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Forums - Microsoft Discussion - Series S vs Series X (resolution, performance, etc.)

*Update: Cyberpunk 2077, NBA2K1, Destiny 2 and CoD Warzone added.
*Update: Immortals: Fenyx Rising added
*Update: Borderlands 3 next gen update tested by Digital Foundry and all Xbox versions of Dirt 5 tested by NX Gamer.
*Update: AC: Valhalla has added 60 fps Performance Mode for Series S, along with a 30 fps Quality Mode for Series X.
*Update: Tweak CoD: Cold War with Digital Foundry coverage and added DOA6 to BC section.
*Update: AC: Valhalla updated with Digital Foundry coverage.
*Update: Halo: MCC added to list.
*Update: Found better source for CoD: Cold War.

I am intrigued by the Series S as a budget option, but also curious to see if the compromises (RAM and GPU) are too significant for the hardware to support next gen games well. Before the launch my feelings about Series S were it will live and die based on the quality of its AAA ports. I have watched numerous YouTube videos analyzing the Xbox Series consoles software and I thought this could make an interesting forum topic. Below I've compiled resolution and performance data of major next gen releases to get an idea of what developers are doing with the hardware.

Lets be frank, Series S is not a 1440p/60 fps machine like marketing suggested. At least not for major release. The Series S has demonstrated it can achieve 4K in less demanding titles and some titles do target 120 fps. Native resolutions are falling short of 1440p in demanding titles, but it worth noting many games do use effects and reconstruction techniques to improve the overall presentation.

Numbers and my notes may change as more channels and websites analyze games.

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
One: Dynamic ~720p-900p/30 fps
One X: Dynamic ~1440-4K/30 fps
Series S: Dynamic ~1188p-1620p/30 fps or Dynamic ~720p-1080p/60 fps.
Series X: Dynamic 4K/30 fps or Dynamic 1080p-4K/60 fps
Notes: VG Tech says Series S Drops to 675p, NX Gamer says 720p. Therefore any drops at or below 720p would probably be rare.
Source: https://youtu.be/ijpp5gimNBA
https://youtu.be/dTZhoI7lD1c
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2020-assassins-creed-valhalla-ps5-vs-xbox-series-x-s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teLDJ_q6Cvs
https://youtu.be/CgduK684mVo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibRsM1Nnpmk

Borderlands 3
One: Dynamic 900p/30 fps
One X: Dynamic 4K/30 fps or 1080p/60 fps target
Series S: Dynamic 1188p-1440p/60 fps
Series X: Dynamic 4K/60 fps or 810p-1080p/120 fps
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnQWSnT4HHM
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2020-borderlands-3-next-gen-upgrade-tested

Call of Duty: Cold War
One: Dynamic 900p/60 fps
One X: Dynamic 4K/60 fps
Series S: Dynamic 1440p/60 fps, RT disabled on Series S.
Series X: Dynamic 1440p-4K/60 fps with RT or Dynamic 1080p-1440p/120 fps without RT.
Notes: RT shadows only available on Series X and PS5.  Series S appears to have visual upgrade versus Xbox One consoles.
Source: https://youtu.be/9HHun9gVj8U
https://youtu.be/CoQYpS7I_B8
https://youtu.be/RnZAN91pUiw

Cyberpunk 2077
One: Dynamic 810p. Framerate is very unstable, 10-30 fps.
One X: Dynamic ~1100p-1600p/30 fps with dips. Much better performance than base One.
Series S: Dynamic ~1080p-1440p/30 fps. More stable performance and improved visuals versus One platforms.
Series X: Dynamic ~1440p-1800p/30 fps or Dynamic 1080p/60 fps. 30 fps mode is virtually locked, 60 fps mode can drop into 40s during heavy load.
Notes: Series S and X are using BC to play this game, next gen versions not released yet. Performance expected to improve in all versions via patches.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0aZocGxy3I
https://youtu.be/mVWJPYKCMco

