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The Xbox Series X (left) and Xbox Series S (right)Microsoft

Everything we know about the Xbox Series X and Series S

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Microsoft’s next-generation of gaming consoles, the Xbox Series X and Series S, are due out very soon. Is it worth jumping in on launch day? And if so, which version is best for you? Here, New Atlas gathers everything we know about the next Xbox’s hardware, games, controllers, features and services.

We’ll continue to update this post as new details come to light.

The basics

Hardware

Xbox Series X

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Microsoft's Xbox Series XMicrosoft

Xbox Series S

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The Xbox Series X (left) and Xbox Series S (right)Microsoft

Technical capabilities

Frame rates: up to 60 and 120 frames per second
Resolution: HD, Full HD, 4K, 8K (Series X only)

Expandable storage
The SSD is expandable through a proprietary 1 TB Expansion Card, produced by Seagate and available at launch. The console is also compatible with an external hard drive through USB 3.2, for previous-generation games.

Quick Resume
Several games can be suspended at once, so players can return to exactly where they left off without having to go through menus and long loading screens. The console will even remember these suspended states after a reboot.

Variable rate shading (VRS)
Allows developers to prioritize effects on certain characters or objects. That means the most important parts can look their best, while maintaining higher resolutions and more stable frame rates.

Hardware-accelerated DirectX Raytracing
This technique involves tracing the path of light and rendering its interaction with objects in real time. That makes for far more realistic shadows, reflections, and other lighting effects.

Audio raytracing
Applies the same principles to sound. That makes audio acoustics more three-dimensional as sound wave projections bounce off and around objects.

Xbox Velocity Architecture
A new system architecture designed to speed up asset streaming and save memory. It's made up of four components: the custom SSD, a dedicated hardware decompression block, a DirectStorage API, and Sampler Feedback Streaming.

Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
Allows the console to automatically set the connected TV to its lowest-latency mode.

Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)
Syncs the refresh rate of the display with the frame rate of the game, to minimize the visual “tearing” effect.

Dynamic Latency Input (DLI)
Makes for more responsive input by apparently synchronizing input with what’s on-screen. (That’s what Microsoft says, anyway. We’re not entirely sure how that’s any different from any other controller input system).

Controller

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The Xbox Series X controllerMicrosoft

Very similar design to the Xbox One controller, with a few differences.

Games

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Halo Infinite will be a launch title for the Xbox Series X (and also available on PC and Xbox One)Microsoft

Games confirmed so far for the Xbox Series X and Series S. There aren't really any true exclusives for the new Xboxes – Microsoft's Smart Delivery system (see below) means that first-party games will usually appear on Xbox One and/or PC as well.

Console Exclusives
These are games that won't be available on PlayStation 5, but may be also appear on Xbox One and/or PC.

Other major games
These games will be available on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, but will appear on PC and/or other consoles.

Services

Backwards compatibility

Smart Delivery

Xbox Game Pass

Xbox Live
Microsoft’s online multiplayer service carries across from previous generations.

Project xCloud
The Xbox Series X will have some kind of capability with Project xCloud, Microsoft’s streaming game service. This may mean Xbox Series X games will join the service, allowing users to stream them onto Android phones and tablets. Or it could mean players can stream games onto their Series X consoles.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on February 27, 2020. This revised and updated version was published on September 10, 2020.