Xbox Series S Price and Specs Breakdown - Kinda Funny Xcast Ep. 09

SnowBikeMike, Alanah Pearce, and Gary Whitta break down their thoughts on all of the Xbox Series X and Series S news!
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Timecodes:
00:00:00 - Start
02:00:00 - Housekeeping
00:02:45 - Xbox Series S and X News Breakdown!
00:28:36 - The Catch with Series S
00:42:38 - Xbox All Access Program
00:49:02 - EA Play + Game Pass
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[@benjpress]

I just wanted to say thank you whoever is running the back-end for this podcast. Actually running relevant videos/pictures on the background for those watching.

[@Radioactive_exe]

I think its Barrett (not sure on spelling) but yeah

[@bigmuthstrucker]

it is Barrett

[@nicktubby9710]

Definitely Barrett. When Kevin is running the show it looks like a goldfish with a tracking sensor is swimming around in Microsoft Paint. (joking)

[@sarahreed9833]

As a Playstation person I really enjoy this show, I hope it continues indefinitely. I also think Mike is a fabulous host, he deserves his career to go from strength to strength! Keep it up guys!

[@archerjesiah6539]

Instablaster.

[@themightymander_extra]

Xcast on a Saturday morning is just so delightful. Love this show.

[@BenjiB0P]

It's been said in these comments already but I'll continue to echo it. For the Series S you can still use an HDD and move files back and forth between your HDD and SSD. You don't HAVE to buy the expansion

[@theotakunate]

Even get an external ssd and transfer speed should be fast.

[@jabzt]

Series X as well obviously

[@stavroszaras6298]

I echo your echo. That's exactly what i'll be doing and transferring is really fast even now. I will have all my games preinstalled on my external and day one plug it into my series x to save time. Let's be honest though, the type of gamers going for the series s shouldn't have THAT many games downloaded anyways.

[@Derek-O]

for gary about storage issues: you can use regular external HDD for the series x/s. you can play xbox one and older games off it, and you can store series x games on it to transfer to the ssd internal when you want to play.

[@jonwall22]

Lol everybody is correcting Gary lol

[@judah_macabe]

This needs to be repeated time and again so no one forgets to mention it.

[@Cyrribrae]

On the internet, if the mob doesn't repeat it constantly, it gets forgotten. And this is important to remember. Plus, with the significantly faster I/O this gen, transfers between media should be much, much less of a pain. I don't mind waiting 10 minutes to play a game I have in cold storage, rather than downloading it again (or spending $200 on expansion, unless I REALLY need to later).

[@judah_macabe]

@@Cyrribrae true. I know ill get the 1tb expansion card (and I know in a year or so there will be 2tb and eventually 4tb by the end of the gen. And that's fine) but for me 2tb of nvme speed with my 2tb external HD I already have will be more than enough space for my gaming needs, and really I'd be ok with the 1tb internal and 2tb external and just transfer series x games when needed, and thats what most people should do anyway. I mean if you need to have 10 games available for you at all times, you should really work on beating a few before downloading more haha. Also, ms has said they want to work on storage management tools so those who buy cod, for example, can choose to install the mp, sp, or both. And once their done with sp Uninstall that. Same with gsmes like fifa with 20 audio packs, you can choose to install just your audio and save hundreds of mb or even some gigs.

[@26101976bdm]

And then your getting closer to the price of an xsx - why wouldn't someone just xsx? What of Sony price the PS5 DE at $400? What's the point xss again? To take the place of xbox one x? A great console that maybe wasn't designed to do 120fps, but has more functionality than xss which seems a step back.

[@delunamendivil]

Alannah says she's concerned about the space on Series S, especially because it doesn't have a disc drive.....well, it actually doest matter, because the game has to be installed anyway regardless. The disc is the series X is there for two reasons: 1.- Bluray movies or music cds 2.- Collectors. And even when the game is installed from a disc, there are always updates, and those are downloaded anyway.