Destiny 2
One: Dynamic 1080p/30 fps
One X: 4K/30 fps
Series S: 1080p/60 fps
Series X: 4K/60 fps
Notes: I believe this is a port given it uses Smart Delivery. Not sure if any visual upgrades were made beyond 60 fps.
Source: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2017-destiny-2-tech-analysis
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2017-destiny-2-xbox-one-x-analysis
https://youtu.be/fUhnRx66eWE

Devil May Cry 5
One: 1080p reconstruction/unstable 60 fps (dips into 40 fps)
One X: 4K reconstruction/60 fps
Series S: No source on resolution, no RT mode, seems to offer 120 fps mode.
Series X: (1) 4K/60 fps without RT (2) 4K reconstruction/uncapped 120 fps (varies from about 60 to 120 fps) without RT. (3) 4K reconstruction/uncapped 60 fps (30 to 60 fps) with RT (4) 1080p/60 fps with RT
Source: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitafoundry-2019-devil-may-cry-5-tech-analysis-all-consoles-tested
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2020-devil-may-cry-5-ps5-xbox-series-x-comparison
https://www.digitalfoundry.net/2020-11-09-devil-may-cry-5-special-edition-ps5-ray-tracing-120hz-modes-tested

Dirt 5
One: Dynamic 540p-720p/40-60 fps or Dynamic 900p/30 fps
One X: 4K reconstruction/60 fps (can drop to 1080p) or Dynamic 4K/30 fps
Series S: Dynamic 1440p/60 fps or Dynamic 540p-720p/120 fps (120 fps mode considered a nice feature but too visually compromised)
Series X: Dynamic 4K/60 fps or ~1080p/120 fps (Can go above and below 1080p)
Notes: The only source I'm using for this game is NX Gamer. Previous sources show different results likely due to being older versions tested. Performance mode sacrifices resolution and other visual settings for better performance.
Source: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2020-dirt-5-xbox-series-x-hands-on
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLUrgHWxWCU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4_a3AlOa34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDMwtCnxWFI

Forza Horizon 4
One: 1080p/30 fps.
One X: 1080p/60 fps or 4K/30 fps with higher graphics settings.
Series S: 1080p/60 fps
Series X: 4K/60 fps
Notes: Surprisingly, the One X version running in quality mode (30 fps) has the best graphics settings of all console versions. Series S/X port handled by Panic Button and not properly utilizing Series S/X specs according to Digital Foundry.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BdVMl3Tuxo

Gears 5
One: Dynamic 720p-1080p/30 fps
One X: Dynamic 1080p-4K/60 fps
Series S: Dynamic 720p-1440p/60 fps
Series X: Dynamic 4K/60 fps
Notes: Series consoles running better visual settings and textures. Series consoles offer 120 fps multiplayer, but split screen modes still 30 fps. Using VG Tech as source for Xbox One platforms as it tends to be most detailed.
Source: https://youtu.be/9BiQaRO2oco
https://youtu.be/9Cz5gq3S1ts
https://youtu.be/M6v19Ffjs5U

Gears Tactics
One: 1080p/30 fps
One X: 4K/30 fps or 1440p/60 fps
Series S: 1440p/60 fps
Series X: 4K/60 fps
Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/gears-tactics-1440p-60-fps-xbox-series-s-mouse-and-keyboard-console
https://youtu.be/G-PbZj2CbXI

Grounded
One: Dynamic 900p/uncapped 60 fps
One X: 1080p/60 fps with dips
Series S: 1080p/60 fps
Series X:  (Dynamic?) 4K/60 fps
Source: https://youtu.be/dMujCVYTfXo
https://youtu.be/kPSMaLipwd8

Halo: MCC
One: 1080p/60 fps with dips
One X: 4K/60 fps with dips
Series S: 1080p/60 fps
Series X: 4K/60 fps
Notes: Halo 2 Anniversary graphics mode has reduced or dynamic resolution on all versions except Series S. 120 fps mode and enhanced graphics settings on Series platforms.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkBFFzae90U
https://support.halowaypoint.com/hc/en-us/articles/360052059432

