Xbox Series X vs Series S: Which Console Should You Buy in 2026
The Xbox Series X and Series S launched back in 2020 as two very different takes on the same generation one built for raw power, the other for affordability. Fast forward to 2026, and that story has shifted in a big way. Component costs have driven Microsoft to raise prices twice since launch, most recently on August 1, 2026, and the gap between these two consoles isn’t quite what it used to be. Here’s exactly where things stand.
Pricing in 2026: A Much Narrower Gap
This is the part that’s changed the most. Following Microsoft’s confirmed price increase in August 2026, driven by rising component costs, the Series S now starts at $499.99, while the Series X sits at $799.99. Microsoft also quietly discontinued the 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition around this time.
That’s a meaningful shift from the console’s early years, when many people saw the Series S as an easy, budget-friendly entry point because it cost much less than its sibling. The relative gap between the two consoles is now narrower in dollar terms, even though the performance gap between them remains just as wide as ever.
Raw Power: Not Even Close
On paper, these two machines are not playing in the same league. The Series X pushes 12.15 teraflops of graphics performance from a 52-compute-unit RDNA 2 GPU, while the Series S manages just 4.0 teraflops from 20 compute units roughly a third of the Series X’s graphical horsepower. The Series X also carries significantly more memory, with 16GB of GDDR6 RAM compared to the Series S’s 10GB, a gap developers have openly flagged as a real bottleneck for the smaller console when it comes to more demanding, memory-hungry titles.
Resolution and Visual Targets
The practical result of that power gap comes down to what resolution each console is built to hit. The Series X targets native 4K gaming, while the Series S is designed around 1440p, leaning on upscaling to approximate a sharper image on 4K displays. Both consoles support frame rates up to 120 FPS, so if smooth, fast-paced gameplay matters more to you than pixel count, the Series S can still deliver a genuinely responsive experience — just not at the same visual fidelity as its bigger sibling.
For most people sitting a normal distance from their TV, the difference between 1080p and 1440p can be subtle during regular play, though the 4K gap versus the Series X is more noticeable on a good display.
Storage and Discs
The Series X ships with 1TB of internal SSD storage and includes a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive, letting you buy physical games and media. The Series S, by contrast, is fully digital-only, ships with a smaller 512GB drive (with a 1TB option also available), and has no disc drive at all meaning your entire library has to be downloaded and stored digitally, which becomes a real consideration once you factor in how large modern game installs have gotten.
Both consoles support external and expansion storage if you outgrow the built-in drive, but the Series X gives you meaningfully more room to work with out of the box.
Game Pass and the Digital Ecosystem
Regardless of which console you pick, you’re getting access to the same game library, Quick Resume functionality, Smart Delivery (which automatically installs the right version of a game for your hardware), cloud saves, cross-play, and achievements. This is genuinely one of Xbox’s strongest advantages over the PlayStation ecosystem your progress and purchases carry seamlessly across devices and consoles.
The Series S, given its lower specs, does lean more heavily on Xbox Cloud Gaming for the most demanding titles, letting you stream graphically intensive games rather than running everything natively.
So Which One Should You Buy?
The decision in 2026 really comes down to your TV, your habits, and your budget:
- Choose the Series X if: you own a 4K TV, want the best possible visual fidelity, care about owning physical games, and don’t mind paying the premium for a console built to stay relevant deeper into this generation.
- Choose the Series S if: you’re gaming on a 1080p or 1440p display, prefer an all-digital library, want a smaller and quieter console, and are comfortable leaning on cloud gaming for the occasional heavy-hitter title.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is the Series S worth buying in 2026 with the new price hike?
Yes, if you game on a 1080p or 1440p TV and don’t need physical discs it’s still cheaper than the Series X and runs the full game library, just at lower resolution.
Can the Series S play the same games as the Series X?
Yes. Both consoles share the same game library, Quick Resume, Smart Delivery, and Game Pass access the difference is resolution and frame performance, not which games you can play.
Does the Series S support 4K at all?
It targets 1440p natively and uses upscaling to approximate 4K on a 4K display, but it doesn’t render native 4K the way the Series X does.
Which console has better resale value?
The Series X. Used Series X consoles have consistently sold for more than used Series S units on the resale market.
Do I need the Series X if I don’t own a 4K TV?
Not really if your display tops out at 1080p or 1440p, the Series S delivers a nearly identical experience for less money.
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