[@Zealoustitan]

A lot of people seem to miss this point

[@VooDooChild6971]

Yeah, updates are the big roadblock for physical games. It may only take five or so minutes to install the game from a disc, but the inevitable huge updates will make you wait potentially a few hours before the game is ready. The best compromise for this whole issue is to plug in a spacious external drive and transfer games back and forth between the SSD and HDD.

[@MeneMrMustard]

Seriously. I never understand that argument. Even if you have a disc-based game, you're still going to need to install like 40GB or something on your hard drive. I'm pretty sure there is no difference in install size between physical and digital games.

[@drifter6870]

Was also thinking if it does not run games at 4k, it does not need the 4k assets, so the file size could be smaller based on the system.

[@p0rn0saur]

These hosts really know very little about the actual Xbox systems, but didn't expect much from KF

[@Shawn-jh9wk]

This has been my favorite episode of XCast so far. In fact, I feel like it ended way too soon! Love the show and can't wait for next week! Love you your energy and passion, Mike!

[@danbeck8084]

Thanks guys! I love that I get to wake up to this Saturday mornings, and really appreciate the positive vibe you guys have. 🤘

[@pepperoni6816]

very happy to start the day off with this

[@Jukeboxchigg]

Getting EA play included in game pass is such a strategic move. I know so many people that just play madden, shooters, and driving games. I could see game pass becoming so much more tempting for them with the EA games in there.

[@themightyant.]

Just wanted to say big love to you all. Thanks for the great show.

[@chrissingleton7945]

What kinda funny has taught me is that games and gaming is supposed to fun. If $299 gets more people to have fun, there’s nothing wrong with that.

[@ORscrubbed]

I love waking up to you guys Saturday’s. Alannah and Gary are the best duo out there, and it’s been amazing to see how far Mike has come as a host. You’re killing it dude, keep it up! The hard work you’ve put into this thing really shows off.

[@charoleawood]

Isn't that a backhanded complement where Mike is concerned? Snowbike Mike makes this show for me, and it's the combination of all three of them that elevates it. I think Mike has been great from the start, I tune in because he runs a great show.

[@ORscrubbed]

Charlie Wood not meant that way at all. I’d never heard of mike and started watching the stream when I saw Alannah and Gary had been on it. Episode 1 Mike was great, but the rest of them have done hundreds and hundreds of podcasts. In 7 episodes Mike is a polished veteran now, and that’s no easy feat. You can tell he’s busted his ass to make this podcast as good as it is.

[@rickyrich93]

This week could really use a good ol' wholesome Xcast.

[@stevemoody13]

This is such a great show! I hope they can keep it going after launch.

[@randypruitt6422]

This show makes my Saturdays even better

[@marklaw7777]

Been refreshing KZbin waiting to see this!

[@RGX89]

I’ve been waiting all week for this!

[@ColdHeartsHotNights]

keep up the good work guys! it's appreciated.

[@grantgianneschi9492]

I can't believe that every games media person seems to misunderstand that, whether you have the physical disc or own it digitally, you still have to download the game. So this idea that the digital only console needs to have more storage is just wrong. Does anyone else notice this? Or am I just watching the wrong youtubers?

[@ronhalmen67]

It is something people don't aknowledge a lot of the time, that discs don't have the full game in them anymore, so if you don't have internet, games are unplayable upon purchase.

[@manbearpig5346]

Yes. My God, everytime someone says "especially considering that this is a digital only console, 500gb is gonna fill up quickly" I lose a few brain cells. People said the same thing when the Xbox One SAD was released. It's such a stupid thing to say. This isn't the 360 generation where you can run games off discs; They have to be installed anyway. I can't believe the number of people that fail to realize this.

[@benloud8740]

Yeah disc games are still installed to the hdd. All discs save you is potentially some download time, but with day 1 updates usually being almost the size of the entire game these days it doesnt save you much

[@wgo523]

You save a lott of time if you have the disks and want to reinstall a game to play it. Increasingly less of a thing, but it's still meaningful.

[@manbearpig5346]

@@wgo523 That depends entirely on your connection. It's actually quicker for me to just download the game than use the disc because even with a disc I'd have to then download an update. Downloading it at the same speed but all in one go is quicker.

