Microsoft has officially discontinued the Xbox One X and Xbox One S, focusing its manufacturing on the newly released Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. That being said, there’s still stock of refurbished Xbox One consoles available (or possibly new versions left over), and considering the Series X|S is still nearly impossible to find right now, you may want to buy one of Microsoft’s last-gen consoles at a discount for the time being.
Between the Xbox One X, Xbox One S, and the original, previously discontinued Xbox One, there’s a big difference between their respective hardware specs, processing power, supported display resolutions, and prices that you should consider before making a purchase. They all run the same games, but how well those games run couldn’t be more different.
Before you decide which Xbox to buy, we’ll cover how the Xbox One X and S compare in important areas like framerates, resolution, HDR support, and more. Let’s see who wins this console duke-out and if either offers anything that the new Xbox Series X and S don’t.
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Specifications
| Xbox One | Xbox One S | Xbox One X | |
| CPU | 8 core, AMD custom CPU @ 1.75GHz | 8 core, AMD custom CPU @ 1.75GHz | 8 core x86 CPU @ 2.3GHz |
| GPU | AMD GCN GPU @ 853Mhz w/ 12 compute units | AMD GCN GPU @ 914Mhz w/ 12 compute units | AMD custom GPU @ 1,172MHz w/ 40 compute units |
| Weight | 7.8 lbs | 6.4 lbs | 8.4 lbs |
| Memory | 8GB DDR3, 32MB ESRAM | 8GB DDR3, 32MB ESRAM | 12GB GDDR5 |
| Memory bus | 256-bit | 256-bit | 384-bit |
| Memory bandwidth | 68GB/s, 204GB/s | 68GB/s, 219GB/s | 326GB/s |
| Storage | 1TB/500GB 2.5 inch HDD | 1TB/500GB 2.5 inch HDD | 1TB 2.5 inch HDD |
| AV Output | HDMI 1.4 in/out, 1080p support | HDMI 1.4 in/out, 4K, and 1080p support; Optical output; 4K video upscaling; HDR support | HDMI 1.4 in/out, 4K, and 1080p support; Optical output; native 4K playback; HDR support |
| I/O Output | USB 3.0 X 3 | USB 3.0 X 3 | USB 3.0 X 3 |
| Communication | Ethernet, IEEE 802.11n wireless with Wi-Fi connect | Ethernet, IEEE 802.11n wireless with Wi-Fi connect | Ethernet, IEEE 802.11n wireless with Wi-Fi connect |
| Controller | Xbox One controller | Updated Xbox One controller (includes Bluetooth connectivity and improved wireless range) | Updated Xbox One controller (includes Bluetooth connectivity and improved wireless range) |
| Camera | 512 x 424-pixel infrared depth sensor and 1080p camera (Kinect — adapter required) | 512 x 424-pixel infrared depth sensor and 1080p camera (Kinect — adapter required) | 512 x 424-pixel infrared depth sensor and 1080p camera (Kinect — adapter required) |
| Optical drive | Blu-ray | 4K UHD Blu-ray | 4K UHD Blu-ray |
| 4K Support | No | Yes, limited | Yes, native |
| Price | N/A | ||
| Availability | Discontinued | Discontinued (but stock may be available) | Discontinued (but stock may be available) |
| DT review | 4 out of 5 stars | 3.5 out of 5 stars | 4 out of 5 stars |
Hardware
Since the Xbox One X is part of the Xbox One family, the biggest differences between it and the current Xbox One models are mostly internal. Microsoft has made distinct architectural changes to its design, instead of simply throwing more powerful hardware at it to make it more powerful than the PS4.
The graphics chip in the Xbox One X packs 40 compute units into a slightly slimmer footprint than the Xbox One S, which has only 12.
The cores in the Xbox One X are also optimized for DirectX 12 and are clocked at 1,172MHz — much higher than the Xbox One and Xbox One S. The CPU offers a roughly 30 percent increase in clock speed, so it feels a lot more powerful in its own right.
