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Xbox Series X and Series S

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are the fourth generation of consoles in the Xbox series. Released on November 10, 2020, the higher-end Xbox Series X and lower-end Xbox Series S are part of the ninth generation of video game consoles, which also includes Sony's PlayStation 5, released the same month.[4] Both superseded the Xbox One.

"Series X" and "Series S" redirect here. For other uses, see X series (disambiguation) and S series (disambiguation).

Also known as

  • Project Scarlett
  • Project Anaconda
  • Project Lockhart (codenames)

  • WW: November 10, 2020 (November 10, 2020)
  • CHN: June 10, 2021

2020–present

21+ million (as of July 2023)[1]

  • Custom AMD 8-core Zen 2
  • Series X: 3.8 GHz, 3.6 GHz with SMT
  • Series S: 3.6 GHz, 3.4 GHz with SMT

  • GDDR6 SDRAM
  • Series X: 10 GB/320-bit & 6 GB/192-bit (16 GB total)
  • Series S: 8 GB/128-bit & 2 GB/32-bit (10 GB total)

  • WD SN530 NVMe SSD w/ custom ASIC supporting PCIe 4.0 x2
  • Series X: 1 TB
  • Series S: 512 GB (Robot White) / 1 TB (Carbon Black)

Seagate or Western Digital PCIe 4.0 Storage Expansion Card (up to 2 TB)

  • Custom AMD Radeon RDNA 2 architecture
  • Series X: 52 CUs @ 1.825 GHz, 12.16 TFLOPS
  • Series S: 20 CUs @ 1.565 GHz, 4.01 TFLOPS

Built-in power supply (both consoles)

10.0.25398.2923[3]

  • Series X: 15.1 cm × 15.1 cm × 30.1 cm (5.9 in × 5.9 in × 11.9 in)
  • Series S: 15.1 cm × 6.5 cm × 27.5 cm (5.9 in × 2.6 in × 11 in)

  • Series X: 9.8 pounds (4.4 kg)
  • Series S: 4.25 pounds (1.93 kg)

In early 2019, rumors emerged of a fourth generation of Xbox consoles (codenamed "Scarlett") that consisted of a high-end model ("Anaconda") and a lower-end model ("Lockhart"). Microsoft teased Anaconda in June 2019 during E3 2019 and unveiled it as the Xbox Series X during The Game Awards in December. On September 8, 2020, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox Series S. A slimmed version of the Xbox Series X has been leaked which lacks a disk drive and is rumored to release in November 2024.[5][6][7][8]


Like the Xbox One, the consoles use an AMD 64-bit x86-64 CPU and GPU. Both models have solid-state drives to reduce loading times, support for hardware-accelerated ray-tracing and spatial audio, the ability to convert games to high-dynamic-range rendering using machine learning (Auto HDR), support for HDMI 2.1 variable refresh rate and low-latency modes, and updated controllers. Xbox Series X was designed to nominally render games in 2160p (4K resolution) at 60 frames per second (FPS). The lower-end, digital-only Xbox Series S, which has reduced specifications and does not include an optical drive, was designed to nominally render games in 1440p at 60 FPS, with support for 4K upscaling and ray tracing.[9]


Xbox Series X/S are backwards-compatible with nearly all Xbox One-compatible games and accessories (including Xbox 360 and original Xbox games that were made backward-compatible with Xbox One); the newer hardware gives games better performance and visuals. At launch, Microsoft encouraged a "soft" transition between generations, similar to PC gaming, offering the "Smart Delivery" framework to allow publishers to provide upgraded versions of Xbox One titles with optimizations for Xbox Series X/S. Publishers are not required to use Smart Delivery and may publish Xbox Series X/S-exclusive titles if they choose. Electronic Arts is among the developers that do not use Smart Delivery.


Critics praised the Xbox Series X/S for the hardware improvements over Xbox One and Microsoft's emphasis on cross-generation releases, but believed that the games available at launch did not fully use the hardware capabilities. In June 2023, during an ID@Xbox presentation at the Best International Games (BIG) Festival in Brazil, Microsoft revealed that over 21 million Xbox Series consoles have been sold worldwide.[1]

History[edit]

Industry rumors of new Xbox hardware had started as early as June 2018, with Microsoft's Phil Spencer confirming they were "deep into architecturing the next Xbox consoles" at that time.[10] The hardware was believed to be a family of devices under the codename "Scarlett", including a low-cost version following a similar scheme as the Xbox One family of consoles, with major emphasis on game streaming and backward compatibility.[10][11] By March 2019, further industry rumors had led to speculation of two consoles within the Scarlett family under codenames "Anaconda" and the low-cost "Lockhart" version.[12]


