With the newly announced Xbox One X, Microsoft now offers 2 editions of its gaming console. Even though they’re similar in many ways, the Xbox One S ($199) and the Xbox One X ($499) exhibit a very different level of performance. While the former offers a higher value for money, especially with the new price cut, the latter offers a much better performance, considering that it is the world’s most powerful gaming console. But at a price difference of nearly $300, here’s my take on which console should you go with and why.
To start things off, both the consoles come with eight custom x86 cores, although the S clocks them at 1.75GHz while the X runs them at a superior clock speed of 2.3GHz. As far as the RAM is concerned, the X has 12GB of RAM, 50% more than the predecessor’s 8GB. Apart from changes under the hood, the Xbox One X is slightly smaller than the S, but also offers a better heat dissipation and cooling system. Clearly, the Xbox One X wins easily in terms of performance.
But will you actually be able to utilize this superior raw performance? The fact is that while most games for the Xbox One S currently run at 900p, they’ll come with updates to support content up to 1080p. On the other hand, playing the same game on the Xbox One X will render the game at 4K and the play it 1080p, thus resulting in a slightly better quality. Though truth be told, at a standard 1080p display, even though the difference is noticeable, it just doesn’t justify the $300 price jump. On the other hand, if you own a 4K display, things are bound to be different. The One S, thanks to the ‘checkerboarding anti-aliasing technology’, upscales the video from Full HD to UHD. On the other hand, the Xbox One X renders the game at native 4K, thus delivering true 4K quality.
Apart from gaming, the Xbox One in itself is advertised as a home entertainment unit. The promise of 4K comes rolling here as well, with One S continuing to upscale its content while the One X delivering a quality that is true to its core. That being said, both consoles come with support for the HDR technology.
In the end, the fact is that it all comes down to your display and your desire. Microsoft itself went out to state that it expects the Xbox One S to sell much more than the Xbox One X, further stating that the One X is not for everyone. While the Xbox One X certainly does offer a better quality than the Xbox One S at 1080p, it doesn’t justify its price tag. If you own a Full HD display and plan to continue using it for a couple of years, the Xbox One S seems to be a better choice for you. On the other hand, if you already have a 4K display, or plan to make the jump soon, the Xbox One X is the better choice for you. It delivers true 4K performance, and games run phenomenally on the world’s most powerful console.
Well, that is all that I make of this debate. But what about you? Which console would you be going with and why? Let us know in the comments down below.
