When did the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S release?
Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S launched on the 10th of November 2020. In China, both consoles were released on the 10th of June 2021. Microsoft confirmed 31 games were available at launch.
Questions about Xbox Series X and Series S
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the difference between the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S?
The Xbox Series X targets 4K gaming at 60 frames per second and launched at $499.99. The Xbox Series S targets 1440p at 60 frames per second, is approximately 60 percent smaller by volume than the Series X, and launched at $299.99 without an optical disc drive.
How many Xbox Series X and Series S consoles have sold worldwide?
Combined Xbox Series X and Series S sales reached an estimated 28.3 million units as of June 2024 and exceeded 35 million as of February 2026. In June 2023, Microsoft confirmed the total had passed 21 million, compared to Sony's PlayStation 5 at 40 million at that time.
What is the Xbox Velocity Architecture used in Xbox Series X and Series S?
Xbox Velocity Architecture is the storage system built into both Xbox Series consoles. It combines a custom NVMe solid-state drive with two decompression algorithms, zlib and BCPack, raising effective data throughput to 4.8 gigabytes per second on the Series X. It also includes software features called DirectStorage and sampler feedback streaming.
Why did Baldur's Gate 3 not have split-screen co-op on Xbox Series S at launch?
Larian Studios, the developer of Baldur's Gate 3, said the Xbox Series S's hardware limitations made split-screen co-op technically impossible to implement. The game released in August 2023 on both Xbox Series consoles without the feature on the Series S. A patch released in January 2025 restored split-screen co-op for Series S players.
How does backward compatibility work on Xbox Series X and Series S?
Xbox Series X and Series S support games from four console generations: the original Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and the new consoles, excluding Kinect-required titles. Microsoft invested more than 500,000 man-hours validating the library before launch. Features like Auto HDR and FPS Boost can automatically enhance older games, with about 97 titles supporting FPS Boost by May 2021.