested in gaming beyond 1080p on that console, hdmi 2.1 cables are really cheap.

[neoandrew]

U are all wrong and know nothing about HDMI.

There is no such thing as 1.4 hdmi cable, all current cables will work with hdmi 2.0 STANDARD, that means no issue with 4k, 60 fps or HDR, a cable is just this, a bunch of wires transmitting data, its the transmitter/receiver chips that negotiates the connection standard version, not the cable, if both supports it, then it will work (tv and console), didn't check 2.1 cuz it has a 4k 120 mode and this could require a 48gb cable.

There are ZERO physical connector changes between hdmi 1.4 and 2 cables.

[morganfell]

"U are all wrong and know nothing about HDMI."

True the connectors are the same.

Do you know anything about bandwidth?

HDMI 1.4 cables usually are rated for a bandwidth of 10.2 GBps
HDMI 2.0 rated for 18GBps.

With HDMI 1.4 you are stuck with YUV420. The issue with 1.4 is what you lose in compression. Also with 2.0 you pick up 32 channel audio and a sampling rate up to 1536kHz.

[UltraNova]

I assume everyone knows why the Series X comes with 3 HDMI ports since no one is asking...

[bouzebbal]

Are all gamepass games HDR 4k? It's fine to get you started if you are buying a console on a budget. And with current gen we all have an hdmi somewhere

[jerethdagryphon]

1/2 price 1/3rd power 10gb Gddr6 120 bit interface that's pretty slow.

20 cu gpu... That's half xbonex yes the underlying architecture is better but the massive cut is horrible

So there budget next gen console is on par with current gen
More cus negate archecture improvements.
This is just going to fracture user base I'm betting half way into cycle Thell be xeries x only games

[Vits]

Likely to cut down on cost. Each 1.4 HDMI cable should be cheaper than a 2.1 HDMI. And once you factor the millions of units that will be shipped. Those savings add-up quite nicely. Bearing in mind that the S Series is reportedly going to be sold at a greater loss than the Series X. It is likely that Microsoft is trying to cut costs where possible.

For us consumers is sort of a annoyance. And most casual users will not even now that they need a better cable for HDR - fortunately the Series S' port itself is HDMI 2.1. So I'm not a big fan of that move.

[kneon]

In the quantities that they would order the difference in cost is tiny. This really is just being cheap on their part.

[aaronaton]

You're talking like £5 to them though.

[Vits]

@kneon, @aaronaton

It was a small difference as you guys are trying to imply. Than Microsoft would have make that choice in the first place. And even if we are talking about as little as $1 between each cable that piles up really well when you factor the millions of units that they are going to ship.

Do I agree with they inclusion of a old standard cable? No, but it's pretty clear why they made that call.

[1Victor]

Could it be that those cables was the leftover from XB1X or X1digital and they want to get their money worth.
If in 6 month to a year depending on sales you see them switching to a newer cable you’ll know I was right 🤣

[Gaming4Life1981]

So what hdmi 2.1 cable is cheap and the console is $300 and is a next gen console. Did you expect premium everything for $300?

People want to much even when your getting a good deal.

[TheEroica]

On n4g I always look for the post with a high ratio of down votes to know who has the most sensible opinion... The down votes equate to fanboy rage at said sensible opinion.

Its accurate almost every time.

[UltimateRacer]

It’s not as good a deal as one might think, you’ll need to buy a better hdmi cable and also an SSD from MS so in total you’ll probably spend $400 and if that’s the equivalent of the PS5 Digital edition then I don’t see the point in not going for PS5 digital.

[ABizzel1]

Adding fuel to the fire unfortunately, HDMI 1.4 from what I can remember only supports 1440p up to 75Hz, so 1440p@120fps gaming isn't going to be visible with the included HDMI cable.

That being said 1440p@120fps was going to be an extreme rarity on this console anyway outside of games like Ori, but it does affect multiplayer games that may have been targeting that resolution and framerate on Series S, basically forcing the console to be a 1080p console which is mainly what the GPU was capable of anyway with the cut CUs and lower clock.

[Master_Mind]

HDMI 1.4 works fine with HDR

[Elda]

I just Googled it, hdmi 1.4 does not work for HDR.

[Atom666]

I'm confused where that info comes from. I scrolled through the source (xbox page) and the article.

So I'm apparently one of the people who "didn't notice" that.

[Atom666]

Read what, Joe Joe? This article is literally the only place I've seen 1.4 mentioned. Don't know the difference between High Speed and Ultra High Speed myself. Got a link?

