Cross-Gen Face-Off: Xbox Series S vs SSD-Enhanced Xbox One X

Digital Foundry : Microsoft choosing to release a lower power Xbox Series console coupled with a prolonged cross-gen transition period has led to a fascinating head-to-head as the vintage 2017 Xbox One X manages to hold its own in some regards up against the brand new Xbox Series S. Just how close is the contest, and can adding an SSD to the legacy machine help? Oliver Mackenzie delivers this deep dive.

[darthv72]

Ive thought about upgrading my one x with a 1tb ssd. Then I think I dont use it as much as my series s except for disc based games I play once in a while. It's not worth the effort in my case but for anyone else who has yet to get a series s/x... more power to them.

[gamer7804]

I just bought a high speed usb stick for 35$, so much faster and put my most used games on the 256gb stick. Just make sure it’s 400MB/s one they are cheap.

[darkrider]

The one x is such a great console. With the ssd is much better. Half the time to load. If you have the one x only jumping to the series x makes sense. The series s is just underpowered. Good for casuals that don't care about graphics, rez or play on big 4k tv's.

[darthv72]

I like the one x. The only place where it really beats the SS is in memory capacity. 12gb of DDR5 is still better than 10gb of DDR6. That is a deficit the SS cant make up and the reason more X enhanced gamed arent directly relative to the SS.

Otherwise the SS can play all the games the One X can in better performance. One X doesn't offer FPS boost like the SS, and SS optimized games run better than One X. As for 4k, there are plenty of games that dont run at 4k on either the One X or SS and yet when upscaled look better on the SS than the One X.

I dont know how they do it but maybe the newer GPU in the SS offers better upscaling than the One X. If only they had kept the same 12gb memory size......

[darkrider]

Are you kidding did you see the video or any comparisons. Gpu wise is weaker got less ram, much less bandwidth. 4k? The s got problems running games at locked 1080p...the only advantage is cpu and ssd. Nothing more. Beside the fact its a digital console 364 gigas.... The matrix demo run at sub HD and epic needed to ask help from coalition to run the series consoles...

[Tacoboto]

CPU, SSD, general performance and efficiency of its modern architecture, rendering techniques exclusive to next-gen, higher levels of detail on games optimized for the system (such as FH5).

If you actually try the system (instead of complaining about it daily on a website), it doesn't look like this muddy mess people like you try to make it out to be, even on a 4K display.

[darthv72]

@dark, think of these systems like cars. How is it a newer 4cyl engine can perform equal to or better than an older 6cyl one? Raw engine hp is just one aspect, its how everything else thats built around it works to create an overall more efficient running machine.

Yes, it really is that simple to understand. When it comes to the gas tank (memory capacity), the 6cyl has a bigger tank than the 4cyl but the 4cyl can hold its own with the tank its paired with.

[CaptainHenry916]

"Are you kidding did you see the video or any comparisons. Gpu wise is weaker got less ram, much less bandwidth. 4k?"

You're wasting your time. They will always believe that the Series S is a next gen console and that its powerful enough. Don't waste your breath. When the Unreal Engine 5 game's comes out then it will be a reality check ✔️ for everyone.

[darthv72]

The real time wasters are those who try so hard to downplay something they have no interest in.

[Tacoboto]

UE5 supports Switch and iPhone, and already has a perfectly playable demo on Series S; do you even know what you mean?

Of course not. You spent a year railing against Halo and hated it so much you beat it in a week.

[Gamer79]

Or just a reality check for you captain.

[Aloymetal]

''When the Unreal Engine 5 game's comes out then it will be a reality check ✔️ for everyone.''
You nailed it!

[darkrider]

Yeah, cross Gen Games droping to 549p, 720p, dynamic 1080p... And they keep saying that it's next Gen... News after news. Only casuals will believe. I really don't understand why hardcore gamers keep hyping something that only casuals would believe it's a next Gen console... The games looks worse that a console from last gen...

[John_McClane]

The series s is a next gen console.

[MadLad]

Games look pretty good on the Series S I've been playing around with here and there.

[John_McClane]

I agree, I have the series s and a one x and on a 43" 4k tv I don't see a difference in graphics.

[John_McClane]

I have both consoles and the s runs circles around the one x.

[darkrider]

In zero games. Cpu, yes. Graphics not even close. Next Gen console that can't run games at locked 1080p...

[M3talDiamond]

What Im wondering is what happens when 1080p TVs are phased out? I have a Series S and it looks great on my 1080p TV but when I played it on my 4k TV and it looks too blurry. It would have helped the Series S if they used the One X GPU

[darthv72]

Ive used my SS on two different 4k sets. Both are samsung with one being an older 2016 model and one a newer 2019 one. And the SS looked really clean on both. The older is a 55" and the newer is 40". I previously had my one x on the 40 and switched it to the 55 as I needed a disc player in my living room. So the SS went into my bedroom.

I guess thats a really long drawn out way of saying the brand/quality of the tv makes all the difference.

[ocelot07]

My answer would be you must have a cheap brand 4k TV. No before you say that's not me making fun of you if that's the case.