[@Rooney87]

This is why this is my new favourite Xbox pod. I like the fact you can be objective on some issues.

[@calimanduff]

Snowbike Mike had me dying with "west coast best coast time", we should petition to have it changed to that!

[@KenHeslip]

The One X is out of stock so "Jonny" is safe.

[@p0rn0saur]

Gary is the worst, sucks he's attached to this show, already skip Wednesdays of KF

[@overshot8331]

Jonny is gonna get the Series S. LOL

[@themightyant.]

A better example from Gary would have been “Jonny” wants the Xbox Series S and actually gets the Xbox One S. To be honest I think this is most difficult for press and enthusiasts who want say/type/write these names several times. Already seeing a lot of people making mistakes.

[@Cyrribrae]

@@themightyant. Yes, people make mistakes when it doesn't matter. But, when you're about to put down $300, you get it right. Remember, the store clerks want to sell you the Series S - NOT the One S. They don't make as much money on those. Plus, they'd prefer to sell you on Game Pass, so they might steer you toward All Access anyway. It might be an issue online, but it's not like product descriptions don't exist. I think the only way this happens will be that parents go to buy their kids the new PS5 or Xbox this holiday, don't realize that they're all out of stock already, end up with a PS4 Slim or One S and think "Wow this was so cheap!". On the PS4 side, that sucks because you can't play quite a few of the big launch games. But, on Xbox, there's only one or two games that straight up won't work. Plus, with Game Pass and the promise of forwards and backwards compat, when Jonny ends up finally getting a Series S or Series X, every game, every save file, every controller, every accessory (except Kinect, which he can't get now anyway) just seamlessly carries over to the new box. That's just not true with PS5.

[@dswanson1975]

Another great show,please keep them coming🤘🏼

[@fanto86]

Enjoying every minute of the show😊

[@AnthonyLopez-cc9nf]

Bro, how can you watch SnowBikeMike and his energy and not be in a better mood? 🙌

[@_a_b_c_5]

Holy, that closing from mike, class mate, class! 💚

[@SaiyanABlazeNinja]

Everytime Gary makes a joke SnowBikeMike lights up like a tomato like with the hot plate thing

[@llcoolcplays]

I'm a self admitted sony fanboy but I love this podcast. Prob my favourite on KF right now.

[@stodgycaesar6164]

As long as you play PS and not Twitter that's cool. 👍🏼

[@TheRevenantsMovie]

Agreed!

[@rabihk6383]

Nothing wrong with that! Competition is needed in the industry. Both companies will make money but with competitions consumers win.

[@Steven_385]

I love kinda funny but being a PS kind of guy I still think Greg without Collin is not as good and generally prefer sacred symbols and beyond than PS I love you 2.0

[@alexwilson5136]

What everyone seems to keep forgetting when talking about the value of the series S, X, and xbox all access is the fact that xcloud is bundled in with gamepass ultimate

[@pinkys3321]

Great show

[@mariosilva3554]

A combination of this podcast and Xbox marketing are very effectively convincing me to buy my first Xbox console this year. $25/month for a console and a game library is a great deal, especially if it won't sound like a leaf-blower like my PS4. Thank you all for being so informative and entertaining!

[@codycoop3248]

Don’t going into debt for a game console. M$ is locking you into game pass for two years. Quick price break down. Series s $299 + game pass for two years $345 $299+345 $645. All access price 25*24= $600 savings of $45/24 months and that saves you $1.87 a month. Series x $499+$345= $845 All access $35*24 = $840 saves you $5/24 months and you save $.20.

[@lllCTHULHUlll]

@@codycoop3248, most everyone knows that buying products outright is the cheaper option. The same bad deal exists for getting a car loan. But, most people can't afford to buy a car outright. I know it seems like this shouldn't apply to something as affordable as the Xbox Series S, but that is the situation with the American economy. Don't shame people for picking the option that works for them. The last thing we need is people criticizing others purchases during a global pandemic and economic crisis. OP, buy whatever the hell you want. You shouldn't have to be sidelined in the new console generation because of how much money you have or make. I'm glad you have the option to play games with me rather than not at all.