Edit: Nvm, saw your comment history. Carry on little troll, carry on.

[Master_Mind]

I have been using HDMI 1.4 on my PC for a while running 4k @60 with HDR without any issues. A good gauge cable will handle that just fine at HDMI 1.4

[TheProblem]

No WiFi 6 or usb c on series X? It really looks like ps5 is the only premium console next gen

[badz149]

And yet they are screaming 120fps for the S? Not gonna happen with the included v1.4 cable! MS really think their buyers are all dumb aren't they? SMH

[neoandrew]

You have no idea at all about what u are talking, ofc it supports HDR.
You are confusing hdmi standard with the used cable, there are no such thing as hdmi 1.4 only cable, today's hdmi cables work with 2.0 without issues, not sure about 2.1, maybe some better ones are needed, but probably not.

There are ZERO physical connector changes between hdmi 1.4 and 2 cables.

[Christopher]

I'm not an expert, but I think you are wrong.

HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 support HDR. HDMI 1.4 does not.

HDMI 1.4 standard: 4K Ultra HD compatible (3840 x 2160 pixels) at 24, 25 and 30 fps, and 3D compatible. Maximum bitrate of 10.2 Gbps.

HDMI 2.0 standard: 4K Ultra HD compatible (3840 x 2160 pixels) at 24, 25, 30 and 60 fps, HDR compatible (HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Vision). Extended color spaces such as BT.2020 are supported, along with chroma subsampling up to 4:4:4. Maximum bitrate of 18 Gbps.

HDMI 2.1 is for 4k120fps.

This means, if this is actually correct, that the HDMI that comes with the Series S does not support what the box claims, which is 1440p120fps games since it can't do 120fps with HDMI 1.4.

I'm hoping it's not correct, since it would be a waste of consumer time and effort. But, not including cables or using cheaper ones has become a thing now in tech, including phones.

[Sarcasm]

I agree, "1.4" and "2.0" will work just fine. I think you're trying to tell people, that if it works, it works, regardless of the rating.

HDMI 2.1 though, seems to be an actual leap in bandwidth and might not be just a marketing gimmick this time. We'll see

[Christopher]

*misread*

[hadowajp]

Currently hdmi 1.4b has HDR

[Darkborn]

Because the series S is there way of suckering in people. Actually nevermind, Xbox is just suckering in customers in general.

[Bathyj]

Well I was told people will get the SS because most people don't have 4k TVs and didn't need a SX.

So answer me this because I'm not sure. If you don't have a 4K TV would you have HDR? No HDR for me is an immediate no buy. HDR is way more impressive than high resolution. There's no way I'm going backwards.

And can I just say,if youve got a 4k tv and are getting SS youre a moron. Get a SX you cheap bastards, you pay 1 or 2 grand for a TV and then cheap out on a console to play on it for a $200 saving.

[NotoriousWhiz]

I'm not a moron. But I am a cheap bastard. 🤷
(btw, my 4k TV was < $300)

[NotoriousWhiz]

After thorough research, a "High speed HDMI cable" is not enough to take full advantage of the Series S. Microsoft should have went with the "Premium High Speed HDMI cable" to support HDR and 120 fps.

Sources:
https://www.hdmi.org/resour...
https://blog.son-video.com/...

[Bathyj]

So can this cable even do 1440p@120fps?

[Zeref]

1.4 supports 1440p at 120fps. Exactly what the console is targeting. So why does it matter?

[NotoriousWhiz]

Source? I couldn't find anything that agrees with you.

[ziggurcat]

Because it can't do 4K with full HDR. If you wanted to watch Netflix's 4K HDR content, you'd need to buy a new cable if you didn't already have one.

[Zeref]

@Notoriouswhiz

2 second google search
https://www.hdmi.org/spec/h...

Literally right there in front of you.

You clearly didn't search anything so of course you wouldn't find anything

[NotoriousWhiz]

From your own source:

"The major features introduced in the HDMI 1.4b specification include:
... support for 4096×2160 at 24 Hz, 3840×2160 at 24, 25, and 30 Hz, and 1920×1080 at 120 Hz."

The best 1.4"b" does is 1080p at 120fps. And we still have no proof that the cable is even 1.4b.

[Ulf]

If you want HDR, you can buy a cable. Presumably you already have one, if you own a HDR TV...

Why should MS hike the unit cost, for an accessory not everyone even needs?

Keep in mind that $5 * 10 million units is $50M.

