It’s been a few years since the Xbox Series X and Series S launch, and while the console hasn’t broken sales records, there are a respectable number of them in the wild. It’s about time for a refresh, and Microsoft is delivering new all-digital versions of its consoles (say goodbye to the optical drive). They launch on October 15, but you can preorder them right now.
Whether you should is another question entirely. Microsoft has been pretty open about the fact that the company envisions a future where “every screen is an Xbox.” PC gaming on Windows—whether on gaming laptops or handhelds—is just as important to the company as the living room console. You can even stream Xbox games through a Fire TV stick now. Still, there are plenty of reasons to buy an Xbox Series X/S. It’s the most convenient way to set up a Microsoft-centric gaming system to play from your couch. So, if you’re interested, here’s how to buy one.
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What’s Different About the New Xbox Consoles?
Microsoft Xbox Series X (All-Digital)
Similar to the recent PS5 Slim, there’s not much of a difference in this mid-cycle refresh of the Xbox; both the Series X and Series S have largely the same hardware under the hood.
But there are a couple of small changes. The Xbox Series X loses the disc drive and gets a white coat of paint. As an unapologetic Xbox Series S-owner, I like the white look more, so it’s nice to see it available on the more powerful hardware. This “all-digital” Xbox Series X starts at $450, about $50 less than its predecessor, a decent trade-off if you never bought physical copies of Xbox games.
Microsoft Xbox Series S (1 TB)
The smaller Xbox Series S never had a disc drive, so there’s no drive to eliminate. Instead, for this refresh, Microsoft doubled the storage from 512 GB to 1 terabyte. The price has also gone up by $50 to $350. Given how huge AAA games can get, this seems like a no-brainer, though it’s worth noting that you can easily increase the storage of the current Xbox Series X or Series S with an expansion card.
Finally, Microsoft is releasing a special, limited-edition version of the original Xbox Series X (which has a disc drive) with a unique “Galaxy Black” paint job. This one has a space-like pattern of white and green dots with a generous 2 TB of storage. This model costs $600 and ships when the other upgraded consoles drop in mid-October.
Alongside these new consoles, Microsoft is testing a replacement for the Xbox Game Pass for Console tier of its subscription service. The new tier, called Xbox Game Pass Standard, includes the same library of console games as well as online console multiplayer service. The catch is you won’t get access to day-one releases. You’ll have to wait a little while to play certain games. Xbox Insiders can try out the new tier for $1 per month during the trial period, but it will be $15 per month when it officially launches. Microsoft is set to raise the price of Game Pass Ultimate from $17 to $20 per month starting in September.
There’s also a new accessibility-focused controller called the Xbox Adaptive Joystick. Designed to accommodate players with limited mobility, it supports customizable button mapping. Microsoft has an impressive tool for 3D-printable thumbstick toppers too; it’s free and lets you configure a design and tweak things like its height or width. You can then download the 3D file for free to print via any service or printer you choose. This isn’t your only option—new third-party accessibility controllers from Byowave and 8Bitdo offer more ways to stay in the game, no matter what mobility issues you face.
Should You Buy?
While past console generations saw substantial mid-cycle refreshes, Sony and Microsoft seem to be sticking to the basics this time around. You won’t suddenly get more frames, faster load times, or better graphics from these new Xbox models over the originals from 2020.
Still, it’s nice to have extra options. Plenty of gamers don’t bother with discs anymore, and the new all-digital Xbox Series X can save you a bit of cash if you download all your games.
The new Xbox Series S is a more notable update. Not so much if you already have a Series S, because storage expansion cards like the WD_Black ($80) can add 512 GB of storage for not much money. But if you don’t have the console at all, the new Series S will be cheaper in the long run, as you will inevitably need more storage, and you can add more space on top of the base 1 terabyte.
At the Xbox Games Showcase a few months ago, Microsoft announced it was “hard at work” on the next generation of gaming consoles but did not give a timeline on when to expect a successor to the Series X/S. It will likely be a few years until we see fresh hardware, but this does affirm that buying a new Xbox Series X/S now means you can still enjoy the hardware for the foreseeable future without feeling like you’ll have to upgrade soon.
