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[Bernoulli]

after seeing this article https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ampere-xbox-series-s-outselling-series-x-in-key-markets

Data analysts Ampere says that Xbox Series S is out-selling Series X across several key markets.

GamesIndustry.biz has also seen figures that show S and X are at least 50/50 in terms of install base in major territories.

As a result of the success of Series S, which is a digital-only device, Xbox game sales are heavily digital, even compared with PS5. According to GSD data, over 90% of sales of Call of Duty: Vanguard on Xbox came as a digital download.

Ampere's latest hardware update pins Xbox Series sales at 6.7 million units as of the end of September 2021. This is versus 12.8 million for PlayStation 5.

i do think it's still the case in 2023 because in stores and on the used market i mostly see the Series S than the X in europe at least

and in japan the S outselling the X

1. Xbox Series X – 799 (203,823)
2. Xbox Series S – 70 (268,589)

will this really have an impact on a pro console if Xbox wants to make one? it might be hard with 3 different SKUs for Devs

specially when i see all the sales on it i think people that hesitate between the 2 just get the S because it's cheaper

 

[kikkis]

Series s is difficult for devs. Pro x would just run x games in higher resolution

 

[Spyxos]

Wasn't there something about supply problems? In Germany, I have seen in the past more Series S, but now both relatively equal.

 

[mrcroket]

will this really have an impact on a pro console if Xbox wants to make one? it might be hard with 3 different SKUs for Devs

It won't (if they ever exists) because microsoft can't drop the series s support regardless of their sales.

 

[Bernoulli]

Wasn't there something about supply problems? In Germany, I have always seen more Series S, but now both relatively equal.

i don't know about the supply but i have read long ago that Microsoft was slower because it had to make 2 chips, instead of 1 for both

so when making the S chip you don't make the X chips and when you make the X chip you are not making the S chip if that makes sense

 

[squarealex]

Series s is difficult for devs. Pro x would just run x games in higher resolution

People don't care if the Series S is difficult to devs or not.
They see the new Call of Duty, the new Assasin's Creed, the new GTA, the new Forza on the Series S way cheaper than PS5/XSX, and buy it.


Series S outsell Series X, because they no reason Microsoft announce a new refresh of the Series S on Black / 1 TB, instead of a Series X without disc.

 

[Bernoulli]

It won't (if they ever exists) because microsoft can't drop the series s support regardless of their sales.

they can't drop it because they have a huge install base on the S, but they could stop selling the console while still releasing games on it

Move the Series X to 350 and bring the pro at 500 ( will never happen i know)

 

[skit_data]

i don't know about the supply but i have read long ago that Microsoft was slower because it had to make 2 chips, instead of 1 for both

so when making the S chip you don't make the X chips and when you make the X chip you are not making the S chip if that makes sense

I think you're thinking about the motherboard being split into two.

The reason supply is low is probably because they went with a larger GPU which means less chips per wafer.

 

[mrcroket]

they can't drop it because they have a huge install base on the S, but they could stop selling the console while still releasing games on it

Move the Series X to 350 and bring the pro at 500 ( will never happen i know)

Why would they stop selling it if they released a pro? the games would have to work anyway and microsoft is interested in having a console that can sell at a very cheap price, especially for the gamepass.

 

[Spyxos]

after seeing this article https://www.gamesindustry.biz/ampere-xbox-series-s-outselling-series-x-in-key-markets


i do think it's still the case in 2023 because in stores and on the used market i mostly see the Series S than the X in europe at least

and in japan the S outselling the X

1. Xbox Series X – 799 (203,823)
2. Xbox Series S – 70 (268,589)

will this really have an impact on a pro console if Xbox wants to make one? it might be hard with 3 different SKUs for Devs

specially when i see all the sales on it i think people that hesitate between the 2 just get the S because it's cheaper

Holy shit 99 euros. That's impulse purchase territory. Which country is it? Here the cheapest version is sold for 270 euros.

 

[squarealex]

Holy shit 99 euros. That's impulse purchase territory. Which country is it? Here the cheapest version is sold for 270 euros.

France, but you need to sell another console (like XOX / PS4).

 

[mrcroket]

Holy shit 99 euros. That's impulse purchase territory. Which country is it? Here the cheapest version is sold for 270 euros.

It's in french and euros so france.

 

[Bernoulli]

People don't care if the Series S is difficult to devs or not.
They see the new Call of Duty, the new Assasin's Creed, the new GTA, the new Forza on the Series S way cheaper than PS5/XSX, and buy it.


