Xbox has announced the new generation of consoles that are coming out. There are many new features that will be added onto these new consoles, along with exclusive games that will be coming out alongside them. The two consoles were released on November 10. The smaller one is called the Series S ($299), and the bigger one is the Series X ($499).

The Series X is up to four times as powerful as its predecessor. The Series X features AMD‘s Zen 2 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a custom-made AMD Navi-based 12 teraflop GPU. It also has a custom 1TB NVMe SSD, with read speeds as high as 2GB per second. In addition to this there is also a slot for additional storage in the back of the console that connects to the motherboard for incredible speeds. The goal for this console was to decrease loading times and provide fast environment rendering. Along with having a disc reader for games, you are also available to play movies from your Xbox with support for 4K, HDR10, and Dolby Vision technology. This console can support up to 120fps and 8K resolution, although it’s unlikely to achieve both at the same time. The goal is to provide a consistent 60fps at 4K, which is a major upgrade from the Xbox one and PlayStation 4. 

A cool feature that was added to these consoles is that it is now capable of storing several exact game states, so users can switch between games without having to start from the loading screen. Another interesting new feature breathes new life into older titles by enhancing their graphics. Using its powerful internals and machine learning technology, the Series X can add HDR and improve framerates of games that were launched years ago. Even 360 games are compatible and will look better than ever on the new Xbox consoles.

The Series S is a smaller, less expensive console compared to the Series X. Although it’s less powerful than the Series X, it is still said to be a great console. The Series S is disc-less so only digital games are available for this console. This is fine for new Xbox users but not ideal for longtime users who own the physical copies of games. It’s rumored that Xbox will release a separate disk drive. Games will now run at 1080p to 1440p in 60fps, in some instances it can support up to 120fps. It comes with an eight-core 3.6Hz custom AMB CPU and a GPU with four teraflops of processing power, it is still getting an update from an HDD to an SSD. The SSD will allow games to load and run faster. The Series S will have a custom 512 GB SSD, but early reviewers have indicated that only 364 GB will be available for the user, the rest is used for the console’s operating system and other essential files. 

The Series X measures 301 x 151 x 151mm, this is about the size of the Xbox one, just a bit smaller and slicker. The Series S console measures 10.8 x 5.9 x 2.6 inches, making it significantly smaller than the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, or Xbox One. In comparison, it is about the same size as the Wii U. 

Xbox has also upgraded their controller. It will still be compatible with the Series X and Series S, which is convenient for the people who play multiplayer games at home but don’t want to get new controllers. The new controller is compatible with the Xbox one as well. This controller looks very familiar to the last controller that was made. It’s not throwing out the previous design but rather refining it. 

One of the most noticeable upgrades for the new controller is the D-pad. It has a dish shape, to hold your thumb or finger comfortably, which makes it perfect for responsive play. Something else that is new is the share button that is in the middle of the controller under the Xbox button. This new button allows you to screenshot something with just the click of a button. The design of the controller allows it to fit more comfortably in smaller hands. Currently it is priced at $59.99 which is about the same price as the Xbox one controller. 

Something else to look forward to is the games. There are many games that are being made compatible to play cross-gen so that the people who get the newest console can still play with their friends who don’t have it yet. Some of these games include: Grand Theft Auto 6, Rainbow 6 Quarantine, Resident Evil 8, NBA 2k21, Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War, Rainbow Six Siege, and many more.