Now I actually had ago of a series s not to long ago on my own TV (oled b8 from lg). Had ago of flight sim, cod cold war, Forza horizon 5, FIFA 22. Now I don't know what resolution they run at on the s. But they looked really good on my oled. I was actually a little impressed with the s.

If the s looked blurry on your TV. Then that's most likely due to the upscaling on your TV not being very good. If you where to play a 1080p console on a 4k TV. The TV takes that 1080p signal and then upscales it.

[iplay1up2]

All of my 4K TV's upscale HD images to UHD. Even my first 4K TV that is 6 years or so old. Doesn't your 4K TV do that? If it does, the images should look decent when playing Series S.

I don't have a Series S. I am just wondering about your 4K TV. Also have you tried tweaking your picture mode, on your TV while playing your Series S, on it?

[ChasterMies]

1080p we’re phased out about 5 years ago. Couldn’t buy one then and you can’t now. The best you can do is get a large 1080 monitor. This is why I don’t recommend a Xbox Series S for anyone.

[MadLad]

I had a PS4 Pro, I now have a PS5, and own a gaming PC with a series 3 GPU and an i9. I'm impressed with what you get out of the Series S, and have absolutely no issues gaming on it.

[darkrider]

Low rez. Nothing more. The s is 1080p to 1440p machine at best...

[MadLad]

And, even as a PC gamer at heart, I still recommend 1440p at 60fps+ for games. If you have a good TV for upscaling, the Series S is a solid machine for what it is.

I'd love to see how many games are actually 4k/60 on either the PS5 or the Series X through the generation.

[Gamer79]

Maybe people can now understand that the series s is a replacement for the one s.

[ChasterMies]

Exactly. Why leave money on the table? The budget market used to be old consoles. (And with the used market, it still is.) Of the low end current gen consoles, I recommend the PS5 digital. $100 more than the Series S but you get true current gen power and more hard drive space.

[Deathdeliverer]

Personally I think Microsoft is intentionally holding back the Xbox one X. The One X takes a dump on the Series S in almost every stat. ALMOST. The games show it. Yes the Series S has a newer graphics chip but games on One X run in higher (MUCH higher in a lot of cases) resolution than the Series S versions but are capped at 30 fps. Series S will run the same game with more detail but a wildly unstable frame rate. I think if they reduced One Xs resolution and increased its frame rate we’d have games that might not look as good under scrutiny but will run a lot better than series S versions.
Microsoft undoubtably knows this and holds the One X back otherwise series S will look like, well exactly what it is, a weaker One X in some ways for the same price. I think it’s also why they stopped making the One X a while ago. So if anyone ever wanted to settle for a One X they couldn’t.
I love my Series X but man my mind has not changed seeing this new gen enter year two. The series S shouldn’t exist.

[darthv72]

The first part of your comment is obvious. Both MS and Sony went on record to say they did not want to segment the userbase by allowing the better systems to have their own games. We all know both the One X and Pro were capable of more than just better res and fps. Sadly we will never really know their full potential. Regardless of that....

Series S is actually the better of the two. It is capable of playing games not available on the One X and other One line of products. That isnt to say the games could not run on the later, only that they werent built to run on the later. Im sure Flight Sim and The Medium and Scorn could run on a One X if they so inclined, but they dont so... yeah. We could speculate the same thing about the PS5 and some of its games. Any game can be made to run on virtually any platform if they put the work in to do so. Hell... there is a guy remaking a version of Symphony of the Night for the Mega Drive of all things. And its quite impressive.

Like the video says, the Series X is the natural progression of the One X and the same can be said about the Series S. To say it shouldnt exist is to say the One S shouldnt exist or the PS4 slim shouldnt exist... but they do so deal with it. It is the perfect budget system for those looking for a cheap entry point into 9th gen gaming. You will be surprised at how well it can hold its own and we will see that over the course of this gen.

[Deathdeliverer]

@Darth

Read what you’re saying and NO it’s not the same as Sony. There is no halfway PS5. At the same time PS4 pro doesn’t hold a candle to PS5. Xbox One X in the other hand is WAY more powerful than Xbox One. It’s also more powerful in most regards to Series S, the halfway Series X. It shouldn’t exist because of that simple fact. You say it’s going to hold its own when next gen kicks into high gear….. it is barely holding its own now with intensive games. You think it’s going to get that much better with games getting that much more demanding how exactly?

And your argument that it doesn’t run flight simulator and scorn but it probably can…. Um… not that I’m counting but doesn’t that kinda prove the point? At the same time you’re talking about some random guy remaking Castlevania for mega drive…. Dude. A-Castlevania bloodlines was on genesis and B- That’s remaking the game. It’s not the same game running BETTER on megadrive. Forza is running BETTER on One X with double resolution. Halo is running BETTER on One X. Far from the same thing. Compare series X to one X. Now that’s a bully beatdown. That’s why Series S shouldn’t exist. Reading your comment makes me think you agree but don’t want to and argued anyway.

[anast]

The S is insulting.

[MadLad]

I don't know.
I own a PC that runs circles around it, and still find it a solid machine to play on.

Was given one around the holidays, and it has been a good experience.

Got one for my niece and nephew, and I know they're enjoying it.