Series S outsell Series X, because they no reason Microsoft announce a new refresh of the Series S on Black / 1 TB, instead of a Series X without disc.

the new refresh is just a price increase in disguise, memory cost got divided by 3 or more since these console launched

you can have now an M2 Gen4 SSD running at 7000mb 2tb for $90

 

[Bernoulli]

Holy shit 99 euros. That's impulse purchase territory. Which country is it? Here the cheapest version is sold for 270 euros.

you also get them for Free if you subscribe to an internet or phone provider, they give you a gift and you can choose Series S or something else

and when buying a samsung TV

 

[FireFly]

i don't know about the supply but i have read long ago that Microsoft was slower because it had to make 2 chips, instead of 1 for both

so when making the S chip you don't make the X chips and when you make the X chip you are not making the S chip if that makes sense

Microsoft will have to split their wafer allocation between the two chips, but they will have more chips overall due to the die size on the S APU being smaller. (So more will fit on a wafer)

 

[cireza]

Series S is a great offer, of course people are buying them.

and when buying a samsung TV

And no, the console is not 99€ nor Free. In the first case you had to give back a console that you would be better off selling separately, and in the second case if was a limited offer when buying a 2000€ TV. Not exactly what I call "free".

 

[deriks]

Brazil is for sure selling more S. You go to a store and you see a lot, and from time to time there's someone getting one. X doesn't have in all the stores, and are like a few units on those

Also, it helps that it's the cheapest of the bunch. You could get a Series S for a better price than a Switch

 

[jroc74]

I dont think there is anything else to tell us otherwise. It has to be still outselling the XSX. Also since MS prioritized the Series S a year or 2 ago...

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Brazil is for sure selling more S. You go to a store and you see a lot, and from time to time there's someone getting one. X doesn't have in all the stores, and are like a few units on those

Also, it helps that it's the cheapest of the bunch. You could get a Series S for a better price than a Switch

While most ppl look at PS vs Xbox....I think what gets dismissed is the Series S vs Switch, especially when they're both near each other in price.

Also, the Switch is between $199-$360.

 

[ManaByte]

 

[Bonfires Down]

No idea, my best guess is about 50/50 with the S getting more popular with time.

What I do wonder is whether there will ever be a time when MS will allow devs to launch a game on the X but not on the S, like 5+ years from now. On one hand you are wasting a significant Series X user base if you don’t allow it. On the other hand it would set a bad precedent for people wanting to buy future Series S iterations. But I’m leaning towards they won’t allow it.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Gamers are well aware of how powerful the series x is.

 

[Leonidas]

It's $200 (or more) cheaper so yes, I do think it is still outselling it.

Casuals probably just don't care.

S is also the most appealing Xbox to me since I have a powerful PC and only use Xbox for BC.

 

[simpatico]

Still never seen an X in the wild. Or even heard about someone owning one IRL.

 

[SHA]

It won't (if they ever exists) because microsoft can't drop the series s support regardless of their sales.

I'm actually more worried about the games that'll take full advantage of the X, it's stupid to see modest support for a new console in mid generation.

 

[phant0m]

i do like how here we say the existence of the Series S is such a pain and detriment to developers, yet when someone in a PC port thread says "the sheer number of hardware configurations possible on PC makes optimization extremely challenging" they are called out as "making excuses for lazy devs"

so, which is it GAF? is hardware variation a challenge for developers or not?

 

[UltimaKilo]

So many people buy the Series S because of the price point and Game Pass. Others already own a PC or a Switch, perhaps even a PS5 and have a Series S.

It’s also just such a small console that it fits just about anywhere.

 

[Kataploom]

i don't know about the supply but i have read long ago that Microsoft was slower because it had to make 2 chips, instead of 1 for both

so when making the S chip you don't make the X chips and when you make the X chip you are not making the S chip if that makes sense

I think it's actually the opposite since XSX chips yields were low due to various factors like shortages, having to compete with Sony for supply, bigger chip in the wafer and MS pulling out some units for XCloud... XSS to me seemed like a solution Microsoft had to at least ensure a decent market supply to their customers.

 

[twilo99]

Series s is difficult for devs. Pro x would just run x games in higher resolution

Pro X is pointless, that thing is pretty potent already.

I got an S a few weeks ago.. zero complaints at that price

 

[twilo99]

so, which is it GAF? is hardware variation a challenge for developers or not?

Entirely dependent on narrative.

Xbox related = bad for devs

PC related = lazy devs

It’s all perspective, if you make the 4090 the reference point, every other gaming device or GPU out there is holding back the whole “generation”

 

[ZVWQP-9B8TM-VH9CT]

wrong comment

 

[Metnut]

Series S is going to prove to be a bigger problem as the generation goes on and games get more demanding. The Baldur’s Gate 3 situation is an embarrassing debacle for Microsoft (taking attention away from the Starfield release) and it’s likely not the last time we’ll see this issue arise.

 

[NinjaMouse]

Pro X is pointless, that thing is pretty potent already.

I got an S a few weeks ago.. zero complaints at that price

I have an S and an X in the house, also and honestly, unless I'm hell bent on pixel-counting, I can tell almost zero difference in them when playing the same games. Yakuza Ishin, Fortnite, and Modern Warfare II run great on both. In fact, I almost enjoy MW2 on the Series S more because the fans don't go bananas when playing.

 

[Three]

What a strawman. It's a weak ass console. People complain for the same reason that they complain about crossgen games and those need $0 extra to be able to play.

 

[Three]

Entirely dependent on narrative.