[@codycoop3248]

HEXXEN WOLF it’s not shaming it’s called opening the eyes to reality. Talk about the economy we are in and then suggest that people should go into debt, debt is a risk and you are giving people poor advice. What if the economy gets worse they lose the job, get laid off, pay cut, family emergency, medical emergency, they have that debt hanging over there head and added more stress. Miss a payment, make a late payment and all the interest is applied, doesn’t matter if it’s the first month or the last if that happens that’s how they trap you.

[@codycoop3248]

HEXXEN WOLF you are not helping people by telling them to do the easy thing and just get it with debt, you are just catering to them. Just like if someone was trying to lose weight and you said well just have cake it’s all good. That would not help that person.

[@Mayflower018]

@@lllCTHULHUlll The all access price is better IF you want Xbox game pass for 2 years as well. If you just want the console, just get the console. Series S + 2 years game pass (separately) = $300 + 24*$15 or $360 = $660 Series S + 2 years game pass (all access) = 24*$25 = $600 The payment plan with all access is cheaper than buying them separately.

[@EdwarioERS]

PCIe 4 M.2 NVMe SSDs are in the $200 range for 1TB. We're supposed to be seeing truly next generation optimizations with those types of specs, which for Xbox is coming in the form of those $200+ priced storage cards. These experiences aren't going to be possible with USB and SATA speed storage. The best thing you can do to save time managing your limited storage on your Series S or X is going to involve using external 3-8TB hard drives in the $60-140 price range to locally backup game data that can be later be moved to your super fast internal console storage. This backup feature will be more important the slower your internet speed is. If it takes 3+ hours to download a game, while less than 20 minutes copy it back to your console, external hard drives will be critical to making next-gen work until prices drop on PCIe 4 spec storage, which I'd say includes the Xbox storage cards. However, as they are proprietary, their prices will be drop much slower and later than M.2 ones the PS5 will be compatible with.

[@momsbasement656]

I think the $200 rumor is false. They may be using a PCIE 4.0 interface, but the speed is only 2500 MB/s, which is a speed cheap PCIE 3.0 drives can easily do. Add on top of that, the drive controller is located on the motherboard. The SSD expansion drives on the XSS and XSX are literally just storage chips. I feel these things are going to get really cheap, really quickly.... after Seagate loses it's exclusivity. The people I feel bad for is the PS5 owners who want more fast storage. That thing only has 800 Gigs of space for games and it needs 7 GB/s PCIe 4.0 SSDs.... which you can't even buy yet and will no doubt be insanely expensive.

[@darkosdreamers1169]

I've got a 8tb hdd ready for the series x to put my games on. I will need to just swap around my games which is pretty fast right now and with the new systems it will be a breeze. I do not see a problem with this set up I will be using.

[@GregH999]

You would only have to do that for Xbox Series enhanced games - the lesser generations can still be played directly from your 8tb hdd i believe

[@darkosdreamers1169]

@@GregH999 Thanks for the tip.

[@johnhenry17]

I’m doing that right now. I have a external ssd for faster loads times for big games like Red Dead and destiny

[@robguppy4729]

This is what I was waiting for all week since the Xbox news! The KFGD discussion was good, but this is the one ☝️ Much love KF crew and the best friends 💙

[@Paintloud]

Good work this week.

[@anthonymaurer877]

With the series S smaller hard drive, do you think part of the reason they decided that, aside from price, was that with xcloud coming you wouldn't necessarily need the storage space?

[@TarisRedwing]

I can't get enough of that intro it makes me hype for everything Xbox

[@YoungDrizzy23]

As a Sony guy, it’s really good to have you guys back 😁

[@ChrisWTube]

I work at a retailer in the UK and we haven’t had a OneX in stock since the start of the year and have only had OneS models in very rarely and in small quantities. There will not be confusion on buying a new Xbox, people manage fine with buying other tech. I have never had a customer in 11 years return a console because they got the wrong one.

[@retrodreamer9439]

Game software on the Xbox series s with lower resolution will use up a lot less storage and then the software will be compressed which will reduce the amount of storage required even further.