[ziggurcat]

We're talking about casual consumers who have no idea. And why should you have to buy a new cable? Why not just include the same cable that they do with the Series X? It's not going to add anything to the cost of the unit.

"Why should MS hike the unit cost, for an accessory not everyone even needs?"

Moot because not everyone is going to need the cable that's included in the Series X's box, yet they've included a proper cable anyway.

[DerfDerf]

The newest 1.4 cables do in fact support HDR. It even mention that in the article.

[ziggurcat]

It's not true, full HDR. HDMI 1.4, even 1.4b, inherently doesn't have the bandwidth to be able to offer the full experience.

If they're going to include support for Dolby Vision/Atmos, add a cable that can actually facilitate the requirements for those formats, for God's sake.

[Baza]

Pretty sure Series S has HDMI 2.1

[Nitrowolf2]

Edited: You edited your comment, the S does support 2.1 but the HDMI that ships with it is different.

Original: it depends on what 1.4 they ship it with. which tbh will be the newer ones which can support 120FPS, and 1440P res

S doesnt do 4k either, which is where fps is limited to 30fps.

[Gaming4Life1981]

lmao that made me laugh so hard. Hdmi 2.1 are not expensive so people can buy that to get next gen at $300. I liked your comment because it was funny, not the truth.

[alb1899]

Why would the X have 3 HDMI 2.1 port?

[Christopher]

2 might be for input. Similar to how you can use them on current models.

[elazz]

3 usb 3.1 gen 1 ports. Not hdmi 3.1
it's a typo in the document.
if you look at the rear it has one hdmi 2.1 port.

[gravedigger]

So, no Wi-Fi 6 and no USB-c port on XSS/X

[Bennibop]

I am shocked no WiFi 6 on series x. Does that not rule out wireless vr for xbox? Also will mean online games will run better for WiFi users on Ps5.

[BehindTheRows]

Correct.

[alb1899]

I'm not sure of the information of this article. A lots of errors.

[fathertime4464]

There are tons of errors in this article. However this is a playstation centric forum which is why you've got down votes for saying so. Hell I got down votes for saying the article is wrong it has 3 usb ports and one hdmi port. All they have to do is go to xbox.com to verify but instead they're going to believe a fluff piece article written by a crap jernalist

[azedean]

Yep, no wifi 6 strange for the most "advanced" console... No usb C, this is a joke.

[aquamala]

who the hell use wifi on consoles, please don't play multiplayer games

[Destiny1080]

so now you need to buy a new cable along with that battery pack and a 1tb expensive proprietary hard-drive

No wifi 6 on the x or s models, and no Bluetooth 5.1, both are sounding like last gen models

[Sitdown]

You don't need a new cable, or 1tb hard-drive, and the battery pack is debatable. But who am I getting, you already knew that, you just need to be extreme to express your displeasure.

[Atticus_finch]

Come on bro. Those are legit drawbacks. The console is supposed to be supporter for atleast the next 5 years.

[Stanjara]

I was thinking the same thing. Its the whole Xbox 360 Arcade console again, where you didn't get hdd, wireless controler, wifi adapter and hdmi port - well that came with the new motherboards.
Now the specs are even lower than the X model.
Happy gaming fellow kids.

[fathertime4464]

it doesn't need bluetooth 5.1 xbox's proprietary wireless signal has always been faster and more reliable than bluetooth.

[SpaceRanger]

Older wi-fi standard, no usb-c?

Are they not future proofing their console? That stuff is gonna be outdated in a few years.

[Wikkid666]

USB c connection on the console serves zero purpose. The c connector is only used for space saving.

Wifi 6 literally just came out... and people that are tech savvy enough to upgrade to wifi6, would know enough to do a hard connect to their console. It will be 5 plus years before Wifi 6 hits the masses.

[SpaceRanger]

If you’re paying premium for a console, you should get premium.

USB-C is becoming standard and most external hard drives are switching to it.

Wi-fi 6 will become standard for many if not all devices by next year.

It’s a misstep whether you like it or not. Sorry.

[NealGamby]

They're saving WiFi6 for the "Xbox Series XS is for SuperAwesome Edition" midlife refresh!

[SpaceRanger]

Lol you’re probably not wrong!

[Unspoken]

Also, all this over an HDMI cable. Funny but sad at the same time.

Should definitely have ax support. That's a miss.