Xbox related = bad for devs

PC related = lazy devs

It’s all perspective, if you make the 4090 the reference point, every other gaming device or GPU out there is holding back the whole “generation”

Make the 4090 the reference point. A dev can make a game that only runs well on a 4090. A dev by contract can't make a game that only runs well on a Series X/PS5. When they do make it PS5 only you get the Jez Cordens of the world blaming everyone except the low specs of the Series S giving devs problems.

So it's not narrative driven but completely different things. The low spec of the Series S hamstrings (via contracts) other consoles. If a dev doesn't want to support anything less than 8GB RAM on PC they're free to do so. If their game doesn't run well on high end hardware or within recommended specs you're even free to call them lazy while taking into account that there are lots of configurations they haven't tested but don't conflate two distinct issues here.

 

[ByWatterson]

It's so bad that each is outselling the other.

 

[twilo99]

I have an S and an X in the house, also and honestly, unless I'm hell bent on pixel-counting, I can tell almost zero difference in them when playing the same games. Yakuza Ishin, Fortnite, and Modern Warfare II run great on both. In fact, I almost enjoy MW2 on the Series S more because the fans don't go bananas when playing.

Ye.. I’ve got a 6800xt PC right next to it and unless I’m playing a competitive shooter, the xss is fine, and yes, its extremely efficient, which is the biggest draw for me. I didn't really know what to expect, since I've only been using PCs for a long time, but I'd recommend the S to anyone.

Pixel peeping in games reminds of pixel peeping in photography, its get to the point where only 0.1% of the users can actually tell the difference, and they are the most vocal ones.

Frames is the only thing that makes a real difference for me, and that's where the xss can struggle, but if it hovers around 60 its fine since my TV can only do 60hz anyway.

 

[drganon]

Most likely. The real question is to what extent.

 

[Kumomeme]

would be nice if later they allow Series S to use external usb player like bluray or even dvd player.

gonna be great as emulation device.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Sadly, I'd imagine it is. It's a great little console but not to be the primary xbox of the generation imo.

 

[Stare-Bear]

Every-time Xbox does a PR event, they show up with the Series S. It’s their main console.

 

[mrmustard]

Yes and it will get even more clear by the end of this gen, because most upgrading casuals will go for the S.

 

[supernova8]

i do like how here we say the existence of the Series S is such a pain and detriment to developers, yet when someone in a PC port thread says "the sheer number of hardware configurations possible on PC makes optimization extremely challenging" they are called out as "making excuses for lazy devs"

so, which is it GAF? is hardware variation a challenge for developers or not?

Surely the difference is that they can choose what PC configurations to target, but they cannot choose whether to target Series S or not.

 

[supernova8]

would be nice if later they allow Series S to use external usb player like bluray or even dvd player.

gonna be great as emulation device.

Nah I think they want people locked into digital because it forces consumers to keep buying (and/or subscribing to Game Pass) within the Xbox ecosystem.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

The S has great form factor but i like to play my games at highest quality. If had the S it would be one of those consoles you throw in your backpack to play at your friends house or maybe you go vacation, summer home etc just to have something.

 

[SkylineRKR]

Series S is a good console, I still have it. But its overpriced if its above 250. I paid 299 for it at launch day, and compared to SX and PS5 it falls short not only in performance but storage as well. However you do get a very small and silent console that plays a lot of games at higher framerate and has the same load times and quick resume features as SX. In terms of form factor its unbeatable too.

In many games I don't even notice the difference much. I played Hitman 3 and RE Village on both PS5 and S for example, for me the experience was equal. I mostly ignore XSS versions if they don't go beyond 30fps, but most games so far run 60. And some games are better on S than on my PS5, if PS5 takes the PS4 profile (Psychonauts, NieR, Mass Effect etc).

 

[twilo99]

Series S is a good console, I still have it. But its overpriced if its above 250.

A quick peek on FB marketplace reveals some better values

 

[mckmas8808]

Every-time Xbox does a PR event, they show up with the Series S. It’s their main console.

I wish MS would just be more honest about this fact.

 

[xrnzaaas]

The 'og' Series S is very cheap (the new black model with the 1tb ssd - not so much) and I can see why many people buy it is a device for 1080p gaming. I had the opportunity to play Forza Horizon 5 on both models and the difference is pretty significant when playing on a 4k tv. I will always recommend saving up more money for the X model to avoid having to worry about future performance and to have the bluray drive as well.

 

[DaGwaphics]

The Series S is a great little console. The fact that there are a lot of sales and good prices for it will just help to get more console gamers moving up to current-gen. It's surprising it has done as well as it has in the cross-gen phase as this was the weakest period for it as it isn't a necessary upgrade until most releases are current-gen only.

 

[Jakk]

i do like how here we say the existence of the Series S is such a pain and detriment to developers, yet when someone in a PC port thread says "the sheer number of hardware configurations possible on PC makes optimization extremely challenging" they are called out as "making excuses for lazy devs"

so, which is it GAF? is hardware variation a challenge for developers or not?

I'm not sure what are you trying to say. I think Series S is a pain for the developers and I'm not calling anyone out as making excuses for lazy devs. Optimization for PCs in general is definitely harder than for two similar consoles, but how many gaming PCs in 2023 do you think have around 8GB of usable shared RAM between CPU and GPU?