Xbox Series X/S

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S launched in November 2020 as Microsoft’s fourth generation of Xbox consoles. The Series X is the flagship model, built for maximum performance with 4K gaming and up to 120 frames per second on supported titles. The Series S is the smaller, digital-only alternative targeting 1440p output at a lower price point. Together they form the current Xbox hardware lineup, designed around backward compatibility, Game Pass integration, and the Xbox ecosystem Microsoft has built across console and PC.

I went from the Xbox One to the Xbox One X and that felt like more of an upgrade than from the Xbox One X to the Xbox Series X. Even though the upgrade didn’t feel as big, the games on it are still a lot of fun. It’s still my preferred place to play console games if they aren’t part of Play Anywhere.

Xbox Series X and Series S Hardware

The Series X is built around a custom AMD Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU delivering 12 teraflops of performance, paired with a 1TB custom NVMe SSD that dramatically reduces load times compared to the previous generation. The Series S runs the same CPU architecture with a scaled-down GPU at 4 teraflops and a 512GB SSD, making it one of the most affordable entry points into current-generation gaming. Both consoles feature the Velocity Architecture, which combines the SSD, custom hardware decompression, and DirectStorage to accelerate game loading and streaming.

Xbox Game Pass and the Series X/S Ecosystem

Game Pass is central to the Xbox Series X and S value proposition in a way that no subscription service has been for a console before. Both consoles are designed to make Game Pass the default way to access games, with hundreds of titles available on day one of release for subscribers. Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and Bethesda Softworks has added franchises like Call of Duty, Halo, Fallout, Elder Scrolls, and Doom to the service, making the catalog one of the strongest in subscription gaming.

Xbox Backward Compatibility

The Xbox Series X and S support backward compatibility with thousands of Xbox One, Xbox 360, and original Xbox titles, one of the most comprehensive backward compatibility programs in console history. Many older titles receive automatic performance improvements on the new hardware, running at higher frame rates and resolutions than they did on their original platforms. Microsoft has continued expanding the backward compatible library since launch, adding titles through ongoing updates and preserving access to games that would otherwise be unavailable on modern hardware.

Xbox Series X/S and Xbox Studios

The Xbox Series X and S are backed by a first-party studio network that includes Halo Studios, The Coalition, Playground Games, Obsidian Entertainment, inXile Entertainment, and Bethesda Game Studios among others. Halo: Campaign Evolved is in development for 2026, Gears of War: E-Day is in development at The Coalition and People Can Fly, and Fable is in development at Playground Games. The depth of the studio roster gives the platform a long runway of first-party content that has been slower to arrive than some players expected but is building toward a significant release period.

The Xbox Series X and S represent Microsoft’s most focused hardware generation, built around an ecosystem rather than just a console. Whether that bet pays off in full depends on the games still to come.