Many players have been wondering whether to buy an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S in preparation for Starfield.
Below we’re going to go over which console will offer the best value and overall experience for Starfield, to help you make up your mind on which to get.
Should You Buy an Xbox Series X or Series S for Starfield?
To make the most out of Starfield, we recommend buying an Xbox Series X. This is because it allows you to play in full 4K and has a much larger storage capacity than the Series S.
Conversely, if you’re on a budget, the Xbox Series S could be for you. The Series S is far cheaper than the Series X, though it has smaller storage space and will output the game at a lower resolution.
Here are the main differences for Starfield on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S:
| Xbox Series X | Xbox Series S | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $499 | $299.99 |
| Framerate | 30 FPS | 30 FPS |
| Resolution | 4K | 1440p |
| Storage Capacity | 1 TB | 512 GB |
| Disk Drive? | Yes | No |
Whichever console you choose, Starfield is will run on both the Xbox Series X and Series S at launch. The Xbox Series X is currently $499, while the Xbox Series S is $299.99.
The Xbox Series X will undoubtedly provide the better experience for Starfield, particularly if you have access to a 4K TV. As the more powerful hardware, the Series X will also likely handle draw distances, lighting, and effects better than the Series S.
However, the $200 price difference of the Series S is an alluring prospect for a lot of gamers, particularly if they already own another home console, such as the PS5.
Only time will tell how optimized the game will be for both, but based on the Series X’s beefier specs, we expect that things will run a little more smoothly there compared to the Series S.
For those that want the best version of Starfield, buy the Xbox Series X. The Xbox Series S is for players who are on a budget and don’t mind lower graphics settings.
Starfield – Xbox Series X vs Xbox Series S
The biggest difference between the Xbox Series X and Series S version of Starfield is with its resolution and graphical fidelity. Both Xbox Series consoles will run the game at 30 FPS.
In an interview with IGN, Todd Howard confirmed that Starfield will run at 30 FPS on both the Xbox Series S and the Xbox Series X. Although sometimes capable of hitting 60 FPS, Howard mentioned that it was locked to 30 FPS on both consoles to maintain Starfield’s “fidelity”.
He went on to confirm that Starfield will run at 4K on the Xbox Series X and 1440p on the Xbox Series S.
Check out the interview below:
It’s also been confirmed that Starfield has a file size of a whopping 125 GB, which is something to take into consideration. The Xbox Series X has a comfortable 1TB of storage to play with, while the Series S only has 512 GB.
Starfield will take just about 1/4 of the Series S’s total storage, which means you may have to buy a storage expansion card if you want to play and download lots of other games.
Buying the Xbox Series S will also prevent you from buying a physical version of Starfield, which is something to consider if you like having a physical games collection.
Despite this, Todd Howard himself has stated that the game runs “great” on the Series S, and is a more than viable way of playing the game.
We’ll get a better idea of how Starfield will look and perform on both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on Starfield’s release on September 6.