Microsoft confirmed Project Scarlett at its E3 2019 press conference.[13] Microsoft said they wanted a "soft" transition from Xbox One to Scarlett, with Scarlett supporting backward compatibility with all games and most hardware supported on the Xbox One.[14] During a presentation at The Game Awards 2019, Microsoft officially revealed the design of Scarlett and its branding, "Xbox Series X", as well as a late 2020 release date.[15][16] After the event, a Microsoft spokesperson said Xbox Series X was a fourth generation of Xbox hardware, which will be branded simply "Xbox" with no subtitle.[17]


Microsoft planned to detail the hardware specifications and launch games for the Series X at the 2020 Game Developers Conference (GDC) and E3 2020, but the events were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Microsoft scheduled online presentations over the same days in March 2020,[18] while the company planned to reschedule its E3 presentation.[19] Detailed specifications were presented by Microsoft, Digital Foundry, and Austin Evans of Overclock Media on March 16, 2020.[20][21][22] Starting in May and running until launch, Microsoft planned to have more digital events around the Xbox Series X and its games as part of an "Xbox 20/20" series.[23] This included an Xbox Games Showcase on July 23, 2020, featuring games principally from its first-party Xbox Game Studios.[24]


On July 16, 2020, Microsoft announced that it had ended production of the Xbox One X and all-digital version of the Xbox One S in preparation for the new products.[25]


The existence of the Xbox Series S had been guessed before E3 2019, based on a "Project Lockhart", a second, lower-end console that accompanied Scarlett.[26][27] Confirmation of the Xbox Series S naming was affirmed through early Xbox hardware accessories that some had been able to purchase.[28][29] Microsoft officially announced the Series S console on September 8, 2020, revealing that it would also be released alongside the Series X in November 2020.[9] Microsoft pointed out that the Series S had been discreetly placed in the background of previous Xbox announcement videos featuring Phil Spencer during July 2020.[30]


During Gamescom 2023, Spencer stated that Microsoft is not likely to produce a mid-generation revision of either the Series X or Series S, as it would likely cause issues with specifications for games between the first such units and mid-generation ones. Instead, he said that "that when we do hardware, it should have a reason to exist that is demonstrably different than what came before", and that likely their next hardware would be for the future tenth generation of consoles.[31]

Release and promotion[edit]

In March 2020, Microsoft stated that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, they expected the Xbox Series X to ship by the end of 2020, though they were monitoring supply chains and the safety of their workers.[115] Then, Spencer believed that while the hardware will continue to ship on time, games poised for the release window of Xbox Series X may be delayed due to the pandemic.[116] By August 2020, Microsoft committed to a November 2020 release window for the Xbox Series X, affirming the console's release was still on track.[117]


Both the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles launched on November 10, 2020,[9] with the Series X priced at US$499, £449, and €499 and the Series S priced at US$299, £249, and €299.[118][119][120] In China, the systems would release on June 10, 2021.[121] Microsoft affirmed that 31 games would be available at launch, including those from its Xbox Game Studios and from other third-party publishers, in addition to those from its Xbox One backwards compatibility.[122] While Halo Infinite had been planned as a launch title when the Series X console was first revealed, Microsoft and 343 Industries opted to delay its release until after the console's launch due to production issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.[117]


Microsoft will continue its Xbox All-Access financing plans (which bundle the hardware, Xbox Live Gold, and Xbox Game Pass as part of a monthly payment plan) for the Series X. Current All Access plans with the Xbox One will include routes to upgrade to the Xbox Series X, and Spencer states that there will be similar upgrades from the Xbox Series X in the future.[123][124][125] The All-Access option for the Xbox Series X option will be based on a 24-month plan at US$35 per month while the Series S will be based on a US$25 per month plan.[126]


Upon reveal of the Xbox Series X's vertical form factor, a popular Internet meme compared the design to a mini refrigerator. In the lead-up to the console's release, Microsoft manufactured a limited number of refrigerators modeled after the Xbox Series X exterior, complete with a disk drive handle, green interior ambient lighting, and the Xbox startup sound. Some were distributed to celebrities like Snoop Dogg and iJustine, and others were offered as part of promotional contests.[127] In March 2021, in collaboration with Microsoft, Dwayne Johnson offered smaller mini-fridges modeled off the Xbox Series X to promote his line of Zoa energy drinks; Microsoft's Greenberg stated that this was a trial run to see if the Xbox mini-fridge would have potential sales options beyond this promotion.[128] After followers of the official Xbox Twitter account helped the brand to win in a Twitter marketing vote-based championship in April 2021, Greenberg affirmed that Microsoft will proceed with producing Xbox Series X mini-fridges for purchase.[129] Microsoft announced during E3 2021 that these mini fridges would be available to purchase by end-of-year holiday period in 2021.[130] Microsoft opened pre-orders for the mini-fridge in October 2021, with plans for distribution in December 2021 in North America and European markets.[131]


Microsoft announced a 1 TB Xbox Series S model in carbon black, which was released on September 1, 2023 at a price of US$349.[132]

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