[Harryvok]

No USB C or WiFi 6 is pretty disappointing. The Series S by the time you upgrade the HDMI cord and get an expansion SSD (512 for a digital console? Yeesh) isn't actually that cheap. It seems by the time you get a Series S and an expansion SSD, you may as well have bought a Series X.

[NeoGamer232]

To be fair, all these consoles are going to need expansion drives. 0.5 or 1 TB is nothing.

USB-C That is just a preference. Lot's of machines still ship with no USB-C.

In the 360 and XBO era MS shipped the latest wifi and it really didn't make a difference when compared with PS3 and PS4 that often was shipping with one generation behind.

[kneon]

A surprising number of recent devices don't support USB-C, but in this case it's a mistake. It could really benefit from the higher transfer rate when swapping games between the internal and external drives

[Harryvok]

It's just disappointing for a digital only console is all. I'd rather get the Series X and then save up for a drive later rather than get the Series S and an expansion at launch.

USB-C should be standard for these consoles, especially with external SSDs for old games or storing games to play later.

WiFi 6 should really be standard considering this is just the start of the generation. It's already obsolete. I don't think old PlayStation consoles launching with old WiFi was acceptable either.

Guess i'm just not willing to pretend i'm happy with these things.

[jznrpg]

You get almost double the space with PS5 than XXbox SS (were they going for nazi acronym? Lol) You usually have slightly less than what said amount is like 25gB and operating system for both will use like 25-50GB wild guess . So that’s 425 for Series S and 800 for PS5 if OS is higher end of memory guess. If the PS5 digital is only 100$ more it’s worth the $ you get in storage alone . That’s not including more more RAm GPU WiFi6 etc . That’s even before talking about games

[fathertime4464]

Wifi 6 has barely any range so definitelynot an issue. You may as well run a ethernet cord. the hdmi thing is definitely bullshit. 1tb, 825gb, 500gb all the above aren't enough storage, so bitching about it is just dumb. Whether you spend 3,4, or 5 on these consoles your still going to spend another 2 hundred at least on more storage, and if you say not me you're a damned liar

[evil_absolute]

Exactly - “it doesn’t have WiFi 6” neither does the majority of consumers, if you do, you would probably use Ethernet anyway given the benefits. As for USB-C.... so what ?

[RPGer]

USB-C and big battery is really neede, I hope PS5 support that because USB C is like SSD very effective and can do the job much faster and efficiently and effectively.

[fathertime4464]

Yeah your right, usb c will be much needed for ps5 since it'll probably have shittier battery life than the ps4 controller so fast charging will probably be much appreciated also what exactly do these consoles need usbc for anyways? Are you just bitching because your a Sony fan boy? I'm just asking because the controllers have a USB and the console has USB 3.1 which is more than adequate for controller inputs. External ssd is a negative for both, so what exactly are yall bitching about?

[orakle44]

Because if its not Sony its automatically bad on this site, I just don't get it.....

[jznrpg]

Why would it have shittier battery when it has been confirmed larger size mAh ? Or is that just your hope?

[fathertime4464]

@jznrpg
Why wouldn't it be shitter?! Ds4 had bigger batteries than ds4 and shittier battery life. New duelsense has more rumble and speakers and microphone so therfore probably shittier battery life.
And more importantly I thought that this was n4g, you know the place were you can make unfounded statements and get away with it. Oh wait I said that about a playstation product my bad I forgot I cant do that or god might smite me.
Also I wouldn't worry about battery life, real news of the day is sony just cut back on ps5 production due to chip yield problems. Guess my ass and every other xbox gamer will be enjoying next gen b4 most of y'all now anyways

[RazzerRedux]

USB C isn't "fast charging". It is simply a connector type. And yes, it would absolutely be better if XSX had at least one as more and more devices are adopting USB C connectors. And thankfully, USB C connectors are reversible and you can plug it in either direction. So yeah, USB C would have been better. End of the world? No, but it is what it is.

[itsmebryan]

I'm just amazed by how much people are complaining about a 1.4 hdmi cable. Forget about everything that is included in the console to harp about the cable. I'm sure MS included the proper cable for the system because if the console doesn't perform as advertised they are sunk.

[ThinkThink]

We have to complain about something though.

[itsmebryan]

Lol

[CaptainObvious878]

You're right, there are much much worse things about the xss than the hdmi cable that comes with it.

The cheap 1.4 hdmi cable is just the icing on the dumpster fire turd cake.

[yomfweeee]

Wow that S memory is a shame. Much less and much slower. Series S is pathetic. Thanks Microsoft for holding back next gen.