All in all, the graphical performance of the Xbox One X is around the six teraflop mark, which means it has a little less raw power than an Nvidia GTX 1070 desktop graphics card, but a little more than an AMD RX 480. That means the Xbox One X has more than 4.5 times the graphical performance of the original Xbox One.
The Xbox One X comes with a full 12GB of GDDR5 memory as well, which will give developers a lot more leeway and really help the system handle 4K content. In comparison, the original Xbox One only has 8 gigabytes. The 1TB internal hard drive in the One X is as much as 50 percent faster, which leads to better boot times and a reduction in loading screens over previous generations of the console.
Winner: Xbox One X
Design
In terms of physical design, the Xbox One X sports a matte black finish, distinguishing itself from the white finish of the Xbox One S. With great power, comes (relatively) great weight. The Xbox One X weighs 2 pounds more than the Xbox One S. Despite the extra heft, the difference in physical size between the two is marginal. Either way, the days of the giant Xbox One crowding your media console are over.
The consoles have identical port layouts on the back and feature built-in power supplies. Both include a single USB port on the front, although on opposite sides. On the Xbox One X, the eject button sits below the disc slot, rather than to its side, as it does on the Xbox One S.
A lot of people buy all their games digitally these days, and if you’ve moved beyond discs, the Xbox One S comes in an “all-digital” edition with no disc drive. In terms of appearance, the black strip where the disc drive would normally be is gone, leaving a solid white façade.
The main design difference between the two that may actually affect how you organize your entertainment center is fan placement. On the Xbox One S, heat comes through the top of the console when it is running. The Xbox One X disperses heat through the back of the console. This means that you can stack other consoles, DVD players, TV boxes, et cetera, on top of the Xbox One X without the fear of overheating your system.
Even though the Xbox One X borrows a lot from the Xbox One S in its design, the reworked fan design gives the Xbox One X the edge. Though, depending on your preference and setup, you might choose the Xbox One S due to its design and smaller size. Ultimately, though, we’ve got to hand it to the Xbox One X for its fan placement.
Winner: Xbox One X
Resolution and framerate
All of that power is designed to drive what is considered by many to be the next big benchmark for mainstream gaming: 4K resolution. At four times the detail level of now-standard 1080P, 4K offers crisper detail and more true-to-life visuals. Considering the original Xbox One struggled at times to deliver 1080P at anything over 30 frames per second, a big part of the Xbox One X’s design is to enable Ultra HD resolution gaming at higher framerates.
Since the console’s launch, many games have been updated to support full 60 frames-per-second and playback at 4K on Xbox One X. You can find a constantly updated list of those games here.
Visuals in updated games are sharp, and the HDR brings intense light and murky shadows to life in a way no other console could replicate at the time. But a lot of the appeal fades when it’s hooked up to a 1080p TV without the contrast and brightness needed for HDR. That is what most people are still using for their gaming, and the Xbox One X is certainly meant to be experienced on a high-end setup. Users with older TVs will still see some jumps in performance regarding framerate and improved textures, but a 4K television truly unlocks the power of the Xbox One X.
Winner: Xbox One X
Home theater support
While the Xbox One X offers the capability of 4K streaming on Netflix or YouTube, until ultra-high-speed internet becomes more commonplace, a 4K UHD Blu-ray player will be a necessity for those who want to take full advantage of their 4K TV. While that means buying a Blu-ray player, if you can have that bundled with a console upgrade that also lets you take advantage of 4K gaming, all the better.
There is no question here, the Xbox One cannot compete when it comes to 4K media support. The Xbox One S can, however, so it remains a viable option for anyone only looking to upgrade for that functionality.
Like the Xbox One and Xbox One S, Xbox One X supports Microsoft’s own in-house developed HRTF, as well as bit rate passthrough for audio, and features Dolby Atmos support for those of us lucky enough to have such a setup. Since both the 4K Blu-ray player and high-end audio sol