# Xbox Series X vs Series S: Which Xbox Should You Buy in 2026? > Series X or Series S? Most people should get the Series S and save $300. Storage, disc drive, power and owner complaints next to the disc-based Series X. Guide: https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/xbox-series-x-vs-series-s/ · Updated 2026-10-17 · By TwelveTabs · Search it live: https://twelvetabs.com/?q=xbox%20series%20x%20vs%20series%20s&guide=xbox-series-x-vs-series-s As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases. Our picks are independently researched, written by TwelveTabs AI and never sponsored. Prices and ratings change often: see the guide for today's. ## The top picks - **Most people: a $498 digital Xbox with a controller, 120 FPS and a small box:** Xbox Series S | Digital Gaming Console | 512GB SSD | Includes Wireless Controller, 1440P Gaming, 120FPS, Robot White. Microsoft's all-digital Xbox: a custom 512 GB NVMe SSD, up to 120 FPS gameplay, Quick Resume, four generations of digital games, a wireless controller and an HDMI cable in the box, and the smallest Xbox shape. - **Shoppers who want a disc drive, true 4K and 1 TB of storage:** Xbox Series X | Disc Gaming Console | 1TB SSD | Includes Wireless Controller, 4K Gaming, 120FPS, Carbon Black. Microsoft's most powerful Xbox: 12 teraflops, true 4K at up to 120 FPS with ray tracing, a 1 TB custom SSD, a disc drive that plays 4K UHD Blu-ray, a wireless controller, an HDMI cable and two AA batteries in the box. Most people should get the **[Xbox Series S](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/xbox-series-x-vs-series-s/#pick-1)**. It costs $300 less, comes from Amazon, and plays up to 120 FPS. Get the **[Xbox Series X](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/xbox-series-x-vs-series-s/#pick-2)** if you want a disc drive, true 4K and 1 TB of storage. We compared the best-selling listing of each console that Amazon sells new today, both sold by Amazon.com. The 1 TB Series S and the digital Series X are separate listings that we did not open, and a Series X listing sold used by a third-party seller was set aside. ## The short version - **Want the lowest price?** The [Xbox Series S](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/xbox-series-x-vs-series-s/#pick-1) is $498.00 against $798.00. - **Own discs, or want to watch Blu-rays?** Only the [Xbox Series X](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/xbox-series-x-vs-series-s/#pick-2) has a drive. - **Play on a 4K TV?** The Series X lists true 4K. The Series S listing's spec table says 4K while its title says 1440P. - **Short on shelf space?** The Series S weighs 6.71 lb. The Series X weighs 13.07 lb. - **Install many big games?** 512 GB runs out fast. The Series X has 1 TB, and both take a storage expansion card, per Microsoft. ## How to choose between them Microsoft's compare page lists both consoles with the same four generations of games, Quick Resume, Game Pass access and the same storage expansion card. The differences are the ones on the listings: power, the drive, storage and size. Read the page as the maker's own view. - **Price.** The Series S is $498.00 and the Series X $798.00 today. - **Seller.** Amazon.com sells both. - **Power.** The Series S lists 4 teraflops and the Series X 12. - **Drive.** The Series S is digital only. The Series X plays discs and 4K UHD Blu-ray. - **Storage.** 512 GB against 1 TB. - **In the box.** Both include one wireless controller, a power cable and AA batteries. ## Our picks in detail ### 1. Xbox Series S: best for most people **Why it made the list** - $300 less than the Series X, from Amazon. - Up to 120 FPS, Quick Resume and four generations of digital games. - Ready to play out of the box, with a controller and batteries. - The smallest Xbox, at 6.71 lb. - Amazon's summary says owners find it reliable, easy to set up and good value. **Drawbacks** - No disc drive. - 512 GB leaves about 364 GB for games, per one owner. - Far less raw power than the Series X. - Controller complaints: a stuck stick on one unit, wear in 6 to 8 months for another owner. **Skip it if** you own game discs, or you want to play on a 4K TV at the best quality. ### 2. Xbox Series X: best for discs and 4K **Why it made the list** - 12 teraflops, true 4K at up to 120 FPS and ray tracing. - A disc drive that plays 4K UHD Blu-ray movies. - 1 TB of storage. - Ships with a controller, an HDMI cable and two AA batteries. - Amazon's summary says owners find it fast, with beautiful 4K visuals. **Drawbacks** - $300 more, and twice the weight. - Amazon's summary says some owners see games crash and sudden shutdowns. - No bundled game is listed. - A spec table that calls the model "Internacional." **Skip it if** you play digital games on a 1080p or 1440p TV and care about price. ## What owners complain about - **On the [Xbox Series S](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/xbox-series-x-vs-series-s/#pick-1):** storage that fills quickly, controllers that wear out or arrive faulty, random controller disconnects, and games that run slowly through Xbox cloud on it, per one owner. - **On the [Xbox Series X](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/xbox-series-x-vs-series-s/#pick-2):** crashes even after factory resets and sudden shutdowns in Amazon's summary, a price one owner calls expensive, and mix-ups with third-party sellers on a sibling listing. - **On both:** the controller is the part owners replace first. ## What we left out, and why We read two listings and 16 reviews. - **Xbox Series S 1 TB.** A separate $598.00 listing seen on the search page. We did not open it. - **Xbox Series X digital 1 TB.** A separate $748.00 listing. We did not open it. - **A Series X sold used by a third party.** Set aside because it had no new offer. - **PlayStation 5.** A different console. See our [PS5 vs Xbox comparison](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/ps5-vs-xbox-series-x/). ## Questions people ask ### Is the Series X worth $300 more than the Series S? Only if you want a disc drive, true 4K or 1 TB of storage. For a digital player on a 1080p or 1440p TV, the Series S is enough. ### Can the Series S play discs? No. Its listing says the console does not play physical discs. ### Do both play the same games? Yes. Microsoft's page lists four generations of games and the same Game Pass access for both. ### How did TwelveTabs choose between them? We read the Amazon listings for one Series X and one Series S, their spec lists, Amazon's review summaries and the reviews we could see, plus Microsoft's comparison page. We put the facts side by side and checked each against its listing. For a TV to go with either console, see our [best TVs for PS5](https://twelvetabs.com/reviews/best-tvs-for-ps5/). ## How we researched On October 17, 2026 we read the Amazon listing pages for the Xbox Series X 1TB disc console and the Xbox Series S 512GB digital console. We read each page's bullets and specs, Amazon's review summaries and the reviews we could see. We also read Microsoft's Xbox console comparison page and checked Google's top results for this question. AI wrote this guide from that research. None of the visible Series X reviews and none of the visible Series S US reviews were 1 to 3 stars, so most complaints come from Amazon's summaries and critical lines inside 4 and 5 star reviews. The Series X rating pools five years of reviews from several countries, and its spec table calls the model "Internacional". The Series S rating pools its 512 GB and 1 TB editions, which are separate listings. We did not read the 1 TB Series S or the digital Series X. Microsoft's page is the maker's own comparison, so we use it for the designs and not for opinions. ### Sources - [Microsoft: Compare Xbox Series X vs. Xbox Series S consoles](https://www.xbox.com/en-US/consoles/compare)