[CaptainObvious878]

^ This.

I don't think a lot of people fully understand the gravity of how the weak xss is going to cripple the whole of the next generation.

[phoenixwing]

honestly i'm all set for next gen thanks to the series s. My computer easily outperforms the series s so I should be fine with 1440p gaming on my monitor. I have a 2070 rtx super.

[itsmebryan]

Is non boost mode really only 9 Tflops or is it less? Do you think Sony is going to be honest and state how underpowered their flagship system is? That is what is going to hold back next generation. If the PS5 gets a large market share devs may not push next generation because of the weaker PS5. Remember the dev of scorn even said only XSX was capable of running their game. Haven't heard that about PS5.

Also has nintendo ever held back a generation? Then why would the XSS that is capable of the same effects as the XSX at lower resolution. You can save your false concern.

[yomfweeee]

@itsmebryan

PS5 is going to hold back next gen even though it will run circles around Series X?

Nintendo has always been on its own. They can put out weaker systems because their first party titles are full of nostalgia and history. Switch obviously has the advantage of it being a mobile device. The downside to their choice is a crap ton of AAA games never come to switch whatsoever. That console is skipped by many publishers.

Microsoft has none of that going for them.

[itsmebryan]

@yowfweeee
Please explain how the PS5 runs circle the XSX?

[yomfweeee]

Well that was clearly a typo, it runs circles around Series S. I said Series S is holding back next gen and you someone claim that no it was PS5 holding back next gen as if the PS5 is the worst of the 3.

[itsmebryan]

@yomfwee
Well it's not an obvious "typo" Have you sent the post by PS fans claiming the PS5 is faster overall than the XSX just the storage. We all know that is not true.

The reason the PS5 may hold next generation back is 4k. The XSS is only meant for up to 1440p and up to 120 fps. They can easily lower res for that. But, with the PS5 people are expecting 4K and since the PS5 is less powerful the devs may scale back their 4k games to keep system parity. The XSX being 1.84 to 3+ tflops more powerful it is capable of a lot more graphic fidelity than the PS5. That is how the PS5 can hold back next generation more than the XSS.

[Hawk198666]

No optical port. Lame. PS5 better have one or I'm skipping next gen

[fathertime4464]

ps5 doesn't have one either and high end audio doesn't use optical it uses hdmi. Optical is a thing of the past

[franwex]

What year is this? 2000? No one uses that port bro.

I guess you can play on base PS2 and skip this gen.

[Charal]

Memory bandwidth is really slashed on XSS vs SX.
It will hurt a low performances under high load on next gen titles.

I am really interested to see how games like RE village will run on it vs true next gen boxes.

[RandomPolishGuy]

What's in the box?!

[Greatball1987]

Guess we see how they managed to whittle the price down.

[Binarycode]

FLOP. 35-40million sales.

too many mistakes on microsofts part

[anast]

The series S will be jank and still no mention of how much that memory is going to cost. I would be very wary about the series S. The series X is what it is, but that series is some bottom self stuff.

[NealGamby]

Disappointing that it's not future proof. All new electronics coming out now support 802.11ax, better known as "WiFi6".

Also, they don't even include a HDMI 2.1 cable with the S. How do they expect those of us with capable tv's to take advantage of their advertised features like being able to run 120fps or Variable Refresh Rate if they're not supplying us the correct cable out of the box? Maybe they know something we don't?

[franwex]

The S is more for casuals that think that 4K means bigger screen. They won’t care about what decimals their cables come with.

We do. But look at us. We are in a video game website commenting. Completely different audience.

[CYALTR]

Over 100 comments into the thread and finally someone who actually gets the point of who the S is targeted to!! Well done!

[Jayszen]

One would think that given how important this launch is for MS, Phil would have tossed in a 2.1 cable and bore the cost differential as 'goodwill to loyal customers'. But once again they are penny pinching! They never learn!.

[Edgelordsupreme]

If memory serves me right, the PS3 only came with composite cables. I don't know why they bothered not even including at least a 2.0 cable, but I would argue you guys are making a much larger deal out of this than it actually is.

No one in the market for a Series S is worried about 120fps or VRR.

[Jericho1337]

The target audience for the Series S probably don’t know what HDMI 2.1 is. Why can’t people understand this??

[FanboysKiller]

"3×hdmi 3.1" say what !!!

[Notellin]

Article has an error. Lists 3 HDMI ports when it's meant to be the 3.1 USB Gen 1 ports.