[@jgons]

Ding ding ding. Can’t believe they didn’t mention this. This is what smart delivery is all about, but it seems the whole games journalism field is confused about that too.

[@zackrose6261]

@@jgons Journalism in general is stupid XD

[@jgons]

@@zackrose6261 In general, as you said, yes. There are rare gems out there who actually do real research and contribution to uncovering information on subjects.

[@zackrose6261]

@@jgons Kinda funny used to be like that.

[@jgons]

Zack Rose yup. While I still find them entertaining, it seems recently they are 90% baseless conjecture of what’s to come. Might as wait for real news. :)

[@finalhalo3]

If you go back and look closely at the pictures of the back of the boxes, there are two USB slots on each. What is to stop you from attaching an external?

[@Tairashimuzu]

A firmware update they probably didnt patch in

[@danny13188]

Hey just wanted to say I love listening to you guys. I listen to you guys while I run. My only complaint is that o wish you were given more time. Like an extra 20-30min. PS I Love You is regularly 2hrs and that is wayyy to long. Keep up the great work.

[@laefty666]

I haven’t seen an Xbox one X on store shelves since like March so I doubt there will be much confusion around the time the Series X/S are on sale this November

[@QuadThumbs]

And don't forget, the EA Play included is also the PC version along with the Console version

[@darrenjeyjackson]

I don't own an Xbox (anymore) and I don't plan on buying one any time soon but I watch this show every week 🤷‍♂️😂😂

[@Craxmerax]

On the SSD topic, it is worth noting that not all SSDs are made equally. There is a lot of difference in durability and speed over time. A high-end PCIe Gen 4 SSD is going to be more expensive than an older one even if the raw speed for both of them is the same.

[@jhlbjaaa]

Best argument for next gen xbox: you go to the shop pay $25 you got a next gen box and hundreds of games in your library.

[@ASSASSINASAN]

Snowbird you're a great host but it would be nice to hear more of your opinion than just asking the other hosts. Its always nice to hear from someone who hasn't been embedded in the industry for too long. A fresh perspective ya know.

[@MrTeReviento]

Alanah and her trademark coffee on every podcast makes me want to drink one every time

[@deveus4987]

The thing about the hard drive space no one is talking about is the speed. A PCIe 4.0 NVME at 1TB is about $240, if the Memory card comes in at $200 thats a good deal for the speed of the SSD. If you cant afford it the External storage you have already will work, you just have to transfer games to the main drive to get the speed.

[@yungtomreme4530]

Favorite podcast. I miss the ice breakers though

[@lllCTHULHUlll]

I've been waiting on this one. Let's go!

[@Gmenamen]

Mike your best work so far. U nailed it.

[@jasonbaughman77]

And one other point that I would like to make is that I also think that they are going to have new iterations every couple of years. that's why I think it's no coincidence that with all access is a 2yr program. so like if you were with all access before this launch you could upgrade to the next console of your choosing. so around the time when you're 2 years is done of all access you can upgrade to the new console just like you do with phones and possibly just like you will have the option to do with Xboxs.

[@Robwdevoreable]

You'll be able to plug in an external dark drive, but the games will have to be moved to the internal drive to play the game. So, you won't have to delete games, but you will have to move games around. If you don't want to have to do that, then you will have to get the Seagate memory card

[@BlacklistMegaT]

You guys are back! Yes!

[@kingko6512]

On the Storage discussion. Games aren't "only getting bigger", they actually have a huge opportunity to get smaller being developed on SSDs Also remember you can still plug in your USB drives and store games there BUT Next Gen games will only play if stored on the internal SSD or the proprietary external drive

[@draxell001]

Surprised no one mentioned anything about X-Cloud service coming to Game Pass, if that can be beefed up and work how we want it to then the smaller hard drive might not matter.

[@roytopaz]

The thing with the price and brand loyalty is that the one that is loyal to the brand is not always the one making the decision. As Alannah said, Microsoft has created a cheaper option for "the same thing". That allows some parents to go "$500 is too much, it either the $300 one or nothing" and that kid will probably get a Series S

[@renanosilva]

Dream Team is back!

