Everything You Need To Know About Xbox Series X (2024)

By GameSpot Staff on November 12, 2020 at 4:51PM PST

237 Comments

The Xbox Series X is out now. Our review praised it as a powerful, refined Xbox console with tons of potential to unlock and a bright future ahead. Its counterpart, the Xbox Series S, is a similarly capable but compact version of the console with a few technical tradeoffs. If you're still waiting on your Series X to arrive or already have your brand-new console and are curious about its range of new features, we have you covered. In this roundup, you'll find everything you need to know about your new Xbox Series X, including technical specs, performance expectations, how backwards compatibility works, where to buy peripherals and other accessories, games, services, and more.

What Is Xbox Series X?

Word of a new Xbox console began circulating in early 2019. It was teased as a line of new consoles codenamed Project Scarlett. The official reveal of the Series X branding was unveiled at The Game Awards in December 2019, though a Microsoft spokesperson later clarified that this new generation of Xbox is simply called "Xbox," with Series X simply representing one of a planned series of systems this generation. This approach was further cemented with the reveal of the digital-only Series S in September 2020, which is also when both consoles received their official release dates of November 10.

• Xbox Series X Review

When Did Xbox Series X Come Out?

The Xbox Series X was released on November 10, 2020.

How Much Does Xbox Series X Cost?

The Xbox Series X costs $500 USD. That price wasn't announced until about two months before the console's launch and about a week earlier than Microsoft originally intended, due to leaks. Microsoft reportedly took so long to reveal a price because it wanted to give potential buyers the chance to understand what the Series X really offered--though it is also likely that it waited until it was ready to reveal the lower-end Series S, to give consumers two price points right from the start.

If $500 is too much upfront, you also have the opportunity to purchase the Xbox Series X and a two-year subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate through a service called Xbox All Access. The bundle offer lets you pay off your Xbox Series X (or Series S), plus Game Pass, in 24 monthly installments of $35 per month. You'll end up saving about $19 in the long run, too.

Where To Buy Xbox Series X

Consult our order guide below for more on which online retailers have the Xbox Series X (and Series S) currently available to buy.

• Xbox Series X/S Availability And Order Guide

Hardware and Specs

Below you'll find a breakdown of the technical specs for both the Xbox Series X and the Xbox Series S, so you can see how the two consoles compare. We also have an Xbox Series X/S vs. PS5 specs comparison guide if you're curious how the two next-gen consoles line up.

Xbox Series X / Series S Hardware Specs

Things To Do Before Getting An Xbox Series X

Before your Xbox Series X (or Series S) arrives, there are a number of things you should do to prepare, including moving Xbox One games to external storage, downloading and setting up the Xbox mobile app, double checking login credentials so you don't have any issues with two-factor authentication, and more. You should also prepare your space for how big the Xbox Series X is so it will fit into your entertainment system with minimal last-minute shuffling.

• What To Do Before Getting An Xbox Series X/S
• How Storage Works On Xbox Series X/S

What Games Are On Xbox Series X?

Find the full list of Xbox Series X launch games and other titles coming shortly after launch in our guide below, as well as our picks for the best Xbox One games of all time, all of which are playable on the Series X.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com