Immortals: Fenyx Rising
One: Dynamic 900p/30 fps
One X: Dynamic 4K/30 fps
Series S: Dynamic 720p-1080p/60 fps (30 fps cutscenes) or Dynamic 1440p/30 fps.
Series X: Dynamic 1080p-4K/60 fps or Dynamic 4K/30 fps.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5ZNPOUtsyo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N06yMnlz5b0

NBA 2K21
One: Probably 1080p/60 fps?
One X: Probably 4K/60 fps? DF says PS4 Pro version is 4K.
Series S: 1080p/60 fps
Series X: 4K/60 fps
Notes: The next gen versions have significantly improved visuals. That partly explains the lower resolution on Series S.
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2020-nba-2k21-the-next-gen-difference

Sea of Thieves
One: 900p/30 fps
One X: 4K/30 fps
Series S: 1080p/60 fps
Series X: 4k/60 fps
Source: https://www.bing.com/amp/s/www.ign.com%2farticles%2fsea-of-thieves-xbox-series-xs-optimizations-announced%3famp%3d1
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2018-sea-of-thieves-tech-analysis

State of Decay 2
One:  Dynamic 900p/30 fps
One X: Dynamic 4K/30 fps
Series S: 1080p/60 fps
Series X: (Dynamic?) 4K/60 fps
Source: https://youtu.be/QouDdBNSxAM
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2018-state-of-decay-2-tech-analysis

Watch Dogs: Legion
One: Dynamic 900p/30 fps
One X: Dynamic 2016p/30 fps
Series S: Dynamic 1080p/30 fps
Series X: Dynamic 4K/30 fps
Notes: Series S has much lower resolution than One X to maintain visual fidelity of 9th gen.
Source: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2020-should-you-wait-for-next-gen-to-play-watch-dogs-legion
https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2020-watch-dogs-legion-console-ray-tracing-vs-nvidia-rtx

We Happy Few
One: Resolution?/30 fps
One X: 4K/30 fps
Series S: 1080p/60 fps
Series X: Can't find source, but likely targeting 4K/60 fps.
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3COnUegvXs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIGbdzdkQKQ

Yakuza: Like a Dragon
One: No source on resolution and appears to run poorly. 30 fps target.
One X: No source on resolution, but looks and performs better than One. Also 30 fps.
Series S: 900p/60 fps or 1440p/30 fps.
Series X: 4K/30 fps, 1440p/60 fps, or 1080p/60 fps (1080p mode better maintains 60 fps during heavy effects)
Notes: This engine is brutal.
Source: https://youtu.be/vBv_8bvaDec
https://youtu.be/WJ9bODn8FFs

Notable Backward Compatible games tested on Series S.

Ark
Much better at targeting 60 fps. Nauseating experience on base One due to erratic frame rate and constant screentear. Series S|X port coming eventually.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoDbVUu6NQ8

Assassin's Creed: Unity (unpatched)
Gameplay virtually locked to 60 fps, cutscenes have dips.
https://youtu.be/gItkPR8a1Ag

Call of Duty: Warzone
Locked at 1080p/60 fps on Series S, a massive upgrade versus base One. Supports 120 fps mode but relies on dynamic resolution and sits around 90-100 fps.
https://youtu.be/EziUiWkW_HM

Dead or Alive 6
Runs quality graphics mode at 1080p/60 fps, same resolution and performance as PS4 Pro. Base One runs 30-40 fps in this same mode.
https://youtu.be/7gAS2gbmz94

Grand Theft Auto 4

Does a much better at targeting 60 fps than One X, but still suffers from significant dips.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W760tikknK0

Project Cars 3
Greatly improved performance, much closer to 60 fps target than either One or One X.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu0K7OnwEBg

Last edited by Mr Puggsly - on 14 December 2020

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!One X hanging in there with the Series S



!One X hanging in there with the Series S



Really great post Mr Puggsly!I was really hopeful about Series S, but it might seem like MS aimed a little too low ? Maybe a little bit more GPU grunt would have gone a long way.