[@michaellipari8707]

Loved this episode!

[@BigKurzMD]

You can use any external HD to STORE your games. Just need to move to the SSD to run

[@livibam]

Love Mikes energy.

[@patfuryy]

"Banger titles like Anthem" lmao

[@RadimuxCisco]

I am glad All Access exists. If I get a console at this time it will be with that program.

[@rabihk6383]

Gary use an external and play old games via external and transfer next gen games back and forth

[@p0rn0saur]

Good to see Gary super out of touch with reality per usual. Good luck going into a store and buying an Xbox One X.

[@danp2687]

They're still on sale in the uk everywhere.

[@JonnyReturns]

Xcast is the only reason I’m subscribed to Kinda Funny

[@Jukeboxchigg]

I remember Phil Spencer saying a while ago that they would not be beat on price or performance and now I know what he was talking about.

[@shamus3477]

But no games for 3 years what's the point of releasing 2 new consoles

[@CowhandFudca]

Saturday Morning Looney Tunes wishes it was the XCAST

[@FernandoGomez-hg4rn]

I think the proprietary SSD is part of the reasons they managed to go so low on price.

[@TheRevenantsMovie]

Good work you all! So excited to watch this next generation. Xbox is doing some exciting stuff.

[@MikeUK]

Taking the bluray drive makes no difference to disc usage as all games were installed to HDD anyway regardless if you have disc or not

[@raymondhampton4655]

My favorite KF podcast.

[@Dp3ch3Mod3UndrGround]

For some people who have a large Xbox disc catalog, the Series S is simply not an option. Its also weird that all we are getting is specs on a sheet. I want to see game play of what the Series S can do compared to a Series X, or even against a One X.

[@jzacarias117]

FYI the Xbox One X isn’t even available in stores anymore. Maybe eBay I guess

[@RingyUWE]

Think it will be the series X for me, with recently having been lucky enough to invest in a 4k TV, probably early next year. Will then use that to take the leap into games pass and the fact it includes EA play now as well, epic win, crushing it imho.

[@bertymartinez6241]

There shouldn't be confusion with the onex. It's discontinued. Here in PR they can't be found anywhere. Most kids have been home since xmas. Earthquakes damaged the schools and then the pandemic. Parents have picked up consoles like crazy

[@felipemfarias]

I think the reason they give proprietary external store is that so they can guarantee the performance. If they let people use whatever they want, performance of games can be affected in a very negative way. I think we just have to wait an see how it goes

[@andrewrutherford9255]

Getting PS5 as my main target, but a series x as well if i can afford both. Basically just want the x as a gamepass box. I was an xbox fanboy from the original to 360, but jumped ship to the ps4 this gen after the xbox one announcement disaster with all the drm and needing to be online etc. Im keen to have my feet in both camps this gen though, as xbox are doing great things with gamepass, and im super hyped for some games like Fable and Avowed.

[@legendofhayden]

I’m not sure the One X really will be around this holiday. it was discontinued and consoles are FLYING off shelves this year. no store in my area has been able to keep any xbox, playstation, or switch on the shelves for longer than a day.

[@cali4862]

Yeah folks! Another week rocking! Keep it up!!

[@BJBernardo]

Just so we're are clear here about storage, you are able to use USB External Storage Devices. You just will not be back able to load as fast as playing off the fancy drive. It is weird it's half of the XBox Series X internal drive.

[@BJBernardo]

Doing more research, it looks there's one more thing that really sucks about the storage. You can only play Series X games can only be played via the internal or that Seagate special external drive. Xbox One, 360 and OG games can be run from the USB external drive

[@Mike_L.]

Nice chat

[@stodgycaesar6164]

You can still attach an external hard drive to the new consoles. The SSDs are only there to take advantage of the Velocity Architecture (for fast loading & Quick Resume).

[@adaytorememberfan121]

Y’all gonna have to add the Series S to the intro!

[@price412]

Mike's making good points throughout the whole thing. The value Microsoft and Xbox are offering is incredible, especially for the people in the world who were out of jobs due to the pandemic.