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d21lewis said:
!One X hanging in there with the Series S

Well we already knew One X and Series S may be about equal in GPU power. Their goals are also different. One X raises resolution and performance in most cases, but often has same or similar graphics settings.

The Series S however seems to be doing 9th gen graphics with the compromise of resolution and texture quality. Fortunately, the texture quality reduction isn't that obvious and makes games considerably smaller.

From what I've seen thus far, I rather experience games optimized for Series S than One X due to load times and improved graphics settings.

I started playing Gears Tactics on One X recently and load times are awful. Even loading back to a checkpoint takes like a minute. So I may play it later on a Series X for about 8 second loads.



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Shinobi-san said:
Really great post Mr Puggsly!I was really hopeful about Series S, but it might seem like MS aimed a little too low ? Maybe a little bit more GPU grunt would have gone a long way.

Well I suppose the goal was achieving a modest price and maybe hitting $199 later on. If so the modeat specs makes sense.

As long as it keeps doing a good job playing 9th gen games at at around 1080p, users will be happy. Especially as price goes down.

1080p with good AA or some reconstruction technique looks fine even on a 4K TV.



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I think MS should have advertised Series S as a 1080p machine from the start rather than 1440p.



To get a meaningful reduction in price you have to lower the specs a fair chunk. You can't really save the money on the box, cables, controllers, PSU, shipping, etc...

Ultimately though the games will be the same to play. They will just look "last-gen" in places where the scene gets busy.



NobleTeam360 said:
I think MS should have advertised Series S as a 1080p machine from the start rather than 1440p.

Considering even their 1st party content is 1080p, yeah. But less demanding games are hitting 1440p, 1800p and even 4K. So maybe the goal was telling people this isn't just a 1080p box.

I auppose they could achieve 1440p with compromised visual settongs or capping games at 30 fps. I rather have 1080p though.

AC:Valhalla could probably be 60 fps on Series S with dynamic 1080p. Shame its not an option because performance does demonstrate a generational leap.



Recently Completed
River City: Rival Showdown
for 3DS (3/5) - River City: Tokyo Rumble for 3DS (4/5) - Zelda: BotW for Wii U (5/5) - Zelda: BotW for Switch (5/5) - Zelda: Link's Awakening for Switch (4/5) - Rage 2 for X1X (4/5) - Rage for 360 (3/5) - Streets of Rage 4 for X1/PC (4/5) - Gears 5 for X1X (5/5) - Mortal Kombat 11 for X1X (5/5) - Doom 64 for N64 (emulator) (3/5) - Crackdown 3 for X1S/X1X (4/5) - Infinity Blade III - for iPad 4 (3/5) - Infinity Blade II - for iPad 4 (4/5) - Infinity Blade - for iPad 4 (4/5) - Wolfenstein: The Old Blood for X1 (3/5) - Assassin's Creed: Origins for X1 (3/5) - Uncharted: Lost Legacy for PS4 (4/5) - EA UFC 3 for X1 (4/5) - Doom for X1 (4/5) - Titanfall 2 for X1 (4/5) - Super Mario 3D World for Wii U (4/5) - South Park: The Stick of Truth for X1 BC (4/5) - Call of Duty: WWII for X1 (4/5) -Wolfenstein II for X1 - (4/5) - Dead or Alive: Dimensions for 3DS (4/5) - Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite for X1 (3/5) - Halo Wars 2 for X1/PC (4/5) - Halo Wars: DE for X1 (4/5) - Tekken 7 for X1 (4/5) - Injustice 2 for X1 (4/5) - Yakuza 5 for PS3 (3/5) - Battlefield 1 (Campaign) for X1 (3/5) - Assassin's Creed: Syndicate for X1 (4/5) - Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare for X1 (4/5) - Call of Duty: MW Remastered for X1 (4/5) - Donkey Kong Country Returns for 3DS (4/5) - Forza Horizon 3 for X1 (5/5)

Nice thread. Series S looks to be a pretty good 1080p box, especially for it's price.



                  

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