[@hisuiOshawott]

I didn't realize you guys had Alanah and gary money! ❤

[@junaidx]

Any reason why Gary blinks so much? 4:20

[@icymoe1024]

Great price point but size is major issue - especially when I only care about gamepass. Glad I got the older version

[@paulbrown1409]

With regards to game sizes haven’t they said that current gen game install sizes are bloated due to replication of data due to the speed of the hdd head searching isn’t very quick but ssd won’t need that duplication of data due to the speed of them so the install sizes should be smaller.

[@Disco_Potato]

You're only looking at a reduction of maybe ~10GB on a 120GB sized game.

[@paulbrown1409]

@@Disco_Potato I can’t remember specifically but isn’t there some other development with these new consoles which only downloads the assets specific to the machine as well? So instead of downloading the 4k textures it would only download the ones specific to the 1080/1440p? Maybe that will also reduce the game sizes? Personally I’m an old fashioned disc drive kind of guy so can’t see me getting either series S or PS5 Digital as I prefer trading in games when and where I can.

[@Disco_Potato]

@@paulbrown1409 smart delivery. But I believe that's more to do with different versions of current gen and next gen game. For example if you own an xbox one version of a game but you now have a series x. If that game is part of smart delivery, you'll download the next gen version of the game versus current gen. I don't believe they've mentioned anything abut different versions of series s/x games. If there are though, you're looking at a few GB size difference. We can already sort of predict this by looking at 4k games on PRO/X versus base one/ps4.

[@paulbrown1409]

@@Disco_Potato cool. It’ll all come out in the wash, I’m just looking forward to getting started on the next gen. Been a tough year and gaming has helped a lot with it.

[@charoleawood]

@@Disco_Potato Smart delivery goes beyond backwards compatibility. Surely the file sizes for Series S versions of next gen games will be smaller for not having to install 4K assets in addition to the storage optimization Paul Brown was talking about.

[@addidaswguy]

The One X's are already gone from like 95% of stores if not more. I've been looking for two months... Maybe they might mix up the One S and the Series S

[@theotakunate]

I can't believe nobody realizes the the black fan vent is so people don't put stuff on top of it and block it.

[@eargh]

30:50 You actually can attach a hard drive to the Series X/S and it will work fine to store your next gen games - but you need to copy them to the console SSD if you want to play them. Copying doesn't take as long as downloading so I imagine for most people who are cash strapped this is still a good solution. If you want extra SSD storage yes you will have to pay for the proprietary tech. Hopefully not expensive. But get your facts right it's not that hard to read the xbox specs page.

[@mattj2692]

Gary's right. I'm in my 30s and have many friends who play games but aren't "gamers" and they don't care about brand loyalty. They've already said they're thinking about or planning to go xbox because they play mainly 3rd party stuff like Madden, COD, assassins, and far cry.

[@dersupra]

Just thought about this.... They are adding Xcloud to GamesPass. If eventually all of GamesPass is on Xcloud, we wont need as much storage.

[@jameswhitfield4481]

Hey XCast crew, you can plug a usb hard drive in and just move games back and forth on the Series X. Obviously they need to be on the internal to run new Series games but I do not think this is such a big deal.

[@jasonbaughman77]

I don't think the 512MB size of the SSD drives moving forward are going to be a big deal with Xbox for 2 reasons. For 1. In the current Xbox one settings you can find the ability to compress the game size for certain games. So moving forward they can just do this with all third-party titles. And all first party titles will of course be going to Game Pass. Which then leads me to my second point. 2. All you have to do is have the Game Pass app on your Xbox series S. And then just simply stream all of those games through the Game Pass app so then none of them have to be stored on the SSD whatsoever.

[@sordel5866]

You speak of the S very much as something aimed at people on a budget but I suspect that there a lot of people who could comfortably afford the X now but they'll go with the S for a couple of years and then pick up the PS5 that we all know will have great system exclusives by then. But if people push off their PS5 purchase until they get the big-screen 4K television ... will they find it hard to pull the trigger later in the generation?